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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7732286" data-attributes="member: 29398">Agreed, though if a DM knows why a player is asking about something she can put the response in terms that speak to the reason behind the question, if only to answer further questions before they are asked.&nbsp; As an example, regarding the question &quot;What is the weather doing?&quot; asked for different reasons which the DM already knows about, here's some possible DM replies:1. (asked because character needs to avoid sunlight) &quot;There's some cloud, but it's not raining and there's patches of sunlight breaking through which it might be difficult to avoid if you're in the open for any length of time.&quot;2. (asked because character needs a cloud for casting a spell) &quot;There's some cloud - more than enough to use for your spell - but no rain, and there's patches of sunlight breaking through.&quot;3. (asked just to set a backdrop to the day) &quot;There's some cloud, but it's not raining and there's patches of sunlight breaking through.&nbsp; Not much wind, and warm without being too hot.&nbsp; A pleasant day to be outside.&quot;Careful here, lest you stir the slumber of those to whom the &quot;Mother may I&quot; play style is strictly verboten. (I'm not one such; what you say here is perfectly reasonable to me)This right here is the whole crux of the discussion: the risk in a make-it-up-as-you-go-along game of retro-actively changing or adding details of the game world which, had they been established sooner, would have or may have caused earlier events and decisions in play (by both the DM and the players!) to have been made differently than they were at the time.Lanefan</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7732286, member: 29398"] Agreed, though if a DM knows why a player is asking about something she can put the response in terms that speak to the reason behind the question, if only to answer further questions before they are asked. As an example, regarding the question "What is the weather doing?" asked for different reasons which the DM already knows about, here's some possible DM replies: 1. (asked because character needs to avoid sunlight) "There's some cloud, but it's not raining and there's patches of sunlight breaking through which it might be difficult to avoid if you're in the open for any length of time." 2. (asked because character needs a cloud for casting a spell) "There's some cloud - more than enough to use for your spell - but no rain, and there's patches of sunlight breaking through." 3. (asked just to set a backdrop to the day) "There's some cloud, but it's not raining and there's patches of sunlight breaking through. Not much wind, and warm without being too hot. A pleasant day to be outside." Careful here, lest you stir the slumber of those to whom the "Mother may I" play style is strictly verboten. (I'm not one such; what you say here is perfectly reasonable to me) This right here is the whole crux of the discussion: the risk in a make-it-up-as-you-go-along game of retro-actively changing or adding details of the game world which, had they been established sooner, would have or may have caused earlier events and decisions in play (by both the DM and the players!) to have been made differently than they were at the time. Lanefan [/QUOTE]

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