they're more like guidelines

Rules! Rules! Rules! They are the backbone of any system. Some are riddled with so many  rules that there are rules on how to implement the rules. Others have so little it can become controversial and chaotic at the table. I love having rules to refer to, but I hate to be so strict with them that it hinders the creativity or flow of the story.

When I first started running games, I held fast to the rules and relied heavily on one of my players who knew the rules better to help me out. I quickly realized there were not rules for everything and had to make decisions on circumstances that were rules-adjacent. As time passed, and I became more comfortable with making these decisions, I eventually started only caring about the rules if I was unsure how to handle a situation (specifically how spells, items, and conditions work).

Generally, I will allow the player to do what they want for flair (looking cool), or to drive their own character’s story. I do not need to ask for 15 rolls because the player wants to look like an anime character delivering the final blow to a monster, or if they want to jump down from a ledge and give it the hero pose (three point landing). I want my players to feel like heroes, that is why we play high fantasy systems like 5e.

The rules are there if you need them. I would be lying to myself to say I didn’t need them, but I like to avoid them as much as possible (they can be restrictive). I want my game to be a collective story and do not want the rules to get in the way.