# There's no such thing as the Matt Mercer Effect

> RPG rulebooks sometimes open with an "example of play" where players with whitebread names like Arthur and Samantha go through a scripted scene and probably some combat to give you an idea what roleplaying is like.

- **Source:** [Pcgamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/theres-no-such-thing-as-the-matt-mercer-effect/?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6a32a02cde814794a0d70719)
- **Published:** 2026-06-17
- **Category:** Gaming
- **Tags:** #effect #matt #mercer #roleplaying #rulebooks #adventures #arthur #artie
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6a32a02cde814794a0d70719

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Pcgamer (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._