4: The Rule of Yes
A) Unless there is a compelling reason to say no, say yes. Playing a game with Dr. No isn’t any fun. Players want to have fun and to do things. There is a time and place for obstacles, learn and know that time and place. Trying to find a royal blue shirt or spell components in the market is not that time.
B) A roll is not required for everything, even if a roll is required. Use judgment in applying the dice. Dice are random, random isn’t vital even if the rules say it is. Remember the Rule of Yes.
This one. Warning, the passive aggressive will try and use this against you when you place obstacles in the way, you know, play the game. “But you say rule of yes” they whine. Do not buy it. Yes is for non conflict situations, not every damn thing. (I’ve had this tried on me, can you guess?) A game in which nothing is ever hard is called “playing house”. Yes there is a place for this rule, the market, the inn the trail. Not combat. Sometimes you need to rattle the bones and make a few. A mystery is not a mystery if there is an historical marker out front with the full story.
Gaming thrives on conflict, be it social, physical, or informational. A game must have conflict or you have no story. Remember the three kinds of drama, this applies to games as much as any writing. Man against, man, man against, nature, man against himself. Knowing which you are creating goes a long way toward creating a viable scenario. The operative in each of these is “Against”. There must be striving, and applying yes to everything nullifies that.
Use the rule of yes, but do not be used by it.