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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 5401208" data-attributes="member: 22779">HowandWhy - essentially we're saying the same thing.  The players at your table can only engage your game world through their character.  At no point can they engage your game world as a player directly.However, the DM, at any and all points in time, engages the game world directly.  He is the omnipotent player in the game world.  He declares all elements beyond about 2 inches from each character.  The players may engage those elements as they see fit.  But, your Mastermind analogy breaks down.  In Mastermind, the Mastermind may not change the code once it is set.  Once he places the pegs in the holes, he may not change anything and he must tell the truth to the player.  A DM, OTOH, can move the pegs at any point in time, can substitute different colors, even those beyond the original four colors and can lie to the players.The rules of an RPG specifically allow this.  I think it's absolutely laughable that you're trying to pin this on a 3e mindset that rule 0 wasn't codified or obvious in earlier editions.  Heck, even Basic D&D specifically tells you that there are no rules, only guidelines.  And that's a point that's repeated in the AD&D DMG as well.Heck, most people argue that 3e takes power away from the DM.  That the DM in earlier editions had even more power over the game than he does in 3e.You can deny that there is any balance of power at a gaming table all you like H&W, but that doesn't make it true.  The DM can do everything a player can do and more.  The reverse is not true.  There are things the DM has the authority to do that the player does not.Pemerton - the list I made was half tongue in cheek, but it does make the point rather strongly.  Don't get too wrapped up in the individual examples, but, rather look at it as a whole.  The DM controls most of the game.</blockquote>

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