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Message: <blockquote data-quote="herrozerro" data-source="post: 5773941" data-attributes="member: 86211">Im going to say we are just going to have to agree to disagree, I can respect your likes, and understand that bad examples in the past might have shaped it (along with the positive).  I just dont understand the need to play by the same rules.  In the example of the unhittable mage I can definitively see the issue, the game became unfun.  While I have never really "broken the rules" in that manner, i have certantly created traits and aura's for my 4e creatures that do not emulate any kind of PC ability.I will say that when i create abilities i first look for similar effects.  For instance I had an encounter recently with a witch and her animal companion.  Two things happened that night that got my group in a bit of a tizzy but we talked it out.  The first being the witch was able to ride her beast like a mount.  But I still presented them as two distinct creatures with full sets of actions as they both were sizable threats to the party.  My paladin player got into a huff that his mount had to share his own actions so why did this creature have its own actions.Simply stated, I told them that if they wanted intelligent mounts to have actions there would be repercussions, both that our combat times would inflate because now our group of 7 characters suddenly will be 14 separate turns, and that i would start counting their creatures in my XP budgets for encounters.  I know its gamiest but if the party doubles in size im nto going to just let them steamroll over everything for the rest of the campaign.The second issue that arose was that the back story was that the witch and her companion shared a bond and that allowed them to teleport together.  Rulewise the witch had a trait that she could use her teleport speed to take her companion with her (contrary to standard mounted rules).  a rule lawyer in my group pointed this out and it got a few other players aggravated.Now i didnt just add this trait without precedence around in the same level area there are a few mounts, and items for mounts that allow for this kind of effect to happen.  After the game I had to explain that sometimes monsters just dont play by the rules, just like PCs often dont.  I pointed out to my brawler fighter character that normal grab rules wouldnt let him grab anything bigger then a large creature but his class features and powers allowd him to grapple with a gargantuan dragon if he wished.The thing is with exception based design "breaking the rules" is the norm.</blockquote>

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