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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 3784568" data-attributes="member: 42582">I think this trend will continue. First, it sells books (to every player, rather than just to every GM), and so is commercially attractive. Second, it fits with the emphasis on character build as a key part of the play experience. Third, and not-unrelated, it can be seen as a response to the problem of arbitrary GM-ing, which is perceived as afflicting D&D more than other systems. I believe that this perception is to some extent accurate, and that it is a result of the 1st ed DMG's emphasis on the play experience being determined by the GM's world-building and play adjudication, rather than by the mechanics of build and action-resolution.When I compare 3E to 1st ed AD&D I don't really see the same game. Some of the tropes are the same - dwarves, elves, wizards, clerics, alignments etc - but the way in which the mechanics drive the play is very different. Unlike 1st ed, play in 3E is very much driven by the mechanics of character build and action-resolution. And the role of the GM in shaping the play experience is therefore, and of necessity, downplayed.Three examples to try and illustrate this. Pertaining to the role of character build: (i) in 3E character build becomes a very important part of the play experience, whereas in AD&D character build was trivial (in the 1st ed PHB, for a fighter, choice of weapon is about the only decision to be made) and character individuation depended on in-play exploits rather than mechanical differences; (ii) there is nothing in 3E analogous to the CHA-based henchment rules of AD&D, which led to each player controlling a mini-party rather than just one characters (Leadership, with its feat and level pre-req, is not really equivalent in my view).Pertaining to the role of action-resolution: The PHB for 3E is dominated by intricate combat rules, followed closely (in terms of intricacy) by rules for skill points and the use of skills. At the same time there is a dearth of advice on equipping for and carrying out a dungeon exploration. But it was precisely such advice, and not rules for action resolution, that were the guts of the play (as opposed to character) sections of the 1st ed PHB.I'm not saying that these changes to the relationship between the GM, the mechanics and the play experience are either good or bad - but I do believe that they are real.I suspect you may be able to, but it will become increasingly difficult - just as 3E doesn't support AD&D-style play as well as AD&D did (I think <a href="http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?otherd20_Spellcasters" target="_blank">Monte Cook's column</a> on this is very apposite).</blockquote>

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