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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 8772012" data-attributes="member: 20564">The DM is the one presenting the fiction.  It seems like if the DM wants something other than what the fiction demands, that's the DM putting their own wishes over running well.To give an example, if it's been established that a particular crime boss comes down hard and heavy on those who poach in his city and then ejects them, and the players do so and are inept enough to leaves obvious clues who did it (or get captured), but the DM put time and effort into creating the city and doesn't want to eject them, he's going against the established fiction, tearing down what he's lead the players to expect as consequences of their action, in order so that he can keep using a location he prepared.  Can it lead to a good story?  Sure.  Is it damaging what has already been done for a non in-world reason?  Also yes.Mind you, this is different from a bunch of level 5 characters going to talk to an ancient dragon.  The dragon can absolutely kill them, but there's no fiction that says that they must.  The dragon could talk to them, demand tribute for it's time, demand services for not eating them, could give them good advice that also helps the dragon on dragon-time-scales, could offer for them to become his agents.  Or, you know, kill them.  All that's fine, because there had not been established fiction that said what the dragon would do.</blockquote>