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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storm Raven" data-source="post: 2240697" data-attributes="member: 307">It means that when you say you will be playing D&D, the consensus is that you will be using the rules as written except where you tell the players otherwise.And this is where your style of DMing goes from "being an annoyance to being an ass" to use your own phrasing. Hiding the rules from the players, and then springing the changes on them mid-stream is the very hallmark of bad DMing.The consent form is that they stay and play. Hiding the rules changes from them until play has begun is simply jerking their chains. You may like acting out your megolamaniacal power fantasies via DMing, but that's bad form.Check your Player's Handbook. You'll find Rule 0 right there. Exactly as I described it. The fact that you don't even know what it is indicates to me that you really aren't playing D&D when you say you are. You are playing some other game, and calling it D&D.You see, when you say "Rule 0", you mean something specific. And what you mean is different from what the Player's Handbook says is Rule 0. So when you refer to Rule 0, people naturally asssume you mean what the Player's Handbook says. Since you didn't indicate otherwise until now. Your Rule 0 isn't actually Rule 0, that's defined by the books. Your rule is something else, probably best called "Celebrum's Autocratic Rule" or something.And thus you indicate that you have no idea that D&D (and FRPGs in general) are collaborative excercises. No one has carte blanche, on anything.And that's a Jerk move by the DM. With a capital "J". Since you never bothered to tell the players that they could charge in gently curving oval routes. Springing it on them mid-stream (and demanding, like Cartman, that they respect his authoritah) is exactly the kind of thing that turns a DM into a jackass.And the player is completely correct in your example. And the DM is being a jackass. And if you agree with the DM on this, then that says much about you, and they aren't good things. The DM said he was using the D&D rules, and the players are perfectly within their rights to expect that those rules will be used except where noted otherwise ahead of time.Actually, it works quite well. The rules are clear, everyone understands what is going on, and what they can and cannot do. There are limited arguments because the DM (me in this case) isn't changing things on the players mid-stream without providing them with notice of changes. Unless a house rule is provided ahead of time, the rules work as written. It keeps arguments to a minimum, and keeps everyone up to speed about what the game we are playing actually is.</blockquote>

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