--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The rules - I think that's one big thing…" description: "\"The rules - I think that's one big thing that people seem to get caught up in is that I have to know all the rules... But, one thing you have to consid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/matthew-mercer-26201_big_the-rules-i-think-that-s-one-big-thing-t_1714415.jpg" --- # The rules - I think that's one big thing that people seem… ![“The rules - I think that's one big thing that people seem to get caught up in is that I have to know all the rules... But, one thing you have to consider as a new Dungeon Master is you do not have to know the rules like the back of your hand.” quote by Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/matthew-mercer-26201_big_the-rules-i-think-that-s-one-big-thing-t_1714415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/matthew-mercer-26201_big_the-rules-i-think-that-s-one-big-thing-t_1714415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ea/matthew-mercer-26201_big_the-rules-i-think-that-s-one-big-thing-t_1714415.jpg) > “The rules - I think that's one big thing that people seem to get caught up in is that I have to know all the rules... But, one thing you have to consider as a new Dungeon Master is you do not have to know the rules like the back of your hand.” [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A new Dungeon Master need’t memorize every rule; focus on storytelling and improvisation instead of strict memorization. **In simple terms:** DMs can improvise without knowing all rules. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility and prioritize fun. Themes creativity improvisation roleplaying learning Mood enthusiastic encouraging Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - First game session - rule disputes - player onboarding Key Concepts Game design player agency narrative flow Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance rule knowledge with improvisation? - What aspects of the game benefit most from flexibility? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on rules can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Dungeon Master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dungeon-master-1277164/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Know Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-rules/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New Dungeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-dungeon-1277165/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Rules Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-thing-437054/) [Rules Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-think-696958/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) ## Related quotes > [I consider myself a better storyteller than a Dungeon Master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mercer/i-consider-myself-a-better-storyteller-than-a-dungeon-master/) [Matthew Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mercer/) > [Most rules that you think are written in stone are just societal. 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But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. 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