History Main / RuleZero

* The game ''Monster Horrorshow'' was a brief blip on the radar in the 1980s for tabletop gaming. But its manual gave what is thought to be the best advice ever on how to be a good GM: [[https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Werewizard.jpg "give your players a good time."]]

{{Railroading}} is an example of excessive (ab)use of Rule Zero. Compare BecauseISaidSo and ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem, especially for other media.

Rule Zero (as this is frequently called, hence the trope name) is a reminder to the players that the GM of any tabletop game has to exercise some common sense, and is permitted to supersede the rules when the rules would ruin enjoyment and fair play. You could cite all the rules and mechanics you want that said you just one-shotted the BigBad by using [[InfinityPlusOneSword the best weapon in the game]] to invoke the ChunkySalsaRule; too bad. If the GM says it didn't happen, then it didn't happen. Period.

While a GM has fiat to exercise Rule Zero at will, they are reminded that excessive arbitrary use of this rule will eventually lead to an empty game table - also known as "Rule -1: The GM is not always right, but ''what the GM says goes.'' If they say enough stupid stuff, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the players will go as well]]".

** B.A. From averts this. He plays every rule for better or for worse. He eventually seized control of his game through the use of a GMPC and his control over non mechanical story elements (even in the PC's backstories.)

Rule Zero (as this is frequently called, hence the TropeName) is a reminder to the players that the GM of any tabletop game has to exercise some common sense, and is permitted to supersede the rules when the rules would ruin enjoyment and fair play. You could cite all the rules and mechanics you want that said you just one-shotted the BigBad by using [[InfinityPlusOneSword the best weapon in the game]] to invoke the ChunkySalsaRule; too bad. If the GM says it didn't happen, then it didn't happen. Period.

Rule -3 of D&D: [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame All dwarves must have Scottish accents]].

-->[[https://reddit.com/r/dndmemes/comments/y8c6r3/dms_always_remember_that_is_completely_raw_to_ban/iszcjhv/ Reddit]] thread

In many a TabletopRPG, game balance is sometimes hard to achieve, since there is an unlimited number of choices available to the players. In such a situation, it's inevitable that there's going to be a GameBreaker, strange applications of the mechanics by the RulesLawyer, attempts by the resident {{Munchkin}} to [[MinMaxing min-max]] events to his advantage, and things which are done in such a way that it's clearly NotTheIntendedUse. For these reasons, to protect the sanity and well-being of the average GameMaster, most tabletop roleplaying games include some version of the following rule:

While a GM has fiat to exercise Rule Zero at their table at will, they are reminded that excessive arbitrary use of this rule will eventually lead to an empty game table - also known as "Rule -1: The GM is not always right, but '''what the GM says goes.''' If they say enough stupid stuff, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the players will go as well]]".

* In ''Creator/IDWPublishing'''s original Transformers continuity (retroactively named [=IDW1=] after the release of ''ComicBook/Transformers2019''), the Decepticons had one very simple Rule Zero: Megatron's commands are absolute. You could be running your own mini-empire, or overseeing a hellish prison camp, or even pursuing your own agendas or vendettas, he doesn't mind. However, the moment he summons, you answer. And if he tells you to do something as extreme as destroying your own homeworld to stop a harbinger of the apocalypse (as he did Razorclaw), then you're fully expected to do so.

->''"Rule Zero: The GM is always right."''
-->-- '''Urban Dictionary'''

While a GM has fiat to exercise Rule Zero at their table at will, they are reminded that excessive arbitrary use of this rule will eventually lead to an empty game table - also known as "Rule -1: The GM is not always right, but what the GM says goes. If they say enough stupid stuff, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the players will go as well]]".

* The game ''Monster Horrorshow'' was a brief blip on the radar in the 1980s for tabletop gaming. But its manual gave what is thought to be the best advice ever on how to be a good GM: "[[https://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Werewizard.jpg give your players a good time]]".

* The TropeNamer for Rule Zero is ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. While D&D may not have been the first tabletop roleplaying game, it certainly [[TropeCodifier codified many of the mechanics and tropes associated with them]]. Generally speaking, the DM has final say on anything that happens in the campaign; they determine what the players roll, how often they roll, and resolve any disputes between the players and the rules. While it's a meme in D&D circles that one player always [[RulesLawyer insists on following the rules as written]] [[{{Munchkin}} only when it benefits him]], the DM is the ultimate authority for their world. There's even notes on the Dungeon Master's Guide for Fifth Edition about how to apply Rule Zero, as well as general advice on how to be a good DM.

** Emphasis not added. That's how it is in the book.

** This is one reason why ''MTG'' has LoadsAndLoadsOfRules: all official tournament referees are allowed to invoke Rule Zero if there is no precedent for how certain cards interact. Their decision then gets stuck in the big list of errata/clarifications.
** In tournaments, the head judge has the power to make any ruling he wants, and his word will be final, even if he turns out to be wrong (i.e. even if the decision was actually against the official rules of the game, whatever the head judge of a tournament says goes, and that's that). The only recourse a player has if they don't like what the head judge ruled is to make a complaint afterwards. And while these types of incorrect rulings do happen, such a thing is quite rare.

** In ''ComicBook/TransformersTheLastStandOfTheWreckers'' it's mentioned that Skyquake had carved out his own mini-empire and living it up. However, when Megatron sent orders for him to take the Autobot prison of Garrus-9, he immediately marshaled his forces to go on the attack. Too bad for him [[DangerousDeserter Overlord]] showed up...

* In ''Creator/IDWPublishing'''s original Transformers continuity (retroactively named IDW1 after the release of ''ComicBook/Transformers2019''), the Decepticons had one very simple Rule Zero: Megatron's commands are absolute. You could be running your own mini-empire, or overseeing a hellish prison camp, or even pursuing your own agendas or vendettas, he doesn't mind. However, the moment he summons, you '''answer'''. And if he tells you to do something as extreme as destroying your own homeworld to stop a harbinger of the apocalypse (as he did Razorclaw), then you're fully expected to do so.

In many a TabletopRPG, game balance is sometimes hard to achieve, since there is an unlimited number of choices available to the players. In such a situation, it's inevitable that there's going to be a GameBreaker, strange applications of the mechanics by the RulesLawyer, and things which are done in such a way that it's clearly NotTheIntendedUse. For these reasons, to protect the sanity and well-being of the average GameMaster, most tabletop roleplaying games include some version of the following rule:

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has a callout in its core rulebook called "The Most Important Rule" that boils down to a mutual version of this: if you aren't sure how something interacts with something else, whatever you mutually agree at the tabletop is fine; if you can't agree, roll-off to pick a side and get on with it. The game has an incredible number of moving parts with a fairly basic game involving three separate rulebooks (the basic rules and each army's codex) with special abilities that can ignore various things, so this helps keep a game moving without diving into the manual every turn. Like other games mentioned above, competitive-level games tend to defer to the referee or tournament organizer who's more familiar with the rules and errata.

* Adult authority figures routinely dealing with children and teenagers will invoke this conjunction with ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem, namely for three reasons. First, no authority figure can foresee every possible situation and will have to adjudicate accordingly. Second, this is a way to deal with a real life RulesLawyer, especially those that argue every detail and word of a rule. Third, this is used to punish those who "creatively" interpret rules, instructions or bans with LoopholeAbuse or ExactWords.

In an open-ended tabletop RPG, game balance is sometimes hard to achieve, since there is an unlimited number of choices available to the players. In such a situation, it's inevitable that there's going to be a GameBreaker, strange applications of the mechanics by the RulesLawyer, and things which are done in such a way that it's clearly NotTheIntendedUse. For these reasons, to protect the sanity and well-being of the average GameMaster, most tabletop roleplaying games mention some version of the following rule:

While a GM has fiat to exercise Rule Zero at their table at will, they are reminded that excessive arbitrary use of this rule will eventually lead to an empty game table - also known as "Rule -1: The GM is not always right, but what the GM says goes. If they say enough stupid stuff, [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere the players go as well]]".

* The TropeNamer for Rule Zero is ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. While D&D may not have been the first tabletop roleplaying game, it certainly [[TropeCodifier codified many of the mechanics and tropes associated with them]]. Generally speaking, the DM has final say on anything that happens in the campaign; they determine what the players roll, how often they roll, and resolve any disputes between the players and the rules. While it's a meme in D&D circles that one player always [[RulesLawyer insists on following the rules as written]] [[{{Munchkin}} only when it benefits him]], the DM is the ultimate authority for their world. There's even notes on the Dungeon Master's Guide dor Fifth Edition about how to apply Rule Zero, as well as general advice on how to be a good DM.

* The TropeNamer for Rule Zero is ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', the first tabletop roleplaying game. Many other games take it from there, but it's OlderThanYouThink. There's even notes on the Dungeon Master's Guide about how to apply Rule Zero, as well as general advice on how to be a good DM.