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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5261026" data-attributes="member: 22779">I think we're simply arguing a difference in scale.  Of course one DM's game will feel different than another.  It should.  It would be a very poor world if it didn't.  Heck, I would hope that each of my own campaigns, even featuring the same players, still have their own distinct feel.However, that being said, while you cannot have everyone playing exactly the same game, nor do we want that, I maintain that trying to use one system to run completely different style games is a bad idea.  I also maintain that if you have large areas of the game where common actions are adjudicated solely through DM fiat, two things happen:  One, DM's fiat simply becomes an add on to the rules as the DM makes his way through common events.  Jump becomes a Save vs Paralysis is Bob's game and a Dex check in Suzie's game.  The ad hoc rules become table standards for that table and people proceed according to those standards.  If I play Bob's game and I have a poor Paralysis save, I'm never going to willingly attempt to jump.  OTOH, if I want to make a character who can jump (say a swashbuckling type), I'm going to choose classes which have good paralysis saves, and not choose the class because of in game thematic reasons.Conversely, I will only play swashbucklers with high Dex scores in Suzie's game.  So, likely, my swashbuckler will be a fighter in Bob's game and a Thief in Suzie's.  Not because I particularly want to play a fighter or a thief, but because those choices under those DM's give me the best results.Essentially, I no longer have a wide open system any more.  Instead of the rules telling me what the best choice is, it's the DM.  From the player's perspective, it doesn't really matter.  In both cases, I'm being told how to create my  character from a mechanical standpoint.The second issue comes into play if you have newer players who haven't seen the rulings that the GM will make.  If I don't know how Bob will adjudicate jump, I've found that most players simply won't risk it.  You can't possibly go through an exhaustive list before character generation, mostly because it's too long and partially because the DM might not know himself.  So, everyone makes generic characters based entirely on the known rules of the game.  For me personally, I prefer rules light systems which have universally applied mechanics.  3:16 for example, has two stats.  One for combat and one for everything else.  If I want to kill something, I use one stat, if I want to do anything else, I use the other one.  And, generally, I know my chances of success based on my abilities.  There's no mystery factor.  Other than the GM setting difficulty, I know exactly how well I can do something.  If I have a very high non-combat score, I'm going to succeed more often at non-combat actions.With rules-absent rules sets, I have no way to judge how successful my character can be at a task before that task is undertaken.  Is jumping the ditch a Str or Dex check or Paralysis save?  I dunno beforehand.  If I guess wrong, then my chances are out of my hands.I like putting a lot more control back into the player's hands.  Makes for happier players IME.</blockquote>

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