"No rules referencing during play". Reasonable, or authoritarian?

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'll say this: a "no look-up" policy is the kind of thing that could have unexpected consequences.

Personally, I'd find that a bit authoritarian, though I don't know exactly how much I'd be put off by it until I gamed under those conditions.

In addition, while dragging may be a hassle, its a lot better than getting the rules wrong and having to retcon.

 

[Ktulu]

I always allow a rule to be looked up if it comes into question. With the compendium, rulebooks, and DM screen all at the table, we can usually get the answer very quickly.

HOWEVER (yes, this required caps), probably the biggest pet-peeve of mine when DMing is when a player just cracks open a book during a scene he's not involved in and goes about reading magic items, or some paragon path. I really don't like that. I do my absolute best to ensure there are few scenes, if ever, that a person cannot be directly involved in, and it's not always easy. I just ask from the players that they try to keep focused on the game and I'll do what I can to ensure everyone's entertained.

 

[weem]

I had players getting so bad at correcting EACH OTHER that I had to put a stop to rules referencing for their own sake. Some players were telling other players what they COULDN'T do, etc so I told everyone (between games) that if there was a disagreement, I would make a call and we would move on - no looking up the rules to show you were right/someone else was wrong, etc. After the game, they are free to look up anything they want and then they would know next time it came up.

I did say, however, that if I felt it was important, we would look up a rule - if I felt it could be a deal-breaker to the encounter, etc.

 

[S'mon]

Both? Without authority, there is chaos!

Seriously, it depends on the game. In my 4e game I rely on the players to tell me the player-related rules. Running Labyrinth Lord I dislike players telling me "The monster doesn't work like that!"

 

[Doug McCrae]

Seems reasonable to keep things moving. I assume the GM will just make a ruling in cases where the rule isn't known, right? Defcon 1 makes a good point about it probably not being necessary with most groups.

 

[Korgoth]

"Authoritarian" is not necessarily the opposite of "reasonable".

It partly depends on what system you're using. Using OD&D or B/X for example, a rules lookup might take 15 seconds. Using 3E where you've got multi-paragraph treatments and numerous hard-coded options... that could be a pain.

Before you lay down the law, I suggest taking a positive approach. Offer the entire group an XP bonus (it doesn't have to be very big... it's Pavlovian) if the group's casters write out their spells on index cards. That might take care of your problems right there.

 

[maddman75]

In addition, while dragging may be a hassle, its a lot better than getting the rules wrong and having to retcon.

I disagree. I'd rather get the rules wrong and keep the game flowing than the other way around.

Just remember when spot ruling something, do it in favor of the players. And Crothian's 'no one gets killed if the rules were wrong' idea is great.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

It's both, IMO.

 

[El Mahdi]

"Balance you need. Yeeesss. The answer you seek is, Both."

Personally, I like the middle ground. I wouldn't want to ban looking up rules in my game entirely, but I also don't want it to bog the game down either. edit: I'd definitely require players to have the rules they need ready for use at any time, such as spells, specific combat maneuvers, etc. If they have to look it up, then they lose their turn. However, there are times when you need something you didn't anticipate. Using the time limit idea may work. Or, perhaps give everyone a "Challenge Card" or "Challenge Flag" for the game (like in the NFL). (or call it a "Reference Card" or "Time-Out") Anyone can challenge a ruling or clarify a rule in game, but only once per person per game (or whatever amount you feel is fair for your group). That could keep the rules referencing to a minimum without disrupting the game, but still allow it for the times when a player may feel it really matters.

 

[arscott]

If spellcasting players are spending too much time looking up their spells, then just ban spellcasters. Problem solved.