Henry
Autoexreginated
Flexor the Mighty! said:
What is rule #1?
Y'know, when I was writing the post i KNEW I shoulda put that in there...
...Rule #1 is "The DM has the final say in rules decisions." The corollary to that rule is "There's always room for discussion."
If a player has a discrepancy with a DM's ruling, he has a right to say so, and give his point of view, but after that, it's the DM's call as to what goes. The DM also should be fair in all decisions, and should allow players to "Ret-Con" any decisions that they previously made on a flawed ruling that has now changed. This gives a final authority to the game, cuts down on arguments and rules-lawyering, and makes things flow mroe smoothly. Having one final arbiter is smoother than having 5 or 6. If a player does not like it, then he has every opportunity to rule differently when it's his turn to DM.
There are a few more, and one day when I have them all codified, I'll post them. But those two are essential to have a smooth game and ensure that all playershave fun (DM included, he's a player, too)
Sincerely,
Henry