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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 3793349" data-attributes="member: 22779">I honestly do think that 3e has taken some power away from DM's.  It seems pretty self evident to me.Take jumping over a ditch.In 1e, the DM might ad hoc a call (possibly a save vs Paralyzation which seemed to come up a lot) and you jump over the ditch.In 2e, the DM might force you to have the Jump NWP, or he might ad hoc some sort of call a la 1e.In 3e, the player rolls his Jump skill and tells the DM how far he jumped (barring any unknown circumstance modifiers of course).In 3e, the DM has far less power.  The rules dictate how far the player can jump, not the DM.  There is no ad hoc fiat at all.  Look at your modifiers, roll your skill check and you're done.  You don't really even need the DM there at all, in that instance.Where the problem lies, though, is many people talk about the rules empowering players.  They don't.  In none of the above examples was the player empowered.  The player never got to determine his chances of success.  In earlier editions, the DM dictated his chances, in 3e, the RULES dictated.  At no point does the player get to dictate his chances.  3e takes power out of the hands of the DM, but, wraps it up nice and snug and keeps it inside the rules.Where the DM retains his power is his ability to change the odds.  Circumstance bonuses and penalties can radically change the odds.  The players never act with 100% knowledge, only the DM does.  The player doesn't know that the far side of that ditch is actually loose dirt and jumping over still lands him in the pit.  The player doesn't know that this side is loose and he takes a -5 penalty to his jump check.  That sort of thing is entirely the purview of the DM.Does 3e take power from the DM that formerly resided in his hands?  Yup.  No arguement from me.  Does it give that power to the players?  Not even a little.</blockquote>

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