MPNP WorldShaper
In Mage Wars PnP (Year of Fire), the game master is referred to as the WorldShaper. He creates the environment in which the players play, and guides them through the game.
As the WorldShaper, you are expected to operate around two principles:
The Rule of Cool, and Rule of Funny.
This game is about having fun. Rigid interpretation of rules is not fun. Cool things are fun. Funny things are fun. The rules are here to provide a framework, to offer challenges for the players to overcome. Handing each player god-like super powers would get boring, fast.
At the same time, limiting them too strictly according to a set of rules in a book gets kind of annoying. There's always going to be that one guy who gets super into the rules and uses them to make himself stronger and make everyone else weaker ("Oh, you don't get that bonus you thought you got because of this, and I also get this HUGE bonus here.").
This makes the game less fun for everyone; hence the two WorldShaper Rules.
Rule of Cool
This becomes particularly important during flourishes, but basically: if the player wants to do something that sounds/looks/is cool, then you should let them, because it's cool. The obvious caveat, here, is if other players disagree. It's your job as the WorldShaper to mediate these disputes.
But when it comes to doing ridiculous but awesome things, Rule of Cool reigns supreme. Say your characters want to knock a building off its foundation and ride it down a hillside like a sled. If it's reasonable, let them. You're all here to have fun.
Let's look at some Examples: the party has stumbled into a narrow hall in a dungeon, and are being charged by a terrifying rhinoceros-like creature! Thinking fast, the warrior draws his sharpest sword and attempts to cut the monster clean in half! He rolls attack, critical hit! Under the Rule of Cool, you cut that damn rhino in twain. Call it an effect-kill.
Rule of Funny
It's important not to use this rule to screw over a specific player, but the general spirit here is: if it's funny, let it happen. Players can critically fail rolls, and something funny should happen to them when they do.
Outside of combat, players may also want to role-play something. Again: if its funny, let it happen, even if it breaks the rules or violates basic logic.
Of course, sometimes the Rule of Funny means rigidly applying the rules and basic logic to the situation. Here's a fun Example: let's say a player is trying to make a "drunken master" martial-arts using character who constantly carries around a jug of beer. He enters a darkened room carrying a torch, and tries to light up the darkness by taking a swig and spitting on a torch, thus creating a huge fireball. We've all seen that carnival trick before; the problem is, your drunk RP character is carrying low-proof beer, which is not generally flammable. Under the rule of funny, not only does he not succeed in creating a fireball, but he probably blows his torch out at the same time.
Other Notes
Always remember that the role of the WorldShaper is to work with the players to have an adventure together. Relax, go with the flow, and try to say "yes" to everything.
