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<blockquote data-quote="Maxperson" data-source="post: 8675923" data-attributes="member: 23751">My reading doesn't require a whim.&nbsp; Whim is your word, not mine.&nbsp; My reading only requires that the rules not be a restriction upon the DM, and they aren't.&nbsp; He can change any or all of them when he has reason(not whim) to change them. The rules provide ZERO restriction.No.&nbsp; It is not only &quot;don't let the rules get in the way.&quot;&nbsp; The DMG provides the DM the power and authority to completely design his world and the rules of the game.&nbsp; If he wants to design it so that the 3e gestalt rules are in effect for his new campaign, they are in effect.&nbsp; If he wants to make it so that magic is very rare for his new campaign and only there is only a 10% chance that a PC can learn to cast spells, that's what happens.&nbsp; &nbsp; He has the &quot;cosmic power&quot; to reshape, add or remove any rule, because the game gives him that authority.&nbsp; So yes, while &quot;don't let the rules get in the way&quot; is also in effect, so is the authority to change any rule he wants if he has reason to change it.&nbsp; And again, I'm not talking about changing anything on a whim.If I want fireball to start at 5d6 and gain 3d6 per level instead of 2d6, then I can in fact change the effect fireball has in play.&nbsp; I'm not going to do something like that in mid-campaign, but if I felt it was a better version of fireball, I would let the players know that the change was coming down the pike for the next campaign and my reasoning for the change.I'm not sure they really need to consider the social contract.&nbsp; Whether people think about it consciously or not, it's still present and nearly everyone understands the contract at some instinctive level.&nbsp; We are social animals.&nbsp; A few oddballs won't understand it, but those are the fairly rare bad DM or problem player.&nbsp; The rest may have issues now and then, but those issues tend to go away when a discussion is had.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Maxperson, post: 8675923, member: 23751"] My reading doesn't require a whim. Whim is your word, not mine. My reading only requires that the rules not be a restriction upon the DM, and they aren't. He can change any or all of them when he has reason(not whim) to change them. The rules provide ZERO restriction. No. It is not only "don't let the rules get in the way." The DMG provides the DM the power and authority to completely design his world and the rules of the game. If he wants to design it so that the 3e gestalt rules are in effect for his new campaign, they are in effect. If he wants to make it so that magic is very rare for his new campaign and only there is only a 10% chance that a PC can learn to cast spells, that's what happens. He has the "cosmic power" to reshape, add or remove any rule, because the game gives him that authority. So yes, while "don't let the rules get in the way" is also in effect, so is the authority to change any rule he wants if he has reason to change it. And again, I'm not talking about changing anything on a whim. If I want fireball to start at 5d6 and gain 3d6 per level instead of 2d6, then I can in fact change the effect fireball has in play. I'm not going to do something like that in mid-campaign, but if I felt it was a better version of fireball, I would let the players know that the change was coming down the pike for the next campaign and my reasoning for the change. I'm not sure they really need to consider the social contract. Whether people think about it consciously or not, it's still present and nearly everyone understands the contract at some instinctive level. We are social animals. A few oddballs won't understand it, but those are the fairly rare bad DM or problem player. The rest may have issues now and then, but those issues tend to go away when a discussion is had. [/QUOTE]

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