#Communication is key

I'm definitely a player (and DM) who likes to try and go by the rules as much as possible. But not only are mistakes sometimes made, sometimes those mistakes aren't mistakes at all. Whatever the reason for the debate, here are the ways I've approached it:

##As a player, when I think a mechanic was done incorrectly My table generally does bring up potential mechanical issues as soon as they occur. Yes, this gives a quick pause and we may look up the rule to verify.

There are times when the DM has said "This is what's happening and we're moving forward." At that point, I've learned to just drop it. Yeah, I may sulk. But I'm going to move on during the session and I may (or may not) bring it up later after the session to get more clarification.

Other times, the DM has said "Whoops, you're right. It's X." This is fine, too. A mistake was made and it was corrected without having to retcon because we questioned it immediately.

But that doesn't mean that there may be an at-table mechanic that isn't RAW. Unless a session zero has already established zero deviation from RAW, then there is always going to be some give here. You'll have to trust your DM in that they're making their choices to tell a good story. If you really feel they aren't, then it's time to talk with them outside about what you feel.

##As a DM, when I've made a mistake I am by no means perfect. I make mistakes. I actually want to be told to hold up a second to do something right so that I can correct it. But there are also times where I've had to make a ruling.

For instance, in one game there was an insect swarm. The bard wanted to cast Vicious Mockery and I wasn't sure that insects could even hear. We talked about it as a table, and I let it happen. I was leaning the other way, but we did some quick research and I decided to roll with it. Had I gone the other way, the bard would have been unhappy, but I think they'd have moved on.

##As a DM, when I haven't made a mistake There have also been times where the player challlenged a mechanic and I was comfortable in my knowledge that I had done it right. In those cases, I've gently said "We can check the rules later, but this is what it is and let's move on."

The player may not like it, and they may sulk. But at least I acknowledged the concern but tried to keep the game going.

##We're here to have fun Ultimately, we're all doing this to have fun. We're not always right, but we are always certain at the time about how we feel. Letting people voice those feelings and giving them a response that you've heard them is the least that can be done and should be done. How to respond to each circumstance is going to depend on that circumstance. But just make sure to create an atmosphere where people are listened to and that everyone is enjoying the game.

Moving forward, talk with your players with a Session Zero reset if you haven't done one. Or do a quick recap with them about the rules, their application, and your freedom as DM and that there should be trust that everyone is trying to have fun.

I don't know whether you promote the players vs DM mentality, but if you do let them know that while that atmosphere is here, it's to be done in a playful way. Yes, there's a challenge, but that challenge is friendly.