Your approach to rules

[Henry]

That sounds like a sensible approach. I don't GM currently but I'm thinking of giving it a try, and I'm concerned about my lack of rules-sense. Several of my potential players know the rules backwards and forwards, so in my case I'll probably let them tell me the rules and go with whatever they say, then look it up after the game. I hate having a rules question bring play to a halt.

Sniffles, if you have a couple of rules-lawyers in your group, count them a godsend. I and my co-DM are the walking encyclopedias for our group, and whenever there's a rule question we're usually the ones consulted. However, it's also OK to make a spot-rule too, even if it doesn't always work out. So much has been said in the other thread about "following the rules", but it's the DM's position as final word that keeps a game running smoothly.

(And to answer what the very next objection is that is likely to come up, NO, I don't consider stopping for five minutes to look up a rule as "running smoothly.")

 

[Hjorimir]

I try to know the rules backwards and forewards...this helps me when it comes time to break them.

 

[Ace]

My poll answer varies -- In D&D I do a five minute look up to learn the rule

In GURPS3e -- at most a 30 second look up as I pretty much know all the rules --

In Unisystem Light it never comes up -- all the rules you need fit on the character sheet

 

[Mercule]

I depends. I seem to have a knack for remembering rules, and rulebook layouts, so I can often find a rule in under 30 seconds. Otherwise, I'll either make something up, or spend up to about 5 minutes to learn it. It depends on the momentum of the session. If we're joking around and just socializing, I'll take the chance to find the right rule so we hopefully remember for next time. If it's a deeper, fast-paced session, I make it up -- but I let the players know that it's a one-off ruling.

 

[Animus]

For the most part, it's 1 minute or less for me, unless it's a matter of life and death, then I spend the time to get it right for sure. Otherwise, I make a judgement to keep the game going and look up the rule in detail after the session is over.

 

[Dracomeander]

I voted for the five minute lookup, but it rarely takes longer than 2-3. I couldn't vote for the 30 second check because it usually takes longer than that to find the obscure point of rules that covers the situation I don't already know the rules for.

Also, one of the groups I'm in is set up for teaching/learning the rules and has a lot of newbies in it. We find it better with that group to make sure our interpretations of the rules are as accurate as possible when a dispute/discrepency comes up.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I voted 5 minutes. I generally have a very good grasp of the rules, but when something comes up that I'm not solid on, or use rarely enough that the specifics elude me (hello grappling, I'm looking at you!) I take the time to learn the rule. That's assuming I haven't pre-studied the rule, which I always do with rules I can anticipate needing to know (like having an NPC with the feat Improved Sunder. Had to brush up on the Sundering rules.)

 

[The_Universe]

Somewhere between 2 and 3, for me. Usually less than 5 minutes, but I'm lucky if I can find and apply a rule in 30 seconds or less...

 

[bradikus]

This has been a problem in our game over and over again. A couple of our players are always trying to bend the rules to thier advantage and at times it can take an inordinate amount of time to look up and discuss. Some of us are better at handling this as DMs then others, but we are all trying to be fair. My favorite way to handle this is to first allow an attempt at what ever they are doing and if it succeeds then look it up. If it fails we can look at it later. If we have to deal with it then I try to move the game along as far as possible while one of the players looks it up. For the most part, if we are in game, we stick to the rules, no matter how unsensible they might be.

 

[reveal]

If it's important, I spend about 30 seconds on it then make a ruling if I can't find anything. If it's not important, or doesn't affect the game in some negative way, I just make up a rule and figure it out later.

Last session was like that. A player asked about SR since he was using Psionics. I didn't know if SR affected Psionics so I tried looking it up. Couldn't find it quickly and said SR didn't affect Psionics. So he went. On the next players turn, they were figuring things out so I looked it up in the searchable SRD. I found out SR DID affect Psionics so I told him so and he was cool. I figured it was important enough to look up.