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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Irda Ranger" data-source="post: 4016130" data-attributes="member: 1003">I disagree. I can't speak for anyone else, but when I saw "Just change it" I'm referring to all of the non-combat fluffy stuff that doesn't effect combat or game balance.  My specific example in another thread (which I remember you objecting to there too <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />) was with reference to how many ranks in Profession (Juggler) the Pit Fiend has. Who cares? Give him as many as your plot requires. In fact, unless he's in a juggling contest with the PC's, don't even write down a rank. Just have him juggle as well as the story requires.And the same applies to Knowledge (The Planes) or Profession (Dark Overlord).  You don't need stats for that.  He knows whatever you need him to know; he rules over his Dominion in Hell "because you say so."  You don't need to reflect this kind of stuff in a stat block.And that's cool with new DM's too, because most new DM's will just wing that stuff anyway using either common sense or .. well, whatever it is teenagers have.  Just picture a couple 14-year olds on the back patio: One of them says "Dude! He's a frakking Pit Fiend, he can juggle 30 elven baby skulls all day if he wants to." And he's right. It's his Pit Fiend.As for combat stats, such as how much fire damage per round you suffer for being within 5 squares of him, I would not recommend changing that until rules mastery is achieved.  That kind of change will influence what his effective level is.  Other combat changes may have further ripple effects.I think it means that each campaign will have well-tested combat rules but unique and free-form plot elements and stories.  It should be needless to say (but just in case), I consider this a good thing.====================Now, some Q&AYes.  How could someone else's house rules matter to me?  The heavily house-ruled Iron Heroes campaign I play in certainly has no effect on you or anyone else.Important? No. Fun is important. Consistency is not.Viable? I hope not. Are you suggesting that someone (anyone) be empowered to prevent me from making house rules?As a side note, it took me a while to figure out what 'VTT' was referring to.  Is that what the Virtual Table Top is referred to any WotC's boards?Anywho, to answer your question ... I'm not sure how many people the VTT will get into RPG's.  I think it will mostly picks up former groups and friends who have scattered a bit.  I don't know how many people will buy the PHB at Barnes & Noble and start gaming immediately online using DDI exclusively.  DDI and the VTT are kind of a weird hybrid to me that don't seem to have the same fun potential as either table-top play or a purely online game, such as WoW or Halo.  It's just a stand-in for table-top play for friends who or geographically separated. IMO, of course.But yes, the VTT will enforce consistency.  The environment simply won't be as easy to modify as a table-top game.  Which is one of the reasons I think it will never really take off.EDIT: Thanks, Fieari. I figured it out.I'm not sure what your criteria for "Advanced DM" is, but if it means what I think it means, I believe that "advanced DMs" will be supported by DMG I.  The 4E devs have stated a goal of rules transparency; of being clear and up front about what assumptions are under the hood of the game, and what ripple effects can be expected by changing certain elements.  The role of DMG II will probably be to have that same discussion all over again with respect to the new classes and rules introduced in PHB II.  Think of each DMG as being the "Owners Manual" to each companion PHB.  There'll be more to it than that, of course, but that's one of its purposes.</blockquote>

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