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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 8013383" data-attributes="member: 29398">Disagree on the second one: player agency infringement can also happen (and often does) when a referee makes what would otherwise be a correct-by-the-rules ruling.For example, there's no rule saying a referee (DM) must allow Evil PCs, thus even though her banning them impacts my agency as a player in what I'm allowed to play and-or how I'm allowed to play it she's still not incorrectly applying any rules.There's a big difference between &quot;Play what you want as long as it fits in with the setting&quot; (genre-appropriate, it exists there, etc.) and &quot;Play what you want as long as it fits in with the story&quot; (see examples e.g. discouraging romance in [USER=16586]@Campbell[/USER] 's proposed Marvel-Universe-style campaign on page 52 this thread). The second is to me far too restrictive, and tells me one or both of two unpleasant things is in play: either a) the story is seen as more important than the characters (railroad warning), or b) players are discouraged from thinking as individuals (groupthink warning).Either way: hoist the red flags regarding player agency.A ruling of auto-failure doesn't take away player agency.&nbsp; Banning the action from being declared in the first place (as some here have suggested) hammers player agency, however.&nbsp; It's a key - though small - difference.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 8013383, member: 29398"] Disagree on the second one: player agency infringement can also happen (and often does) when a referee makes what would otherwise be a correct-by-the-rules ruling. For example, there's no rule saying a referee (DM) must allow Evil PCs, thus even though her banning them impacts my agency as a player in what I'm allowed to play and-or how I'm allowed to play it she's still not incorrectly applying any rules. There's a big difference between "Play what you want as long as it fits in with the setting" (genre-appropriate, it exists there, etc.) and "Play what you want as long as it fits in with the story" (see examples e.g. discouraging romance in [USER=16586]@Campbell[/USER] 's proposed Marvel-Universe-style campaign on page 52 this thread). The second is to me far too restrictive, and tells me one or both of two unpleasant things is in play: either a) the story is seen as more important than the characters (railroad warning), or b) players are discouraged from thinking as individuals (groupthink warning). Either way: hoist the red flags regarding player agency. A ruling of auto-failure doesn't take away player agency. Banning the action from being declared in the first place (as some here have suggested) hammers player agency, however. It's a key - though small - difference. [/QUOTE]

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