ThirdWizard
First Post
Mark said:Player character interaction only, or are NPC interactions allowed to be DM-discretionary?
In my current campaign, a player of mine has returned to his villiage on the Beastlands after a journey about the Planes. Recently he found a powrful sword that had the markings of his tribe on them, and returned secretly to speak to the oracle of his people about the sword. Discovering its history, he found that it belongs to the leaders of the tribe and was stolen decades before he was even born. He had a choice: return the sword to its rightful owner or continue using it in his fight against evil. He knew that if he handed it over it would hang on a wall somewhere not being used, but he was not the rightful owner.
Not knowing what would happen, he confronted the village leader at the festivities they were having. He knew the leader to be an honerable man, a man who cares for his people. So he asked that he be allowed to continue using the weapon that was stolen so long ago as he believes it should be used. But, what would his leader say? He has been away for several years, and he couldn't be sure.
As a DM I made a judgement based on the NPC, what had happened in the time the PC was gone, and what kind of person he was. That I would consider DM discretion that is a lot more interesting than ruling on what happens during a wish spell, personally, and much more meaningful to the player. He had knowlege to go on, he knew the man, he knew his actions in the past, but this situation was unlike any other that he had witnessed. He has grown attached to that sword, but he offered it willingly if the leader so desired.
If that isn't DM discretion then what is it?
How is "exploration of the multiverse" a thing under DM discretion? The players choose where to go.
Do the players choose what they find?
What unknown things are you talking about?
This I don't understand. Isn't adventuring, by its very design, going into the unknown?
There's just no way around the fact that some spell effects will have a certain amount of DM discretion built in, if you're playing D&D.
Sure. But they know flamible things will catch on fire if you toss a fireball at them. I don't really see the point here.
Nice tack on. You're more of a player who has been screwed by some DMs (or a DM) than a DM who feels this way, aren't you? That's really what this is about, isn't it? Because I could understand what you've been saying, if it's being said from that perspective, even though I'd still disagree.
I've only ever played in one campaign, unfortunately. I didn't get a chance to play as a player for 8 or 10 years of playing D&D. I admit that the DM wasn't very good. He was the kind to give you something and then take it away the rare time he actually did give something, but that was due to inexperience more than anything else. In some ways I blame myself, because I was getting burned out and wasn't doing a as good a job as usual before he took over.