(Poll, please read 1st post) What does the DM have the right to restrict?

[molonel]

As long as the rules, exceptions or house rules are explained ahead of time, I have no problem with that. Not EVERYTHING can be explained ahead of time, but I've found that most things can be covered under general principles.

One of my house rules is, "If it's broken, don't bring it into my game. If you do, I will remove it. I am the final arbiter of what is broken."

For the most part, my house rules are laid out and explained ahead of time. In D&D 3.5, I use core only for players, and various monster books that they don't know about. In d20 Modern, the core rules are used, and then certain books like Charles Rice's Blood & Guts 2, and Blood and Fists: Master Edition (with a few exceptions) are open.

 

[I'm A Banana]

The DM is allowed to change anything his players will let him get away with, pretty much.

As a player, I'm pretty demanding. You've gotta have *good* reasons for ruling as you do, and if I disagree with those reasons, I might still play, but I can't say I'll be entirely comfortable.

I'll go with "I'm trying to do a low magic game, so no spellcasters and human-only PC's."

I won't go with "The standard game is too monty haul and is made for munchkin powergamers and it sucks so I made it better."

One speaks to the experience I'll have playing it.

The other speaks to the DM's arrogance and ignorance. Neither of which is an experience I'm amenable to having very often for very long.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Whatever stuff the DM wants to cut out is fine by me.

See quote. The DM is GOD in his/her world. Anything that makes their
prep/planning/plotting easier is fine by me, because I expect the same
when I run.

 

[DM-Rocco]

Seriously, I can't believe that anyone picked anything other than #1. The DM always has the final stay, no matter what.

You can certainly offer suggestions or gently remind him of rules, but if the DM says no, either live with it or find another DM.

There shouldn't even be a debate on this. I'm suggesting the poll is stupid or anything, but every player should know going into the game that whatever the DM says goes.

The only other thing I should add is it is up to the DM to lay out what is allowed and what is not. Obviously, with so many rules out side of the core rules, things might pop up unexpectedly throughout play and might not have been given thought until that moment. If the DM allows it, but later finds it unbalancing to the game, as a player, just let it drop, but maybe hit him up for some minor compensation.

It is hard to go back and fix things after you let them into play. It is best to be very careful when allowing non core rules/spells/feats/etc., but DMs are human too. If they find the item in question disruptive after you have fought tooth and nail to get it allowed, be understanding and in the interest of fair play and fun for all, just give up without a fight.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Seriously, I can't believe that anyone picked anything other than #1. The DM always has the final stay, no matter what.

We vote on all house rules. So not really.

 

[Pale]

We vote on all house rules. So not really.

Sure, it's the DMs policy to allow a vote. So DM Fiat is still in force even in your example.

 

[Set]

I picked option #2. It's not that the DM can't cut out anything he wants, but if too much stuff is cut out, we probably won't want to play in the game, which is much the same effect in our close-knit gaming circle. We've played tons of games, under tons of systems, and quite a few 'experimental' or 'low-power' games, but there is a certain line where the game doesn't sound particularly fun and we tend to draw the line.

Quite often the line in the sand has nothing to do with character options and everything to do with theme. When the DM to be is proposing a game involving twelve of something, and we *know* it's gonna turn into one of those 'collect them all' sorts of games, enthusiasm tends to go out the window. When the DM has just gotten 'World's Largest Dungeon that We Won't Even Get Close to Finishing,' I also tend to shy away. We can sustain a single game for six months or so, but then we start getting antsy for a different system or setting. (We bounce between GURPS, V&V, Vampire and D&D, with occasional side-treks into strangeness like Star Fleet Battles, Titan or poker...)

Riddles. That's the other thing that makes me run screaming. If the game is going to involve riddles in every encounter / session, I would rather play City of Villains, where I can summon a squadron of attack robots to blow away people who look at me funny. My riddle threshold is pretty low. [Insert Ritalin joke here.]

 

[ThirdWizard]

Sure, it's the DMs policy to allow a vote. So DM Fiat is still in force even in your example.

We use the same House Rules no matter who DMs and we rotate DMs every session. You could say that the DM is allowing the players to vote. You could also say the players are allowing the DM to vote as well. Neither will get you very far, though.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

What rules, etc. do you have a right to expect being in play when you're sitting down at the table with a new group and you haven't made any special agreements in advance?

I would quite literally never ever do this, so the question is irrelevant.

I would never join a gaming group without finding out what they're playing, what's in play in the sense you mean, and deciding whether I can have fun with that.

 

[DragonLancer]

On the internet a lot of time you get the impression that D&D players now expect to be able to make up anything they want for any game regardless of the individual DM, world, etc.

Where on the internet? From this poll's results?

I notice the same thing from various forums on the net, especially this one. Maybe not make stuff up, but players online do seem to expect that anything they want should be available. It's as if the prevailing attitude is that the DM is there to run a game just for them regardless. Thats just not the case. The DM creates the world and setting, designs or spends time reading the adventures and running them. This to me says that the DM is the one who gets to decide what is part of his game and what isn't.