breaking the game

Every GM has that one thing. You know, the thing that you do not allow your players to do or have because it will break the game. Monks are too powerful, no monks allowed. A decanter of endless water…too powerful. Fireball…too powerful. I don’t think you should limit your players unless it is about the world they will be playing in.

Hear me out. Most of these are on the “no play” list because you, as a GM, have been burned by them before. I ask you to take a step back and really look at it. Did it really break the game, or did a player just do the unexpected with it? It probably caught you so off guard that your BBEG (big bad evil guy) died in just a couple rounds. As a GM, you have every right to forbid certain things, just keep in mind that something else is probably going to cause the same issue. 

In my experience, letting the players play what they want and how they want, allows for more fun at the table. Sure, the enemies I send at my players die quickly, but that’s okay. I find other ways to challenge them through puzzles, story plots, and unusual scenarios. Also, I’ve played enough to know ANYTHING can be over powered if played that way.