D&D General The Quantum Ogre Dilemma

[Charlaquin]

I think there’s also a meaningful difference between repurposing an encounter you prepared but didn’t end up happening where you originally planned for it to so that work doesn’t go to waste, vs. shuffling things around behind the curtain to force an encounter to happen no matter where the players go or what they do.

 

[FrogReaver]

I think when players think they should have ultimate freedom to do whatever they want in a game is bad.

Just to show why it is bad...just reverse it. The players really want their characters to kill an ogre. And the DM is just like "nope no ogre's around anywhere". So is this great DM Agency? Is it okay for the DM do this?

Somehow, I'd think many will have a problem with it.

But, if the DM makes and encounter.....and the players say "nahh, we don't want to do that", everyone cheers the wonderful players. What is the difference?

IMO. I don’t think it’s good DMing to ‘want your players to kill an ogre’. Maybe ‘want to see how they react to an ogre.’ But one leaves options in their hands, the other mandates a particular approach.