When to Bend: Mastering Rulings Over Rules

The Philosophy of Flexible GMing

The “Rulings Over Rules” philosophy, popularized in the OSR (Old School Renaissance) movement, isn’t about ignoring rules—it’s about prioritizing game flow and narrative coherence over strict mechanical adherence when the two conflict.

Every GM faces moments when the rules don’t quite cover the situation, when a strict interpretation would halt momentum, or when a small adjustment would better serve the story and fun. Mastering when and how to make these calls is essential to smooth, engaging gameplay.

Core Principles of Rulings Over Rules

Rules as Framework, Not Scripture

Think of rules as architectural guidelines rather than immutable laws. They provide structure and consistency, but sometimes the specific situation requires creative engineering that goes beyond the blueprint.

Key Mindset Shifts:

• Rules exist to facilitate fun, not constrain it
• Consistency matters more than perfection
• Player experience takes precedence over mechanical purity
• Spirit of the rules often matters more than letter of the rules

Narrative Flow as Priority

The golden rule of rulings: Don’t break the game’s momentum to debate mechanics. A quick, reasonable ruling that keeps the story moving is almost always better than a five-minute rules consultation.

Flow Preservation Techniques:

• Make quick decisions and note them for later review
• Use “Yes, and…” or “Yes, but…” instead of “No” when possible
• Save complex rule discussions for breaks or between sessions
• Trust your instincts and adjust later if needed

Table Consensus Building

While the GM has final authority, building group buy-in for rulings creates a more collaborative and enjoyable experience.

Consensus Strategies:

• Explain your reasoning briefly: “I’m ruling this way because…”
• Ask for quick player input: “Does this feel fair to everyone?”
• Acknowledge uncertainty: “I’m not sure of the exact rule, but this seems reasonable”
• Establish temporary precedents: “For now, we’ll handle it this way”

When to Make Rulings

Unclear Rule Situations

Scenario: The rules don’t clearly cover the specific action a player wants to take.

Ruling Approach:

1. Find the closest existing rule and adapt it
2. Consider the action’s difficulty and assign appropriate mechanics
3. Think about narrative appropriateness and genre expectations
4. Make a quick decision and move forward

Example:

Player: “I want to use my Athletics skill to intimidate the guard by demonstrating my strength.”

Ruling: “That’s creative! Roll Athletics, but the DC is higher than normal intimidation since you’re using physical demonstration rather than direct social pressure.”

Edge Cases and Unusual Combinations

Scenario: Players combine abilities, spells, or environmental factors in ways the rules didn’t anticipate.

Ruling Guidelines:

• Reward creativity while maintaining game balance
• Consider precedent—will this ruling break future encounters?
• Think about fairness—does this give players an unfair advantage?
• Maintain genre consistency—does this fit the game’s tone and style?

Example:

Player: “I cast Grease on the steep slope while the enemy is climbing up.”

Ruling: “The spell normally works on flat surfaces, but this is a creative use. I’ll allow it, but the effect is reduced—instead of automatic falling, they need to make a harder climbing check.”

Pacing-Critical Moments

Scenario: A rules dispute or complex interaction threatens to derail a climactic moment.

Ruling Priority: Always favor maintaining dramatic tension over mechanical perfection.

Techniques:

• Quick approximation: “This seems like it should be about a DC 15 check”
• Player advantage: When in doubt, lean toward letting players succeed with complications
• Deferred resolution: “For this dramatic moment, I’m ruling it works—we’ll clarify the exact mechanics later”

Social and Roleplay Situations

Scenario: Social interactions that exist in the gray area between roleplay and mechanics.

Ruling Considerations:

• Player skill vs. character skill balance
• Narrative appropriateness of the attempted action
• Group comfort levels with different types of roleplay
• Consequences and follow-up effects

Example:

Player roleplays a convincing argument but rolls poorly on Persuasion.

Ruling: “Your argument is compelling, so you succeed in being heard and taken seriously, but the NPC isn’t quite convinced to take the risk you’re asking for. They offer a compromise instead.”

Guidelines for Effective Rulings

The Five-Second Rule

Never spend more than five seconds making a ruling during active play. Trust your instincts, make a decision, and move forward. You can always adjust or clarify later.

Quick Decision Framework:

1. What feels right? (Trust your GM instincts)
2. What’s most fun? (Prioritize player enjoyment)
3. What maintains pace? (Keep the game moving)
4. What’s fair? (Consider all players’ perspectives)

Favor the Players (With Limits)

When genuinely uncertain, lean toward player success—but with interesting complications or costs rather than complete victories.

“Yes, But” Framework:

• Yes, you can try that, but it will be more difficult than normal
• Yes, you succeed, but there’s an unexpected consequence
• Yes, that works, but it uses up a resource or creates a new problem

Consistency Within Sessions

Once you make a ruling in a session, stick with it for the remainder of that session. Players need to be able to plan based on established precedents.

Consistency Guidelines:

• Note your rulings for future reference
• Explain changes if you modify rulings between sessions
• Apply equally to all players and NPCs
• Grandfather in existing character builds when rules change

Transparency in Decision-Making

Help players understand your ruling process by briefly explaining your reasoning:

Communication Examples:

• “I’m ruling this way because it fits the genre expectations”
• “This seems balanced based on similar abilities in the game”
• “I want to reward creative thinking, so I’m allowing this with a modification”
• “For dramatic purposes, I’m going to say this works this time”

Advanced Ruling Techniques

Graduated Success and Failure

Instead of binary success/failure, use degrees of outcome to make rulings more interesting:

Success Levels:

• Critical Success: You succeed better than expected
• Full Success: You achieve exactly what you wanted
• Partial Success: You succeed with a complication or cost
• Failure with Progress: You don’t succeed, but you gain something useful
• Simple Failure: You don’t achieve your goal
• Critical Failure: You fail with additional negative consequences

Environmental Storytelling Through Rulings

Use rulings to reinforce setting elements and world consistency:

Example:

In a magic-heavy setting: “Since magic is so common here, I’ll allow that creative spell use”

In a gritty, low-magic setting: “That kind of magical solution feels too easy for this world—let’s try a different approach”

Player Expertise Integration

Leverage player knowledge when making rulings about their characters’ areas of expertise:

Collaboration Techniques:

• “You’re the rogue—how do you think lockpicking should work in this situation?”
• “As the wizard, what would your character know about this type of magic?”
• “You’ve played fighters before—does this ruling feel balanced to you?”

Common Ruling Scenarios

Creative Skill Usage

Situation: Players want to use skills in unconventional ways.

Ruling Framework:

1. Consider the skill’s core concept—what is it really about?
2. Evaluate narrative appropriateness—does this make sense in context?
3. Adjust difficulty—unconventional uses might be harder
4. Set clear expectations—establish what success and failure look like

Examples:

• Intimidation through intellectual superiority
• Athletics for acrobatic combat maneuvers
• Animal Handling for reading human body language
• Medicine for torture resistance

Environmental Interactions

Situation: Players want to interact with the environment in ways not covered by rules.

Ruling Considerations:

• Physics and logic within the game world
• Precedent setting—will this create future problems?
• Challenge maintenance—does this trivialize obstacles?
• Creative reward—should clever thinking be encouraged?

Combat Innovation

Situation: Players attempt combat actions not specifically covered by combat rules.

Balance Factors:

• Action economy—how does this compare to standard actions?
• Damage/effect scaling—is this appropriately powerful?
• Resource cost—should this require something beyond a standard action?
• Repeatability—is this something they can do every turn?

Social Mechanics Edge Cases

Situation: Complex social interactions that blur the line between roleplay and mechanics.

Considerations:

• Player comfort levels with different types of social interaction
• Character vs. player ability balance
• Narrative consequences of success and failure
• Group dynamics and inclusive play

Managing Resistance to Rulings

When Players Disagree

De-escalation Strategies:

1. Acknowledge the concern: “I understand your perspective”
2. Explain your reasoning: “I’m ruling this way because…”
3. Set a timeline for review: “Let’s go with this for now and discuss it after the session”
4. Offer compromise: “What if we modify it slightly to…”

Rules Lawyers and RAW Advocates

Working with Rules-Focused Players:

• Respect their expertise and ask for their input
• Explain the reasoning behind deviations from RAW
• Find middle ground when possible
• Establish clear expectations about ruling philosophy during Session 0

Maintaining Authority

Balanced Approach:

• Be confident in your decisions while remaining open to feedback
• Acknowledge mistakes and adjust when necessary
• Maintain final authority while encouraging discussion
• Stay focused on fun and table harmony

Building Ruling Consistency

Documentation Systems

Tracking Your Rulings:

• Session notes with key ruling decisions
• Reference sheet of common house rules
• Player-shared document for established precedents
• Regular review and adjustment process

Evolution and Adjustment

Ruling Refinement:

• Post-session discussion of major rulings
• Player feedback on ruling impacts
• Playtesting of modified rules over multiple sessions
• Graceful retirement of rulings that don’t work

Conclusion

Mastering “Rulings Over Rules” isn’t about abandoning structure—it’s about wielding that structure intelligently to serve the larger goals of fun, narrative coherence, and player engagement.

The best GMs develop an intuitive sense for when to apply rules strictly and when to adapt them creatively. This comes through practice, player feedback, and a deep understanding of what makes their particular table tick.

Remember: your goal isn’t to be a perfect rules adjudicator, but to be a facilitator of awesome stories. Sometimes that means following the book exactly, and sometimes it means writing new pages on the fly.

Trust your instincts, prioritize fun over perfection, and never let the search for the “correct” ruling stop you from creating amazing gaming experiences.

Next in this series: “The Art of Flexible GMing” - Advanced techniques for adapting your game style to different situations, player groups, and narrative needs.