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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cadfan" data-source="post: 4152890" data-attributes="member: 40961">The "rules aren't physics" helps because1. It explains why a rule that swiftly, efficiently and effectively works 99% of the time its used is still a good rule even if you or your players dream up a crazy edge case that breaks it, and why we shouldn't replace the first quick and efficient rule with a bloated monstrosity just to protect against that 1%.  Remember, "The rules are not physics," and combine it with "and the DM exists to adjudicate the edge cases."2. It explains why you can't argue that because the rules don't explicitly explain how something works, that the something in question doesn't exist.  For example, suppose the rules don't include a method for your weapon to sustain damage when you use it to attack something.  This means that with power attack, a longsword, and patience, you can chop down castles.  Its not like the sword will ever become dull or break!  Sure, the sword has hit points, but it has no method to take hit point damage from being swung at rocks!  Or... not.  The rules cover the majority cases where the dulling or breaking of swords would be an annoyance.  If you let your players exploit this you have only yourself to blame because... the rules are not physics.3. It explains why sometimes rules work differently for PCs and NPCs.  For example, a PC can bluff an NPC in 3e with a skill check and a story plausible enough that the DM doesn't call shenanigans.  But an NPC bluffing a PC typically involves not only the NPC's bluff roll beating the PCs sense motive, but also the DM successfully bluffing the player.  This is a flat out difference in not only how lying works, but in the chances of successfully lying, but its justified because otherwise the dice take the player out of the picture.There are probably more reasons.  Overall, the rules provide a context in which you can interact with the gameworld.  They aren't actually the gameworld.  A rule might provide an inadequate context for interaction and be a bad rule, but it is also possible that a rule might provide an excellent context that just happens to not work so well in the wacky scenarios you dream up, or when the PCs are off stage and the rules don't need to function anyways.</blockquote>

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