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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 3032178" data-attributes="member: 9254">I tend to be a DM with an approach that becomes more uncaring as the game progresses.  At low levels not killing the PCs is something of a challenge and I have to take pains to have internally consistent but not insta-kill threats in the adventures.  As they go up in level I begin to widen the scope of the game and begin introducing the leading elements of larger plot arcs.  Here too, I have to make some effort at keeping the  threats within the party's limits or find ways of letting them find out that something is out of their class (many times it involves teaching the group that they can and should do this).  At later levels I stop worrying so much about having level-appropriate threats and switch to having plot-appropriate threats.  By this point the group understands that BBEGs exist in quantity and many of them are beyond the party.  They have at least the rudimentary knowledge of identifying the magnitude of the threat they face and should have the ability to figure out what kind of retribution a BBEG might consider appropriate for certain actions.  At this point, I let things happen to the world and the PCs must react as best they think appropriate.  I, in turn, have the rest of the world react in a way I think is appropriate.  If they are smart, they at least attempt to second-guess me to have an idea of the consequences of their actions.   Maybe they decide a BBEG's plan is too risky to directly interfere with and they do their best to make more powerful forces for Good aware.  Powerful forces for Good tend to be rather busy (all those BBEGs) but within the limits of current events, they will provide the best support they can.  Appealing to the king in peace time may result in an entire battalion of soldiers being sent to stop on the BBEG while in a time of war you might get a writ of Royal Authority, the loan of a few useful magic items, a dozen soldiers to provide an air of authority (and some tactical advice), and a bag of gold to bribe whoever might need bribing that the king really doesn't want to know about right now.  The long-term plots deviate dramatically based on the party's actions (BBEGs hesitate to target allies of the King) and it's rare taht I know anything beyond the intentions of the BBEGs more than three of four game sessions into the future.  Heck, I don't even know whether some power players are BBEGs or not, since party actions could sway them to be allies or enemies.  I don't consider it "cooperational" because I'm not interested in a "story" per se as much as versimilitude.  I guess you can say I'm a "setting simulationist."  By the same token it isn't "confrontational" b/c the PCs can decide to play a "run for the hills" game where they avoid whatever overarcing plot I originally came up with.</blockquote>

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