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<blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 7885535" data-attributes="member: 53980"><p>I would say that 3.x fell prey to that fallacy. Rule Zero notwithstanding, it was a very player facing edition with (seemingly) a rule for everything. I knew quite a few DMs who came from 2e (where DM rules improvisation was basically a necessity) who struggled with 3.x as a result.</p><p></p><p>As for only prepping what you need, that's the trick, isn't it? Will I need to use any low level spells for the high level caster I plan to use? Will I need any skills? </p><p></p><p>Unless you railroad, you don't necessarily know exactly the minimum of what you will need. If the PCs try to trick the necromancer instead of killing him, suddenly knowing whether he has points in sense motive becomes very important. Particularly for an inexperienced DM, the answers aren't obvious.</p><p></p><p>However, guideline or no, 3.x did imply (particularly to less experienced DMs) that the "guidelines" were the intended way to play. I know that for myself, it didn't occur until years later that I might leave off parts of the stat block. I hadn't read Lazy DM, nor was I on ENWorld at the time. I did what it said in the book, because I hadn't thought to do otherwise. And, to reiterate, it was exhausting.</p><p></p><p>I have to disagree with you. If the advice in the DMG pushes DMs towards burnout, it isn't good advice, even if you are ultimately free to ignore it.</p><p></p><p>Despite all that I loved the edition for years. I simply burned out on it hard. It sounds like you probably didn't, and if so good for you. I had a lot of fun with 3e, but I simply can't see myself ever going back.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fanaelialae, post: 7885535, member: 53980"] I would say that 3.x fell prey to that fallacy. Rule Zero notwithstanding, it was a very player facing edition with (seemingly) a rule for everything. I knew quite a few DMs who came from 2e (where DM rules improvisation was basically a necessity) who struggled with 3.x as a result. As for only prepping what you need, that's the trick, isn't it? Will I need to use any low level spells for the high level caster I plan to use? Will I need any skills? Unless you railroad, you don't necessarily know exactly the minimum of what you will need. If the PCs try to trick the necromancer instead of killing him, suddenly knowing whether he has points in sense motive becomes very important. Particularly for an inexperienced DM, the answers aren't obvious. However, guideline or no, 3.x did imply (particularly to less experienced DMs) that the "guidelines" were the intended way to play. I know that for myself, it didn't occur until years later that I might leave off parts of the stat block. I hadn't read Lazy DM, nor was I on ENWorld at the time. I did what it said in the book, because I hadn't thought to do otherwise. And, to reiterate, it was exhausting. I have to disagree with you. If the advice in the DMG pushes DMs towards burnout, it isn't good advice, even if you are ultimately free to ignore it. Despite all that I loved the edition for years. I simply burned out on it hard. It sounds like you probably didn't, and if so good for you. I had a lot of fun with 3e, but I simply can't see myself ever going back. [/QUOTE]
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