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Hot Take: DMs do not need player permission to alter PCs in unexpected and even undesirable ways Offering Advice Inspired by this post where I feel nearly all of the commentors have things bass ackwards. I'm sure I'm gonna get flamed off the sub for this, but... A player should not have absolute authority over what happens to their character. The whole point of the game is to put this "you-alike" in funky situations, decide how they react, and observe the outcomes. We explore facets of ourselves by roleplaying because every PC takes some level of inspiration from its creator. No, that doesn't mean everyone is harboring murderous intent or wants to be a woodcarver. But I'm willing to bet if you're honest with yourself, every PC you've played or DM'ed for is a little bit like its owner. Because drawing on our own experience informs our choices which includes the characters we play. Look, I get this is a "collaborative" game. Both sides of the screen are (hopefully) trying to create a fun and memorable story for everyone to enjoy together. But if players dictate what is allowed to happen to them, the game ends. Plenty of people are happy to scold DM's with "If you're going to decide what happens ahead of time and the players have no say, write a novel." That goes both ways. Would you allow a player to tell you "no, actually my childhood farm doesn't burn to the ground as the BBEG's army marches"? Feels a little silly, right? I mean they'll probably be upset. They're childhood home just burned down. They should be. Do you allow your players to decide when they die? If one was brought to 0 HP, failed 3 death saves, and defiantly said "nope" what would you do? Best case scenario for them: you work with them to find a story-based reason why they come back, but that is at YOUR discretion as the DM, not theirs. Slowly changing a PC from a human to a tiefling as a result of their infernal warlock pact is no different. They already made their choice to get in the proverbial bed with a devil - this is a reasonable consequence. As is any story-based, character-changing thing the DM does. Lost an arm in a battle? Brutal. Are you giving up or will you find the will to carry on and finish your quest in spite of the setback and not being able to hold a shield now? Got aboleth slimed and can't breathe air now? Yeah, that really sucks. How are you going to fix it? Or are you retiring your character to live in a lake now? I get the sense from many comments on this and other subs, that players can't deal with loss. which is unfortunate. Because overcoming adversity is so rewarding. And maybe people are trying to escape that experience IRL and don't want to deal with it during fun time, but conflict and adversity are core to every. great. story... ever. We are given this awesome power to do whatever we want (thanks Rule 0). With that comes a responsibility to use it for the good of the story. When it's wielded to draw out deeper emotions, investment, and action, the players' trust in the DM increases and everyone's stories improve as a result. Unfortunately the few DMs who use it for evil have corrupted it into something to be feared. Don't let them win this eternal struggle. So to all the DMs out there trying to decide if it's okay to do something to a PC - if it is done with good intent, not tainted with vengeance or a lust for power, and you truly believe that a better story will be created as a result... Please do it. imgflip.com

someone sent screenshot of the post, someone else made the jjk reference, I made the meme. | /r/dndm...


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Uploaded May 03, 2024 at 02:02PM EDT

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