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<blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 4329385" data-attributes="member: 3192">The GM is choosing rule mechanics that assist him in managing a consistent, understandable, and playable world.&nbsp; If the rules don't fit the functioning of the world, then the GM is going to ditch them for something that does.&nbsp; &quot;Making whatever you want up&quot; is not the mantra. It must be consistent with the world.&nbsp; To head off one possible reply.&nbsp; Yes, the DM makes up the world taking the Player Characters into account.&nbsp; Yes, sometimes a world element is not yet constructed when the players interact with it at the table.&nbsp; So the DM has to &quot;wing it&quot;.&nbsp; They wing it based upon how the world works so far.&nbsp; And from then on this little part of the world works this way consistently.&nbsp; Of course, if after the game is over and a player mentions to the GM that honey isn't really as flammable as gasoline, for instance, then the whole group can decide to change it.&nbsp; But that's like taking a player aside and saying &quot;elves don't hibernate during the winter&quot;.&nbsp; It only matters if it's bothering everyone else.The world functions based upon suggestions by the players and decisions by the GM.&nbsp; Once the GM decides however, he can't just willy nilly change things whenever he wants.&nbsp; That's the difference here.&nbsp; The rules apply to everyone equally.&nbsp; NPCs and PCs.&nbsp; Narrative as described above: is just doing whatever you like whenever you like.&nbsp; Actual DMing requires an earnest attempt at objectivity on the part of the DM to present a consistent, understandable, playable world (to repeat myself).&nbsp; Otherwise you get the &quot;Hand of God&quot; DM and a lousy experience for everyone but the narcissist DM.&nbsp; Saying everyone should behave that way doesn't make the game better, but worse.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="howandwhy99, post: 4329385, member: 3192"] The GM is choosing rule mechanics that assist him in managing a consistent, understandable, and playable world. If the rules don't fit the functioning of the world, then the GM is going to ditch them for something that does. "Making whatever you want up" is not the mantra. It must be consistent with the world. To head off one possible reply. Yes, the DM makes up the world taking the Player Characters into account. Yes, sometimes a world element is not yet constructed when the players interact with it at the table. So the DM has to "wing it". They wing it based upon how the world works so far. And from then on this little part of the world works this way consistently. Of course, if after the game is over and a player mentions to the GM that honey isn't really as flammable as gasoline, for instance, then the whole group can decide to change it. But that's like taking a player aside and saying "elves don't hibernate during the winter". It only matters if it's bothering everyone else. The world functions based upon suggestions by the players and decisions by the GM. Once the GM decides however, he can't just willy nilly change things whenever he wants. That's the difference here. The rules apply to everyone equally. NPCs and PCs. Narrative as described above: is just doing whatever you like whenever you like. Actual DMing requires an earnest attempt at objectivity on the part of the DM to present a consistent, understandable, playable world (to repeat myself). Otherwise you get the "Hand of God" DM and a lousy experience for everyone but the narcissist DM. Saying everyone should behave that way doesn't make the game better, but worse. [/QUOTE]

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