Sunday, January 27, 2008

Quote of the Day

Although the rules have been thoroughly play-tested over a period of many months, it is likely that you will eventually find some part that seems ambiguous, unanswered, or unsatisfactory. When such situation arises settle it among yourselves, record the decision in the rules book, and abide by it from then on. These rules may be treated as guide lines around which you form a game that suits you. It is always a good idea to amend the rules to allow for historical precedence or common sense -- follow the spirit of the rules rather than the letter.
-Chainmail, 3rd edition, page 8, by Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren

I love this passage because the reader is not directed to the authority of the designer nor that of any referee. The text assumes that the players are adults capable of arriving on a consensus on their own and achieving at least as useful rulings as the authors of the game.

3 comments:

  1. Word!

    And it does clash with the 1ed Dungeon Master Guide doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous10:52 AM

    "Word!

    And it does clash with the 1ed Dungeon Master Guide doesn't it?"

    Nope, it sure doesn't. Borrow a DMG from someone who plays and read the last paragraph in the book. To wit, this line:

    IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE RULES, NOT THE LETTER...etc.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just saying that I'm repeating this quotation over on my blog now, giving you due credit as my source.

    Thanks!

    http://www.stevenroman.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete