Danger! Danger! (CSC)

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We've been promoting the concept of slipping free from the rules for a better game. Yet game freedom has a darker side, there is risk involved in breaking the rules.
Realize that there are times during a game when dice rolling and rules adherence must be followed. While the DM may have wandered away from the rules with the best of intentions dwing his adventure, the players will feel more comfortable in certain situations when they know that the DM is playing it by the rules. Then they know that they and the DM are operating at the same level. They have a feeling of control over the situation.
Combat is probably foremost among these situations. During combat, follow the rules and make dice rolls for hits and damage. Reserve any stretching of the rules for those activities that do not directly affect the health and well being of the characters (or their foes!). It's one thing to let a character make heroic jumps and perform acrobatics during a melee. It's quite another to let him make attacks without requiring a combat or damage die roll.
Magic use is another sensitive area. Stick to the rules for both sides of an encounter. As shown below, the players may not appreciate the DM's creativity:
: DM: "Waldemar glares at you from his perch atop the statue. He waves his hands in a dizzying pattern over his head and casts his spell. You are all encircled in sparkling lights and suddenly realize that Waldemar is your friend"
: Player: "Hey, just what kind of spell was that? If it's charm person then my elf gets a saving throw. And what's with the sparkles. None of our spells do that."
: DM' "Uh, its a special form of charm person. Nobody gets a saving throw."
: Player: "Well the elf wants either a saving throw or a chance to break free."
: DM: " Well, he tries to break free, but he can't."
: Player: "C'mon! You didn't even roll the dice."
Proficiency and attribute check rolls are another area of ambiguity. If the DM has gotten in the habit of overlooking them during play in favor of his storytelling, he may have a hard time asking the players to make them in life-or-death situations.
: DM' "Thuenor, if you're going to cross the rope bridge, make a Dexterity check for me."
: Player: "Huh? He didn't have to make one going the other way. Why should he now?"
: DM' "Because he has to, OK?"
: Player: "Let's just say he made it"
: DM' "MAKE THE DIE ROLL!"
Be sure that whenever a player action could lead to harm, the player makes dice roll. They need to realize that their misfortune is the result of either their own bad judgements or the chance failure to perform a task, and not the arbitrary whims of the DM. If the DM doesn't follow a procedure like this the players will become suspicious every time something goes against them. They may even accuse the DM of cheating.
And cheating is something that the DM should worry about when he's running loosely. Fudging the rules a bit to either preserve a good game or enhance the players' enjoyment is not only approved behavior, but comes highly recommended However, there comes with it the opportunity to ignore rules or results that conflict with the DM's desires for his adventure.
The final point in this area of danger is minor, but needs consideration. The unmodified AD&D game rules are used extensively at game conventions for official tournaments and individual games. Players who have become used to a DM's free-form DMing style may find themselves unpleasantly surprised when playing under the constraints of the unmodified rules system.