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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 6654066" data-attributes="member: 5834">Many fiction writers like to DM. DM getting final say is an expected courtesy with the group I play with. We learned that way back in the early days of the game. The way the players ensure the DM doesn't screw them is by not continuing to play with a DM that acts in an arbitrary manner. The DM having final say is good manners. Players that attempt to engage in rules debate during play are disruptive and disrespectful. My group does not care for that at all. I don't think most groups do.What makes you think fiction writing doesn't work exactly like this? If the audience doesn't enjoy your fiction, they don't read it. It's no different for a DM. A writer more than anyone else knows how to cater to his audience. He learns what his players like and what their characters are, he creates fiction tailored to make them shine. The main reason a DM has final say is to keep the game going and control disruptions. Rules debates should happen after a sessions. I don't change things on the fly. That is bad DMing. DMs that do that are breaking the social contract with the players if they are doing anything extreme.On the other hand, I can name one instance I smack down with a firm hand as a DM. Players that try to spring exploits they read on a board don't get a pass. You have to run any strange rules or exploits by me beforehand to see if I want to tolerate them in the game. I'm running it. I'm putting the work in. If a player thinks he gets to shove RAW down my throat via  game-breaking exploit, that player will find I do not tolerate such things. All new spells, rules, feats, and the like must be run by me so I can test how the affect the game I'm running. That is courtesy to the DM in my book.I don't use this option. Never have, never will.  I do roll with the punch. I'm so careful about crafting encounters that I don't miss my mark much at this point. If I do, it is usually some extreme luck or misfortune. If that happens, that is beyond my control. I allow it to happen. Let's be real here, lucky rolls are part of the game. They make the game extremely memorable at times. Nearly every player or group remembers that BBEG that rolled a 1 on his death save or was hammered for some crazy crit damage from a lucky series of rolls. What kind of DM would change such a memorable outcome. Certainly not me.That does not change my view that the DM has final say on disputes, the imagination, or whatever you want to call it while the session is in play. Now after the session, let the debates begin. Then I will entertain discussion on a disagreement, so we can reach some kind of group compromise on how to handle the matter.</blockquote>

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