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<blockquote data-quote="payn" data-source="post: 8676486" data-attributes="member: 90374"><p>There has been quite a paradigm shift in expected play over the decades and editions. Earlier on combat wasn't supposed to be gleefully engaged and should be done with utmost caution. The adventure was full of deadliness and using your wits as a player, not character, was how you played the game.</p><p></p><p>Once the game grew beyond a dungeon delve sim, the characters were expected to rule kingdoms and build fancy towers. Adventures started taking place in all kinds of settings and situations. Furthermore, combat became more and more central to the game. Tons of design space was dedicated to it to make the combat more interesting and expected even more so than in the past. </p><p></p><p>I bring this stuff up again, because there can be a disconnect between player expectations and the GM. A number of things can contribute to the disconnect, such as, wanting to be a powerful being and not just a capable one and that any fight is a suitable challenge set up by the GM. It may be tough, a PC or two might die, but every encounter should be solvable for the PC's given level.</p><p></p><p>Since the disconnect has become quite obvious, I try and discuss this during sessions zero. Is the game a sandbox where the PCs can easily get in over their head if not careful? Or is this a kick in the door and take names kind of romp where the fights will all be winnable although still challenging? The group should be on the same page for this.</p><p></p><p>As a GM, I have and do run several styles of games. So, my role is going to change based on that. If its an adventure path and expected level based challenges are before them, I am going to give the PCs every chance to succeed, and likely more than enough chances to flee and regroup if the challenge proved to be too much. In an open sandbox game I am going to run as an impartial referee and do as the enemy and/or situation dictates, and the PCs need to be prepared for that. </p><p></p><p>Finally, I do believe signposting is very important for a GM. If the PCs can go left and face a kobold, but go right and face a dragon, then they need some reasonable way to determine that discrepancy in challenge. During a fight, if the enemy is in very good shape, and/or reinforcements are incoming, I try and drop clues about that state of their health. It's still up to the PCs to decide if they want to flee or not. Though, I think its very important for the GM to arm them with reasonable knowledge to make that decision. Some old school GMs believe its up to the PCs to figure this out themselves. If they are not clever enough to get their own scouting recon or whatever, then the characters just walk face first into buzzsaws. Most folks seem to land somewhere in-between the extremes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="payn, post: 8676486, member: 90374"] There has been quite a paradigm shift in expected play over the decades and editions. Earlier on combat wasn't supposed to be gleefully engaged and should be done with utmost caution. The adventure was full of deadliness and using your wits as a player, not character, was how you played the game. Once the game grew beyond a dungeon delve sim, the characters were expected to rule kingdoms and build fancy towers. Adventures started taking place in all kinds of settings and situations. Furthermore, combat became more and more central to the game. Tons of design space was dedicated to it to make the combat more interesting and expected even more so than in the past. I bring this stuff up again, because there can be a disconnect between player expectations and the GM. A number of things can contribute to the disconnect, such as, wanting to be a powerful being and not just a capable one and that any fight is a suitable challenge set up by the GM. It may be tough, a PC or two might die, but every encounter should be solvable for the PC's given level. Since the disconnect has become quite obvious, I try and discuss this during sessions zero. Is the game a sandbox where the PCs can easily get in over their head if not careful? Or is this a kick in the door and take names kind of romp where the fights will all be winnable although still challenging? The group should be on the same page for this. As a GM, I have and do run several styles of games. So, my role is going to change based on that. If its an adventure path and expected level based challenges are before them, I am going to give the PCs every chance to succeed, and likely more than enough chances to flee and regroup if the challenge proved to be too much. In an open sandbox game I am going to run as an impartial referee and do as the enemy and/or situation dictates, and the PCs need to be prepared for that. Finally, I do believe signposting is very important for a GM. If the PCs can go left and face a kobold, but go right and face a dragon, then they need some reasonable way to determine that discrepancy in challenge. During a fight, if the enemy is in very good shape, and/or reinforcements are incoming, I try and drop clues about that state of their health. It's still up to the PCs to decide if they want to flee or not. Though, I think its very important for the GM to arm them with reasonable knowledge to make that decision. Some old school GMs believe its up to the PCs to figure this out themselves. If they are not clever enough to get their own scouting recon or whatever, then the characters just walk face first into buzzsaws. Most folks seem to land somewhere in-between the extremes. [/QUOTE]
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