One of the best things about roleplaying is stepping outside of ourselves to experience a new life.
You can try to do anything. It is a phrase I repeat to every player at every game. It doesn't matter how absolutely ridiculous, impossible, or blatantly dangerous the actions, you can try. Whether you are setting yourself on fire and giving out free hugs or suddenly want to give spellcasting a whirl, the possibilities should be endless. It might result in your death or it may never work; but there is a chance, even a small one, that it might work, and just the chance is important.
We spend so much of our lives being restricted in these heavy physics-bound meat suits that nothing is more delightful than the ability to play without confines. We are really still just children playing pretend. We create new worlds with every kick and punch, new characters with action figures and dice. We fall in love, raise armies, and burn worlds all while sitting together around a table or on a chat.
One of the best things about roleplaying is stepping outside of ourselves to experience a new life. As a storyteller we don't need to be the one telling people what they like, how they should feel, or what roles they must follow. We should strive to foster unabashed creativity in our players and friends when we sit down at the table.
We plot and conspire, plan and calculate, excited for our players to face the next challenge; but as they say, “the best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men often mean nothing because someone is going to spend 25 minutes assessing and stealing an inconsequential spider statue you offhandedly mentioned then just, like, go back to their ship without even stepping foot in the dungeon.” We have to flow with the pitfalls, triumphs, and deviations because we are creating a story with our friends, not making them act out ones we have already written.
We help bring chaos to order. We should be encouraging everyone to do that stupid thing, take that wild chance, and maybe even let their characters die. They are just characters—you can make a new one, or just bring that same character back next session. Always be willing to disregard a rule for the sake of gameplay. The rules are not merely there to be bent or broken. They are meant to be suggestions. The creators of the game rarely show up and tell you that you are playing the game wrong. If they do, I suggest challenging them to fisticuffs; writers are notoriously bad fighters and don't get out much. You might not win, but you can try.
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