iserith
Magic Wordsmith
Do you mean the rules wherein you created your own rule on how to handle passive perception? That ruleset? Or the rules as I seen used in play on Twitch Streams sponsored by WoTC?
And no you interpretation does not cover it at all, nor does ArialBlacks. The rules are not straightjacket, in fact rules lawyers are ruins the game. And, as I have showed, both of you are reading into the rules things that are not their by a strict reading (as you want) or adding rules like your link to on how to handle passive perception, which is not in the rule book at all.
The approach I presented on how to handle passive Perception is, in fact, based upon the rules for passive checks, travel pace, working together, activities while traveling, among others. All of those are right in the Basic Rules. Whether or not anyone on a Twitch stream plays the game based on the rules is irrelevant to whether the rules cover the situations you have described in this thread. Because the rules do cover those situations you referenced.
The GAME is important, the flow of the GAME is important.
Technically, the answer you should give to the OP is that your dm is always right and entitled to modify every rule in the book because that actually is said in the rule set. You should completely and utterly agree with the DM the original poster is complaining about, and be against the OP as the DMG, Page 4, states:
The D&D rules help you and the other players have a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game.
Since, as you state, you should never DEVIATE from the rules you must therefore agree with the DM in charge of the OP game.
BYE
I'm not sure where any of this is coming from. Do you posit a situation where using the rules and having a good flowing game are incompatible? That's certainly not been my experience, so I'm not sure what your point is here. You referenced some situations. You got the rules wrong. We showed you how you can use the rules to achieve what appeared to be what you wanted in a fair and consistent manner. And suddenly you're ranting about rules lawyers?