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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5396354" data-attributes="member: 22779">I'll agree Lanefan that the power the DM has within the campaign does vary.  Actually, I'd go a bit further and say that how much the DM chooses to exercise his control over the campaign varies.  The DM always has the power.  He can simply choose to delegate that power back to the players.However, he can also take that power back at any time.  And, really, any player choice, even in the most wide open sandbox, is still limited by the options presented to him by the DM.  I can't choose to attempt to become the king of America in the 20th century Modern game.  America doesn't have a king.The same goes for any DM's campaign.  If the DM decides that X isn't there, it's not there and nothing the player does will make it there.  I can't decide to run for election in the Free City of Greyhawk.  I suppose I could try to bring democracy to Greyhawk, although, again, the success of that will depend almost entirely on how the DM reacts to the idea.  However, I think most players will constrain their choices based on what they know of the campaign and the DM.People can talk about how wide open their sandboxes are all the time. And that's fine.  Giving players lots of choices is a good thing.  But, let's not pretend that the DM doesn't have virtually total control here.Heck, if he didn't, why do we need a DM in the first place?  If players an decide on where they go, what they do and what happens when they get there, then why have a DM at all?  In most games, the player can decide where to go, and then the player can react to what the DM presents to him.(Again sticking with D&D here - there are other games which give players much greater authorial control over the game)Let me put it to you this way.  In a 3e D&D game, can I, as a player, tell you (not ask, tell) that I buy a +3 Defending Longsword in a large city?  Why or why not?</blockquote>

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