D&D 4E Will Rule Zero be in 4E?

[Blackwind]

This is a question for the 4E designers or someone at WotC. Hopefully someone can get permission to answer it.

Basically, will Rule Zero (in other words, a foundational rule stating that the DM is allowed to make on-the-fly rulings, change or break rules in creative ways, et. al, in order to make the game more fun) be in the 4E Player's Handbook?

I think the answer to this question will tell us a lot about the direction in which D&D is headed.

Thanks.

 

[Loghren]

For me, any RPG that doesn't allow Rule 0 isn't even worth making, let alone playing.

While Rule Zero may be different in 4e, I can't see it being removed altogether. I give Wizards enough credit not to do that.

 

[shadowguidex]

Of course it will.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

I'm pretty sure that whether or not people are reminded rule 0 exists in the D&D books, it will still be in full effect anyhow.
Rule 0 is just that, not a rule

Just because a book doesn't go out of its way to print Rule 0, doesn't mean its not there

 

[Imperialus]

Naturally. There aren't many RPG's without a rule zero. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Burning Wheel. BW is a much more adversarial conflict driven game and the GM is expected to play by the rules. I suppose Burning Empires could be seen as taking it to an extreme but in many ways BE more closely resembles an abstract wargame than an RPG.

 

[marune]

Naturally. There aren't many RPG's without a rule zero. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Burning Wheel. BW is a much more adversarial conflict driven game and the GM is expected to play by the rules.

D&D and any other RPG should follows BW stance on rule 0, i.e. DM can't cheat, like all the players around.

That doesn't mean the game doesn't have DM-specific or players-specific rules.

e.g. In D&D the DM is they guy responsible to set-up encounters and plays NPCs to make them be apropriate challenges.

Also, that doesn't mean that all the people involved in the game can't change a given rule or come up with an house-rule.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Seeing as there is no "Rule Zero" in 3e or 3.5 I think we will be okay.

Go check, it isn't there. "Step Zero" of Character Generation refers to the DM being the final arbiter of allowed character creation.

Rule Zero is a metaphor, and a valid and real one in all RPGs. It's a myth that it is on paper in 3.x.

Burning Wheel does what?

 

[Digital M@]

Can't say I would want to play a game without any flexibility. It exists in every game ever made unless people are playing in Tournaments. If someone wants to change a rule to enhance their enjoyment of a game then they do it.

 

[Imperialus]

D&D and any other RPG should follows BW stance on rule 0, i.e. DM can't cheat, like all the players around.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that. Don't get me wrong, BW is a great game but it plays very differently than D&D at some very fundamental levels. 'winging it' is almost impossible and it requires that everyone is very familiar with the rules nuances. It's as though Forge got together and redid GURPS. It can be rigid and inflexible at times and 'handwaving' is strongly discouraged. Rule Zero allows for a great deal of flexibility if used appropriately, something that BW lacks.

 

[marune]

I'm not sure I'd agree with that. Don't get me wrong, BW is a great game but it plays very differently than D&D at some very fundamental levels. 'winging it' is almost impossible and it requires that everyone is very familiar with the rules nuances. It's as though Forge got together and redid GURPS. It can be rigid and inflexible at times and 'handwaving' is strongly discouraged. Rule Zero allows for a great deal of flexibility if used appropriately, something that BW lacks.

IME, Rule Zero is more about abusing DM than flexibility.

BW is flexible because it is conflict-resolution based (BTW, I hate BW character creation, the so-called lifepaths).

D&D 4E is less task-resolution and more conflict-resolution than it's predecessors, hand-waving will be much less needed to keep the game running smoothly.