"Yes, you can" Or "No you can't"

[Hand of Evil]

In life you don't know something until you try. Sure, you can listen to someone else but how many of us do that. Players can try to do anything AND IF they entertain me in their actons they may even do it!

 

[Psion]

Do or do not! There is not try!

Well, I guess there is... I let anyone try, but there comes a point where I decide something is simply beyond the PC's capabilities.

That said, I did't answer the poll because the right answer is phrased in a self-depricating manner. Forcing a black or white response will not get you the right answer.

 

[idum]

I'm definitely for "yes you have the possibility to try", leaving to my judicement the effect of that action.
Sometimes i give a possibility, sometimes i don't give possibility. But the player don't know this. He know only that he can and he must accept the responsability and the effects of her choices.

A mage 1st level can try to emulate his master and launch a firewall. Why not? It is natural. All adventure-inside wizards are greedy of knowledge and power and ambitious.
A mage 1st level can launch a firewall? Obviusly not. Normally the action have 0 effect (forgetting embarassment), seldom the action cause some side-effects, as fire on the robe or similar.
This is a situation in which a pg can try but he know that the result is good only for rpg.

A cleric 1st level can "return to life" a friend who is near to die for an heart attack? Why not? He can try. He can pray for it, can consume all his magic power and after he can implore his friend to don't die. He can have success, it is a possibility that is typical of his class. He is a cleric, there is a god that listen him. Not a lot of possibility but..
This is a situation that the request of a pg is legitim and a dm must give her a possibility.

Idum

 

[diaglo]

i'm a "you can try anything. whether it works or not may be another matter" referee.

it really depends on how well the Player describes what they are thinking.

plus how well they have paid attention to the situation or consequence of their action.

 

[Magius del Cotto]

I don't let them DO everything they want, but I will let them try whatever they want. Heres the rope...let's see if you hang yourself..

Which they sometimes do literally.

I'm one of those DMs that doesn't often say no (but when I say it just doesn't work that way, I mean it), but some things are just more difficult than others. For example, one of my players tried to lasso a monster that was, literally, twice as big as he was. There was nothing saying he couldn't try it, but he'd have to make an opposed strength check, which he failed miserably.
Of course, this same character ended up in a bird cage being carried by two other members in the group (he was a bird Hengenyokai, FYI), and he wasn't about to go and give away his secret. Had to have an NPC step in and take care of that one (mostly because the players are often somewhat sadistic...).
Of course, I'm at fault for my own creative liberties: one of my characters walked right up and off a large javelin that had pinned him to a tree. Had to make 3 or 4 fortitude saves (to actually pull myself off) and 3-4 Will saves (to stay focused through the pain). Almost impossible to do, but the payoff was great (plus it saved the character's NPC partner).
Magius out.

 

[Heathen72]

It might well, depending the answer I am looking for.

That said, I didn't answer the poll because the right answer is phrased in a self-deprecating manner. Forcing a black or white response will not get you the right answer.

Wuss!
Seriously though - I do want a black or white response, because I believe that there is something to be obtained for such an answer.
It comes from my experiences as an improvisor - Some improvisors always seem to make positive choices and the scenes in which they are involved always seem to flow effortlessly into the future. They appear very 'talented' and 'brave'. Others, however, seem to have all the right skills, but time and again the scenes in which they participate seem to stymie. Often, this is simply because they habitually make 'negative' decisions i.e; decisions that keep them safe. They aren't necessarily aware of this, however, and if you were to address any individual decision, they would come up with lots of good reasons as to why they made that choice. Alternatively, they might even try to make a different decision in future. But they wouldn't understand the underlying reason for making that choice (fear of the future, refusal to be altered, etc) and would still struggle.
Sometimes, you have to keep things simple (i.e; black and white). If I'm in the middle of an improvised scene, I can't afford to be thinking "I must not do these ten things. 1) I mustn't block. 2) I mustn't gag. 3) I mustn't wimp... etc). No, it's better that I find, and address, the underlying reasons - which, surprisingly enough, are often very simple to express.
Sure, every decision is different. But I am interested in discovering people's default postion - in finding the impulses that underlie each choice. So come on, Psion - when push comes to shove, what's your base response? Do you say "Yes!" or "No!"?


Oh, and why didn't I say all this in the first place?
Because 1) I wanted to hear people's responses first, and 2) people get scared by long initial posts- the thread would have dropped like a stone. I've learnt to keep threadstarting posts as simple as possible.

 

[MarauderX]

If the players have a new idea, then I have no problem with letting them defy gravity just to try it. Everything is possible, but the DC may be way too high to achieve it.

 

[Psion]

So come on, Psion - when push comes to shove, what's your base response? Do you say "Yes!" or "No!"?

When push comes to shove, it depends on what you are talking about. Could be yes. Could be no.

And that's my final answer, Regis.

 

[tleilaxu]

there are thousands of types of people in the world:

those who divide people into two types,

and all the other types

 

[Sixchan]

Re: So If you let them [i]try[/i]...

So, are you guys actually letting them try, or are you making the mods so prohibitive that you may as well be saying no. Essentially, are you taking on board their offer? Or are the consequences pre-determined "unless they roll a twenty."

For instance, what if a player - in a really tough situation - asks if they can try a variant of a spell that probably shouldn't be allowed under a strict interpretation of the rules? Normally they wouldn't try it, but this is an emergency.

Is your answer...
Tough, it doesn't work? (Maybe you are worried about them doing all the time in the future)
Yep, but you need to roll a natural twenty? (Which frankly, is pretty much the same thing as the above)
Okay, you cast the spell, and this happens!? (You allow the attempt, they roll, and it works, but not everything goes to plan.)
Sure, and you can have a bonus to your die roll for the nifty idea? (You don't give it a second thought. After all - as the GM, there is always tougher stuff you can throw at the players. And you don't want them to feel impotent. )

Because sometimes yes means no and even though you think you are saying yes, sometimes you are really saying no... you know?

To put it another way. Are you encouraging your players to act creatively?

None of the above. I say "You can try if you really want to", and then work out (read: make up in my head) the odds of it succeding. Then we roll.

If the player wants to try something that will work, it will work even if it isn't in the rules. If the player wants to try something that might work, then it might work. Then again, it might not.
If the player wants to try something that won't work, it won't work. But they can still die trying.