By Jason Campbell

It’s been said before but as a GM for a ttrpg you don’t have to know all of the rules. You don’t have to know most of them. Sure, you should probably be familiar with the basics. In a fantasy or sci-fi game you should have a basic idea of how combat works. It would be good to know how character ability scores work, and the basics of character skills or abilities. Do you need to know every spell or ability? Not at all.

Get the Details From Your Players

If you need details of a spell, ability, feat or the like, you could look it up online at many different places. It’s often better to ask the player who’s using the rule to read and explain the details for a few reasons. 

The Player’s Responsibilities

It’s each player’s responsibility to know their character’s abilities. When they declare they’re using a spell you can emphasize that this is the players’ domain by having them explain the rules they’re trying to use.

Focusing the Spotlight

By asking a player to explain how the rule works you’re giving them a chance to be in the spotlight. Ask them to continue on and describe what the effect of the ability looks like. 

Teaching Other Players

Having one player explain their ability helps the other players learn game rules they aren’t currently using. Sure, player A knows all about rage because they’re playing a barbarian, but listening to player B explain a sorcerer’s ability gives them information they might use if they ever play that type of character.

Conclusion

You’ll get the benefits listed above even if you already understand the rule thoroughly. Letting players explain their own abilities can benefit your game for all players and the GM. 

Let us know what you think in the comments!