HI all!

I'm interested in your opinion about the whole GM's freedom question, and in a specific question of my adventure.

In this adventure the psyker and the assasin gone to a big bad boy's room. They started to speak about the things they are interested in, when the assasin saw, that the guard of the bigbadboy is trying to use his secret pistol, so the PC (assasin) shot him dead, and the psyker aimed at the boss. But the boss was really evil (muhhaha:P) and tried to do something below his desk, so the psyker decided to spasm him (is this verb real? ). It was successful, but he rolled a 9, and this led to the "vice versa" peril. I rolled to decide who will change body with the psyker, and it was the bad guy. I don't want to be so long, so they managed not to kill themselves, and killed the boss after gaining back his own body. I told the psyker guy very long how was it feel, to change his body, and afterwards the memory shards of the bad guy gave some flashback to him. It stopped, it was cool, and after it they looked around and found the safety door they wanted, but there was a code-locker on it, and they haven't got any ideas about it. After some time, the psyker mentioned, that he would like to try to gain back some of the bad guy's memories, maybe he can do that with the door. For moving on the adventure, and the feeling, I let him try, let him turn his mind on it, and he managed to get a flashback to some hours before and he managed to get the code. Of cousre he managed to get some corruption points:)

Do you think this is absurd, or you think what I am, that the story sanctionates every tool, to get a good play, and we can alter or add to the rules and the written book?

Thanks, and looking forward to your answers!

A GM can spin, twist, mutilate, add, subtract, and rewrite as far as his imagination takes him and as the players will tolerate. And here you already have one of the classic 40k outs: "the Warp did it"

The rules in the book are guidelines, not holy writ. As long as you are consistent, maintain the internal logic of the game and (most importantly) enhance the game, the GM not only can go beyond the rules but sometimes must.

Hell, in some situations the RAW (rules as written) has to be ignored for common sense to shine through. As mentioned, they're just there to help guide the game and add well tested (sometimes) methods of maintaining internal constancy. What you did there was a brilliant move and, hell, if you want to fallow up on the pattern, because the psyker pushed to regain memories from the other mind, perhaps the heretics personality could start to try to surface. When the psyker develops their first insanity after hitting 40 IP's, perhaps it could be related to this 9hears the mans head telling him to do this or that, begins developing a split personality, etc). In the end, what you did was take a vanilla situation from the book and develop it into something that could have far reaching and quite interesting story potential down the road.

In the end, if it makes for a good story and a fun game, do it! You won't get halled away for breaking the rules ;-)

Good idea there Graver.

In the end the GM's most important job is to ask himself "What will be best for the game/be most fun for everyone involved?"

I have found that the enjoyment of my games has improved a great deal since I, as a GM, started reminding myself that part of my job is not putting barriers between my characters and fun. A few sessions ago one of my players asks, "can I have created item X before we left the camp?" My first instinct was to say "No, you didn't state it and it would have taken time you may not have had." ... but I had to stop myself and say ... "you know ... item X has no game impact but to make his character feel and look cooler - what reason do I have to refuse him this?" And the answer was, none. So the real question should have been - "what will be the most fun for pc/game?"

Additionally, if an action, event, obstacle is going to simply make the game progression tedious, there is a point were GM fiat comes into play and it is your duty to present an alternative. In large battles I do not roll out every single combat because - while it is true a stray shot could kill a pc - nobody wants to sit through two hours of battle - so instead I have the party play out the first and last few encounters - enough to offer a challenge much not enough so we get bored.

At no point should the GM ever ask "is this one of those rare occurances when I get to bend the rules" ... instead he might occasionally say "is this one of those rare occurances when I don't get to bend the rules?"

You are asking all the wrong questions. You are the GM as a GM you are effectively God. As such you should keep things a good GM does in mind:

1)A good GM is fair.

2)A good GM challenges players.

3)A good GM tells a good story.

The real question should be:

0)Do you really want them to open the door? (If yes then maybe it's a good way to move the story on.)

1)Did the PCs already take some insanity/corruption points.? If so then maybe it's fair he gets something for that loss.

2)Is the player doing something interesting? Does this sort of thinking need to be rewarded? There shouldn't be just one way to get a door open.

3)Is there an interesting sub plot that this can create? Can it be done without completely taking the character out of the PCs hands?

Personally I'd let the PC make a roll then let him. Then maybe give him evil hand syndrome, or harvey (aka head Scorpius). With the bits of their old foe trying to take over the PC. Of they can't afford to purge the psyker as they need the information it has...

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilHand

http://www.damninteresting.com/alien-hand-syndrome

http://farscape.wikia.com/wiki/Harvey

As a complete side now, Have you seen the money "Harvey" staring Jimmy Stewart, for which Jon keeps calling Scorpios by the nickname? I strongly recommend anyone who appreciates the classic films of that era - and even those who are on the fence, unsure, to have a look at it - it is a very moving, heart touching comedy, with some expectedly fine acting by Jimmy Stewart.

Thank you for your answers, I'm happy now (but I have to go to the univ), and I'm going to write back as soon as i have time:)

Just remember, every role-playing game has the same Rule Zero: Is it cool? Is it fun? Then make it work.