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Message: <blockquote data-quote="D'karr" data-source="post: 1081015" data-attributes="member: 336">Okay, let's analize this from the DM's perspective.  What things do DM's have to do in 3e that might be harder?Storytelling?  Nope, same amount of work involved there as in any other game.Rules? Nope.  As a matter of fact I find the rules to be much easier to adjudicate since they all follow the same template.  Just one core mechanic - roll d20 add modifiers beat a DC number.  I don't see anything there that would have "dire consequences" if the DM messed up.Game Preparation?  Nope.  Slightly more time consuming maybe, but on the average not any harder.As a matter of fact I've found that game preparation in 3e is much simpler because some things are now somewhat quantified.  In 1e I had to find out if a creature was an appropriate challenge for my players based on a) Experience, b) Trial and Error.  Usually that meant that challenges were very skewed.In 3e using Encounter Levels and Challenge Ratings, you have a pretty good idea of how chalenging an encounter will turn out.  So 3e has simplified my preparation.On most occasions 3e is easier to prepare for.  Someone mentioned earlier that, "Statting a Great Wyrm is hard."  I disagree it is not hard, it is time consuming.However, how many times, in your DMing experience, are you going to do that?  Once you've statted one do you have to do the same with each and every Great Wyrm?  No, you can easily recycle.  BTW, with the great amounts of NPC and other electronic generators available online even that chore is not as time consuming.From a DM perspective, the question really boils down to "How much do you want to prepare?"  I've run several sessions using just stock monsters from the MM and reocurring NPC's that I've created for other sessions.The only part of game preparation that might be considered more involved is NPC creation.  There are more skills and options involved.  But those options, after all, are just optional.  So if I create one town guard all my town guards, from that point on, can be the exact same - as far as stats are concerned.  If I'm going to create the BBEG for a campaign I probably only have to create him once.  So in reality how much time did that take?Handling players?  Now IMO this is really what Belen's argument revolves around.  Is it harder to handle player's in 3e than before, or in other game systems?  Again I think the answer is no.  How can the game system be to blame for the stupid things that player's or DM's do?If a player wants to play a half-dragon/quarter-slaad/quarter-halfling rogue/aristocrat, does the game system have "optional" provisions for it?  Yes.  Does the DM have to allow it?  Absolutely not.  How is the system to blame for the poor decisions that a DM might make?In other editions and in other game systems the "option" doesn't exist.  How does that make the game any easier for the DM?  Taking away the possibility of screwing the game up doesn't make the game easier, it just makes it less interesting.The two things don't have any relation one to the other.If the DM wants to allow the "optional" guidelines then he is going to have to be mature enough to live with the consequences.  And what DM in his right mind doesn't know that allowing the "half-dragon/quarter-slaad/quarter-halfling rogue/aristocrat" might cause problems?The notion that 3e is harder because it allows more options is really preposterous.  Since the options are after all "optional."The other part of the argument is that 3e restricts roleplaying.  I can't agree with that in any way.  Can someone give an example that they've seen where 3e restricts roleplaying?  I haven't seen one yet.  Just because 3e now quantifies, with some skills, things that relate to roleplaying - how exactly does that restrict roleplaying?Sorry but the answer is NO, 3e is not harder on DM's.This coming from a DM that has been running a weekly game for three consecutive years and a second monthly game for the same period of time.[Edit] Grammatical and spelling errors.</blockquote>

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