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<blockquote data-quote="OB1" data-source="post: 7895508" data-attributes="member: 6796241">For me, DMing my sessions comes down to balancing three key elements in service of creating an exciting story and a fun evening for me and my players.Fate - The decisions I make as a DMChoice - The decisions the players make.Chance - The decisions the dice make.Choice trumps Fate; Chance trumps Choice, and Fate trumps Chance.&nbsp; As a DM, the decision to allow chance is an intentional one, created because a choice the players made has an uncertain result (ie one that I don't want to determine by invoking fate) or because I want to introduce randomness to allow for Fate and/or Choice to have new possibilities (ie rolling on random tables for treasure or encounters).&nbsp; But make no mistake, chance only happens because I, as the DM, decided to allow it to happen.So if I want the PCs to find a clue or a magic item, they will find it (what they do with it is up to them).&nbsp; If I'm not sure how much information or power I want them to have before facing the BBEG, I'll make it dice roll dependent, which may effect choices they make when they finally do reach the end.&nbsp; Maybe they'll decide to fight without the Dragonslayer Sword of Doom, maybe they never knew it existed, and maybe they will fight and die, or run away and let Hill Town burn.&nbsp; But maybe that would have happened anyhow.&nbsp; Combat, after all, is the purest form of Chance in the game.&nbsp; That's why there are so many rules around it.Giving up control to Chance can lead to the unexpected and the sublime, and I always look for good opportunities to do so but am also careful to not let it get in the way of an exciting story and a good time.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="OB1, post: 7895508, member: 6796241"] For me, DMing my sessions comes down to balancing three key elements in service of creating an exciting story and a fun evening for me and my players. Fate - The decisions I make as a DM Choice - The decisions the players make. Chance - The decisions the dice make. Choice trumps Fate; Chance trumps Choice, and Fate trumps Chance. As a DM, the decision to allow chance is an intentional one, created because a choice the players made has an uncertain result (ie one that I don't want to determine by invoking fate) or because I want to introduce randomness to allow for Fate and/or Choice to have new possibilities (ie rolling on random tables for treasure or encounters). But make no mistake, chance only happens because I, as the DM, decided to allow it to happen. So if I want the PCs to find a clue or a magic item, they will find it (what they do with it is up to them). If I'm not sure how much information or power I want them to have before facing the BBEG, I'll make it dice roll dependent, which may effect choices they make when they finally do reach the end. Maybe they'll decide to fight without the Dragonslayer Sword of Doom, maybe they never knew it existed, and maybe they will fight and die, or run away and let Hill Town burn. But maybe that would have happened anyhow. Combat, after all, is the purest form of Chance in the game. That's why there are so many rules around it. Giving up control to Chance can lead to the unexpected and the sublime, and I always look for good opportunities to do so but am also careful to not let it get in the way of an exciting story and a good time. [/QUOTE]

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