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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aenghus" data-source="post: 6304433" data-attributes="member: 2656">I don't subscribe to your above manifesto. I've seen far too many DMs veto entirely reasonable actions, and damage their game in the process, to accept it.  Some DMs will admit this  after discussion and change their minds, meaning the the players have a chance of success despite the original vision of the DM. To err is human. Even as a DM I'm far from omnipotent. Occasionally I make mistakes, mistakes in rules, in vision, in plot.  So, sometimes players make their case and sometimes I acknowledge their arguments have merit and make some changes. Refusal to admit error can be a weakness.Games aren't static, frozen things, they change as the participants change and learn. I rewrite elements of my world's background sometimes that implies a cascade of changes that make what was formerly unlikely now likely and vice versa. My gameworld isn't rigid, it has flex and can adapt to changing circumstances without shattering.I get lots of my ideas, my vision from my players. The game isn't only mine, and I value their input even when I don't use it.I'm not addressing Charm Person as it's overpowered in social situations in most editions of D&D, IMO because it's designed for dungeons not the social game, and first level attack spells had to be overly powerful when Magic-User's only had one spell a day. It's power distorts the debate.Actual rulers have to interact with lots of people on a regular basis.  Higher nobility had to make regular public appearances, visit other noble residences, and IMO weren't as isolated as modern figures can be. Personal contact was more important with no phones or email. Lesser rulers have to meet farmers and merchants as well as other aristocracy and can be around the public all day.For rulers with less resources and lots of people to meet, cantrips go only so far, and if they are all being used for magic detection, who is checking for poison? I don't see it possible to scan everyone, or that there is always, always a cantrip spare to scan PCs just to stop their schemes, it beggars belief. An alternative for high level NPCs is items like the greenstone amulets in Forgotten Realms (which granted protections including Mind Blank) or even artifacts and relics. Royal regalia are a good candidate for providing appropriate protections to royalty.But really, in some campaigns PCs start or evolve into powerful figures who can expect to be treated with respect in the gameworld in the majority of circumstances. Ordinary NPCs will be afraid of the PCs and will want to avoid offending them. It doesn't mean the PCs automatically succeed, or people won't attack them, but they won't be randomly insulted and I will expect the PCs to respond negatively but appropriately to any insults. I like mid to high level play and that's the situation in my game much of the time. I suspect thats the case in Hussar's game as well.</blockquote>

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