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<blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6003842" data-attributes="member: 87792">That's not the only reason it's easier to improvise.&nbsp; Scene framing mechanics and eyeballed DCs handed to you on a plate (i.e. skill challenges) are a big one.&nbsp; As is reliably knowing what's going to crush the party.Someone with a little talent and a couple of years of experience DMing in oD&amp;D, AD&amp;D, or 4e are going to find it about equally easy to improvise as they've mastered the system in all three cases.&nbsp; On the other hand a two month 4e DM is probably going to be a match for a six month or even one year AD&amp;D/oD&amp;D DM as the game's better laid out, the core's simpler, and you have better tools - like skill challenges, balance, and even treasure parcels.&nbsp; (On the other hand you lack random dice roll tables that can be useful).&nbsp; By the two year mark, if you last that long, you've basically either internalised the tools or invented your own set.A skill challenge is basically someone writing down what a subset of decent DMs do in a complex situation behind the screen and attempting to formalise it as a scaffolding tool.And the grindiness has been reduced a lot with the MM3 and onwards - the game's a lot better for it.&nbsp; Also over time I think fewer and fewer PCs are using short term bonusses and penalties.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Neonchameleon, post: 6003842, member: 87792"] That's not the only reason it's easier to improvise. Scene framing mechanics and eyeballed DCs handed to you on a plate (i.e. skill challenges) are a big one. As is reliably knowing what's going to crush the party. Someone with a little talent and a couple of years of experience DMing in oD&D, AD&D, or 4e are going to find it about equally easy to improvise as they've mastered the system in all three cases. On the other hand a two month 4e DM is probably going to be a match for a six month or even one year AD&D/oD&D DM as the game's better laid out, the core's simpler, and you have better tools - like skill challenges, balance, and even treasure parcels. (On the other hand you lack random dice roll tables that can be useful). By the two year mark, if you last that long, you've basically either internalised the tools or invented your own set. A skill challenge is basically someone writing down what a subset of decent DMs do in a complex situation behind the screen and attempting to formalise it as a scaffolding tool. And the grindiness has been reduced a lot with the MM3 and onwards - the game's a lot better for it. Also over time I think fewer and fewer PCs are using short term bonusses and penalties. [/QUOTE]

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