D&D General Alternate thought - rule of cool is bad for gaming


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Which is why I prefer to take a moment and get it right the first time, even if it means play at the table stops for a break while I think it through and-or talk it over with the players.

I'll be blunt: there are things even with the most thought, you just aren't going to get right the first time. Some times the implication of a rule doesn't show itself until much later with repeated use.

And yes, I've been stuck with my own bad rulings in the past; to the point where one of my old campaigns eventually collapsed in part due to their accumulation.

Like I said, being that unwilling to change strikes me as a classic example of taking a virtue and turning it into a vice.
 

Huh. I bow down to your rules mastery, have an updoot. I probably don't remember it because I don't think we ever had flying mounts. :)

The AD&D 1e rules were so notoriously specific and special case that I suspect even at its peak if you looked around for people who both knew and used all of them, you could probably count them on your fingers.
 

I'll be blunt: there are things even with the most thought, you just aren't going to get right the first time. Some times the implication of a rule doesn't show itself until much later with repeated use.
Agreed; and when those mistakes pile up to the point of no return I'll sink the campaign, revisit the rules from top to bottom, and start fresh.

Lessons learned the hard way from my first two long campaigns have helped keep this one going for as long as it has; and the bad-rulings quotient is way down (thus far!). The bigger issue I'm finding this time around is some class imbalances that take a long time to manifest; I've some fixes in mind but they're on hold until-unless I start a new campaign/setting (which might be quite a while off yet).
Like I said, being that unwilling to change strikes me as a classic example of taking a virtue and turning it into a vice.
Between campaigns everything's wide open to change. Within a campaign, consistency is king.
 





I don't have an issue with the rule of cool itself. I think the problem arises when people think every table should be using it. For some tables it is going to add to the game. For others, it isn't what they are trying to do
Exactly. When inviting people to your game it's just one of the things you should discuss. Same as if you have an existing group. Goes hand-in-hand with accepting that not every player is right for my game and vice versa.
 

I feel like when we hold on too tightly to the rules we are missing out on the true wonder of the game. My group always defers to the DM for the final say in the moment so that he can maintain the consistency as it’s happening. After the session all things are open for debate and it’s not uncommon for the whole group to agree to a ret-con or rewrite.

We once had a session grind to a halt because someone came up with something so mind boggling that no one knew how to handle the situation. The DM finally made a judgment call and we moved on.

By all means; take your game seriously but always keep in mind it’s not only just a game but it's a game you hope everyone wants to keep playing.
 

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