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<blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 97041" data-attributes="member: 177">Hatchling Dragon, based upon what you've written here (which is admittedly a limted picture) you are over-reacting.The &quot;no reading game materials at the table&quot; rule is a common one.&nbsp; The majority of Game Masters I know use it as a general policy.&nbsp; Everyone says they won't let out-of-game knowledge into the game.&nbsp; Many people even mean it when they say it.&nbsp; The number of people who actually manage the trick are few and far between.&nbsp; Once you know a thing, you know it.&nbsp; It does enter your thought process, like it or not.&nbsp; Most DMs prefer even-handedness.&nbsp; They don't like to pick and choose who follows what rules at the table, because it smacks of playing favorites (&quot;No, I'm sorry, Jim, but you can't read that.&nbsp; Hand it to Joe, who I allow to read it.&quot;).&nbsp; If any player might be a problem, it makes some sense to make it a general rule.Now, about that, &quot;...I will not be dictated to...&quot; line.&nbsp; You might want to rethink it. Gaming is not an anarchy, and you know it.&nbsp; There is a referee who's responsibility is not limited to applying the rules of the game, but also generally to behavior at the table.&nbsp; Traditionally, that referee decides how much out-of-game joking and goofing around are acceptable at the table, whether Frank should put away his Game-Boy and pay attention, and so on. It's the DM's job to get the game to run smoothly, for the benefit of all.&nbsp; To do this he may have to set some rules.&nbsp; This should not be news to you. So, yes, you will be dictated to, within reasonable limits.&nbsp; You implicitly agreed to a certain amount of this when you joined the group.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Umbran, post: 97041, member: 177"] Hatchling Dragon, based upon what you've written here (which is admittedly a limted picture) you are over-reacting. The "no reading game materials at the table" rule is a common one. The majority of Game Masters I know use it as a general policy. Everyone [i]says[/i] they won't let out-of-game knowledge into the game. Many people even mean it when they say it. The number of people who actually manage the trick are few and far between. Once you know a thing, you know it. It does enter your thought process, like it or not. Most DMs prefer even-handedness. They don't like to pick and choose who follows what rules at the table, because it smacks of playing favorites ("No, I'm sorry, Jim, but you can't read that. Hand it to Joe, who I allow to read it."). If any player might be a problem, it makes some sense to make it a general rule. Now, about that, "...I will not be dictated to..." line. You might want to rethink it. Gaming is not an anarchy, and you know it. There is a referee who's responsibility is not limited to applying the rules of the game, but also generally to behavior at the table. Traditionally, that referee decides how much out-of-game joking and goofing around are acceptable at the table, whether Frank should put away his Game-Boy and pay attention, and so on. It's the DM's job to get the game to run smoothly, for the benefit of all. To do this he may have to set some rules. This should not be news to you. So, yes, you [i]will[/i] be dictated to, within reasonable limits. You implicitly agreed to a certain amount of this when you joined the group. [/QUOTE]

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