Well, Logically...

"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end."

So this isn't labeled as a rant, but it's close. Consider this your warning label for weird rambling and loud funny words. When you run(or play in) a game, you're telling a story. There's a lot of important bits to a story, especially one driven by random challenges, open-ended encounters and a story written by three to five people together. Every work of fiction has a certain feel to it, an internal set of rules called Tone. It's a complex and dense topic, but it boils down to the fact that the rules of the fictional world are different than the real world. The writer is distilling their emotions down to a set of rules and functions that'll make you feel the same way they did.

We're not talking just about tone today. We're talking about a particular habit that destroys it.

Tone is a set of rules a world functions by. Some of them are very common, like explosions in action movies being about as dangerous as fireworks, or the main characters shrugging off an immense amount of physical harm. Other times it's a little more esoteric than that, like the police in a horror movie being worthless, or Eddie Valiant not bothering to call the police after Roger and Jessica Rabbit were kidnapped by an obvious psycho. These actions frequently break logic, and that's sort of the point: You're meant to feel a certain way and logic would ruin it like a toddler knocking over a sandcastle. The cops are useless because you're supposed to feel helpless like the main character does. Eddie Valiant doesn't involve the cops because he's independent and self reliant, and Nuke'em High is located less than a quarter mile from a dangerously filthy nuclear power plant because that's hilarious, god dammit.

We tend to accept tone and mood of a movie, with exceptions being only when the movie steps too far out of line, or if the viewer is a nitpicking little shit. We've even accepted gaping plot holes in the name of tone, like an entire movie based around a man's final words that nobody was around to hear. However, in my experience this mentality starts to break down when you talk about Pen and Paper games.  Invariably, my least favorite phrase in the English language comes out and someone starts arguing about what would "logically" happen in a situation, often claiming the rules of the game broke down on some level.

I'd like to be clear, "Well, Logically..." is where fun goes to die.

Tone works on a set of rules, more or less. Pen and Paper games have rules. I hope you see where I'm going with this. Part of the reason I'm always saying to use the rules as presented is because the rules of the game you're playing, ANY game, contribute heavily to the game's tone. Most people don't seem to realize this and instead feel that a game's rules are the way they are out of approximation of real life or favoring streamlined play over realism. That couldn't be further from the truth in many situations, though. Deadlands has an entire set of special rules for the quick-draw, high noon staredown not because it's likely to come up a lot, but because it's meant to be a super important event in a western themed game. Shadowrun's deadly not because it's "logical" that people die when shot a few times but because it's a world where life is cheap and action is meant to heavily feature subterfuge and stealth.

So what I'm saying is that when a rule says someone can do something, try not to bitch just because you don't think it should "logically" go that way. If you want to alter the tone of your game, either pick a system closer to realism, or come up with alternate rules at the beginning of the game and give everyone plenty of time to discuss them. Arguments beginning with "Well, Logically..." create a double standard where the player has to worry about whatever's "logical" to the GM as well as the rules of the game.

And sorry, Spock, but what's logical and what's not can be very subjective. Remember when I said there's no way for you to adequately explain your "line" of game balance? It's the same thing. Often, wrecking a game's tone comes hand in hand with an attempt to singularly control how things are going...and I told you before that's wrong. The game's rules are not only the arbiter between the GM and the players, they also help you set the tone of the game. Dungeons and Dragons is the way it is, with no wound penalties, simplified fall damage, and ridiculous movement rules because the PCs are meant to feel like heroes, not because they didn't try hard enough when making the game. "Lawyering" to get your way is a lot like cutting off your nose to spite your face. Also, while I'm at it? Changing your approach from argument to argument just to more easily get what you want is really, really obvious and it makes people not like you.

So before you argue, consider what tone you want your game to have, and what you want the players to have to worry about, because that's what butting in with our old pal "logic" does: it sets a precedence for what the player is going to be concerned about over the course of the game. If you complain about food spoilage once, it'll be forever in their heads, for example. However, I'm not saying you'll never have to do it: Sometimes the rules do break down a little bit, and you'll have to step in and just say "no" or more often "Dude, come on.". Just think before you do, since areas where a system breaks down really are pretty noticeable, especially with older, oversimplified systems. Rules being abused to strange effect are also very glaring and loopholes are easier to spot than most people think.

A special note for the GM here. There's a lot of things that go into making a great game. There's a lot of things you need to think about and keep in mind. Fun is obviously your number one. Tone, mechanics, the world, the plot, the upcoming challenges...and I swear to you, how realistic your game is isn't even in the top twenty. It's not nearly as important as you might think. You're building a story, not a simulation.