What's your DMing Rule 0?

[Zulgyan]

Enjoy what you're running: the system, the setting, and your group of players.

 

[Ry]

I stole one of P-Kitty's mantras, which is basically, "Take whatever the PCs are trying to do and make it exciting."

How many of these mantras does Piratecat have anyway? Is there a list somewhere?

 

[GlassJaw]

Rule 0: The DM is always right when he's sitting down.

My rule 0 as a player:

When the DM's rule 0 is "the DM's always right", it means he's definitely not always right and will ignore some rule that has no business being ignored at all. He'll probably get mad if you want to have a reasonable discussion about it too.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

My rule 0... compromise on expectations.

They saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time... the game I run will be fun for everyone, it just might not be the kind of fun you enjoy *right now*. Play for the others enjoyment for a while cause they will end up supporting your fun soon.

This includes putting up with some degrees of meta-gaming, like having a Elvish BladeSinger and a Drow Bounty Hunter travelling together...
{funny story, that one }

 

[TarionzCousin]

If it isn't fun, don't do it.
Conversely: do the fun stuff.

"Be Cool"

One thing I've learned from the best Story Hours on ENW is that when you're deciding what should happen next, you should do the coolest thing possible. It re-energised my game.

Yeah, this is a great idea, in my opinion. I have expressly allowed things in my games that were incompatible with the rules just because they were cool--almost always when a player said "I do this."

See also "Say yes."

 

[Ourph]

"Once I set the stage, I am no longer an author, I am a referee. Let the players and the dice create the story."

 

[ZombieButch]

Bring your own beer.

 

[GlassJaw]

Bring your own beer.

Butch ftw.

 

[Hjorimir]

How many of these mantras does Piratecat have anyway? Is there a list somewhere?

Knowing P-Kitty, there's probably a book somewhere.

 

[Glyfair]

"Given a choice between two or more options, choose the one that will give the most game fun over time."