Joesky's Rule, II

In honor of my last post, which some may think makes a "blah blah blah sound", I present this little tidbit that I used last game. I call it, "The Players are Awesome" rule.

Don't take the name the wrong way, since players have to earn it. Sort of. They're not awesome by the simple virtue of being players, or of being "heroes" (a notion I find abhorrent to the very nature of low-level play in general.)

It means, simply, that when your players roll well, or even when their foes roll poorly, let the players feel a little awesome. When your players roll a natural 20, even if you don't use critical hit rules, let them do something awesome. Let their dagger pierce their foe's eyeball, blinding them for a little while. Let their greataxe cleave chop through their foes. Let the zombie's clumsy paw get turned around and let the player pin them to the ground and get a bonus to their next attack.

Let them do something totally awesome when they roll well. They deserve it, and it makes the game 200% more fun, more exciting, and more organic. Fighting isn't a series of cleaver blows back and forth. It's a dodge and weave and counterstrike and parry.

Don't be afraid to use it against them, either. After all, their enemies deserve it too.

Natural 20, bitches!