MATT: Hello everyone! My name is Matthew Mercer, I am a voice actor and a dungeon master for Geek &
Sundry's Critical Role, and welcome to my video series on tips and tricks for game masters and
dungeon masters alike. Today, we're talking about the divisive rule of cool.
[trumpet fanfare]
For those of you who aren't aware what the rule of cool is, it's a trope that essentially means a
willing suspension of disbelief for the sake of a cool moment. It happens all the time in film and
television and a lot of storytelling of a visual nature. It's just being able to suspend your
disbelief enough to let something cool happen and not dwell too much on the specifics of it. In RPGs
this generally refers to occasionally allowing the chance for some ridiculous stunts or unique
interpretations of some of the rules or features of a system for possibly a cool moment.
I think it's a really really fun element to use in moderation. You need to establish early on in your
game with your players how much of a level of crazy you're willing to allow, just so everyone
understands the general feel or flow of the story, what to try for, and what not to try for. A lot of
non-fantasy RPGS, a lot of modern systems, and low power horror systems tend to adhere to strict
realism in player actions because that's how they build their tension and that's how a lot of the
game's danger elements are built around. For those the rule of cool is a little more sparing
comparatively. And it's not always good for a game's story to incorporate a lot of-- tension,
difficulty and fear are a powerful storytelling tool. And if the player feel like they can do any
wacky thing, any
that. So you want to be sparing with its use, but you also don't want to squash the player's creativity.
At least not physically.
So for the GM and the player, if you agree to that, that's something that you can occasionally
pull into a game. Be sparing with it. Pick the right moments to have those heroic stand up
experiences to do something crazy. There is a need for the GM to maintain an internal consistency with
the rules in the world so it stays cohesive and that people understand the boundaries. You don't
want the stakes and the reality and the tension to have less weight, which can happen if you allow
too many of these to happen in succession.
Gauge which player actions are viable, as a GM, and which you might consider abuse. A cool rule of
cool moment might be like if somebody decided-- for instance, a sorcerer has a fog spell. Cool,
that's a fog spell. It usually just clouds a little area. What if they decided they wanted to
use that fog spell to create enough moisture that if they funneled it into an area that was
extremely flammable it would actually dampen the flames. That's a creative use of it. It's not
really a rule of cool moment. It's a creative use. So you can find that separation there.
If somebody decided they had an ability that let them slow fall, like a monk in 3.5, they decided
they wanted to use that to coast down the entire side of a castle as it was crumbling. That's kind
of intense, but it's not completely out of the realm of possibility. So from a cinematic
standpoint, it could be a really cool character moment if they're like carrying a special item they just
stole and it's their only way of escape. I would say go ahead and allow it, possibly incorporating
some skill checks and some challenge, some difficulty to that experience. But even if the
rules don't implicitly say that a person could in theory continue to coast that down a series of
long surfaces in a row, don't be afraid to bend the rules or loosen up a little bit to let those
cool character moments shine through.
This also involves in battles and terrain, having to escape on a collapsing ice bridge.
It sounds very cinematic and very Michael Bay film aspect, and that can be a really cool moment in a
story, occasionally. But if every single moment in the game is that, once again it loses its weight,
loses its cohesiveness, and the quieter moments seem boring by comparison and players seem less
invested in the story and tension in-between. But also for people that do not abuse the rule of cool
and try and constantly break your game, or go far beyond what their character's
limitations are, reward those moments of creativity. You can give them either bonus
experience at the end of the session, possibly that moment might lead to a better relationship
with a non-player character, or the discovery of a secret piece of equipment. But also dissuade
people from reaching too far too often. If someone continues to reach too far in your game and is
constantly trying to break what is considered a viable character feature list or skill set, then
perhaps their failures grow more punishing. There are ways of doing it that aren't too direct. And
if you're having a problem enough in the game with this or you feel that it's really pulling away
from the overall narrative, or the rest of the players' experiences, just talk with them outside
of the game.
Now, most RPGs are designed forge a heroic story, showing feats of legend. So let the players
Let them fail, and occasionally succeed. Occasionally. One of my favorite phrases, and you
see me use it constantly in Critical Role, is "you can certainly try." And I'll stick and adhere
to that because I think part of what's fun about RPGs is it's a place where you can attempt things
you would not otherwise be able to do in your own life. And as long as you do it in a creative and
respectful way that doesn't damage or disrespect the time and energy that the dungeon master or
game master has put into the narrative, I think it can lead to some really, really awesome, memorable
in-character moments. Just through experience, you find that fine line. You find what works, what
doesn't, and make sure you discuss that and are clear with it with your players going forward, and
you guys are bound to create some really, really epic, memorable adventures.
Thank you so much for watching. I hope this has been at least somewhat helpful in your game
mastering experiences. You'll be able to see more of these videos on geekandsundry.com and I'll see
you next time.