Rules Make Things

Zak has a post up criticizing a couple things in Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering. I only read that book once, and like so many other things I own, it's in storage, so I can't comment too much on its contents. I only remember it being OK, but disappointing.

I think Zak has some good points, but his second one plays into something near and dear to me, which doesn't have to do with types of players, but with types of rules. It's my very strong opinion that rules in RPGs primarily exist to make stuff happen in the fictional world. And, I would even go so far to say, that is the only reason they should exist. Zak gives an example of a flying ninja kick power that appeals to Powergamers; such a rule shouldn't exist because it makes some people feel good about themselves, but because it creates the kind of fictional events that Powergamers like.