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<blockquote data-quote="Belen" data-source="post: 1080473" data-attributes="member: 1405">Hey all,The troubles with 3e have slowly been dawning on me for the last few weeks, such as my post on the social skills, and an even earlier one about GM burnout.&nbsp; So I have to ask.&nbsp; Is 3e a nightmare for GMs?&nbsp; I think it is a valid question and I will highlight the reasons that I think 3e can be bad for GMs.Rules:&nbsp; 3e has more rules per pound than any other edition of DnD.&nbsp; In fact, the rules cover so much that a GM must know them hands down or suffer truly dire consequences.&nbsp; A GM who misses the beat even once can easily watch a game collapse.1.) Such extensive rules give players a lot of ammo when arguing over a GM call.&nbsp; In fact, do any of you remember needing to consult the books so often in previous editions?&nbsp; My group goes through this all the time and it really causes problems during game play!2.) Rules rather than roleplay: The social skills have really taken a beating in 3e.&nbsp; Yes, I understand (and partially agree) with the argument that it gives socially inept players a chance to play social classes, but half of DnD is learning to socialize, so die rolls are only harming the game!&nbsp; High level social skills are also broken!&nbsp; The charts say that DC 40 is nigh impossible, but I have 17th levels PCs who can routinely hit a DC 40.3.) 3e- the PnP PC game:&nbsp; Anyone else notice how close 3e gets to a computer game?&nbsp; It encourages combat far too much at the expense of roleplaying.&nbsp; Die rolls should never take the place of social aspects of the game, yet they seem to be gaining more popularity.&nbsp; 3.5 is worse in that they went so far as to codify names!&nbsp; Did Improved Invis really need to be Invis, Greater?4.) GMs have a lot more to do and consider than in past games.&nbsp; Monsters can now have levels.&nbsp; PCs can be half anything, but are usually just half- @$$ed.&nbsp; Every level can be a debate with your players.&nbsp; Yes, the encounters can be wildly different, but so much more work has to go into mechanics these days that you need to spend twice the time to have a good story and good encounters.5.) There are so many rules that even players get lost.&nbsp; Unless a rule is used every session, then no one can keep track of them.&nbsp; This means that a GM, just to have a smooth game, had better constantly re-read the same material.&nbsp; Mastery, my tail end!&nbsp; The large number of rules makes Mastery almost impossible.For me, DnD is not about die rolls.&nbsp; Yes, they are important, but I GM because I like to roleplay.&nbsp; I like to play a variety of characters and I love to create stories.&nbsp; When my half my prep is learning arcane mechanics and my sessions are five hours of social and combat DIE rolls, then I am unfulfilled.Anyone else think that 3e may be a bit too rough on GMs?Dave</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Belen, post: 1080473, member: 1405"] Hey all, The troubles with 3e have slowly been dawning on me for the last few weeks, such as my post on the social skills, and an even earlier one about GM burnout. So I have to ask. Is 3e a nightmare for GMs? I think it is a valid question and I will highlight the reasons that I think 3e can be bad for GMs. Rules: 3e has more rules per pound than any other edition of DnD. In fact, the rules cover so much that a GM must know them hands down or suffer truly dire consequences. A GM who misses the beat even once can easily watch a game collapse. 1.) Such extensive rules give players a lot of ammo when arguing over a GM call. In fact, do any of you remember needing to consult the books so often in previous editions? My group goes through this all the time and it really causes problems during game play! 2.) Rules rather than roleplay: The social skills have really taken a beating in 3e. Yes, I understand (and partially agree) with the argument that it gives socially inept players a chance to play social classes, but half of DnD is learning to socialize, so die rolls are only harming the game! High level social skills are also broken! The charts say that DC 40 is nigh impossible, but I have 17th levels PCs who can routinely hit a DC 40. 3.) 3e- the PnP PC game: Anyone else notice how close 3e gets to a computer game? It encourages combat far too much at the expense of roleplaying. Die rolls should never take the place of social aspects of the game, yet they seem to be gaining more popularity. 3.5 is worse in that they went so far as to codify names! Did Improved Invis really need to be Invis, Greater? 4.) GMs have a lot more to do and consider than in past games. Monsters can now have levels. PCs can be half anything, but are usually just half- @$$ed. Every level can be a debate with your players. Yes, the encounters can be wildly different, but so much more work has to go into mechanics these days that you need to spend twice the time to have a good story and good encounters. 5.) There are so many rules that even players get lost. Unless a rule is used every session, then no one can keep track of them. This means that a GM, just to have a smooth game, had better constantly re-read the same material. Mastery, my tail end! The large number of rules makes Mastery almost impossible. For me, DnD is not about die rolls. Yes, they are important, but I GM because I like to roleplay. I like to play a variety of characters and I love to create stories. When my half my prep is learning arcane mechanics and my sessions are five hours of social and combat DIE rolls, then I am unfulfilled. Anyone else think that 3e may be a bit too rough on GMs? Dave [/QUOTE]

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