Jasper, the wandering adventurer at the center of The Wanderers, believes rules are essential if you want to survive in a dangerous profession involving dragons and Good Fairies and marriage proposals.  So he has rules.  Lots of them, all carefully numbered…

34) Never call in a favor until you really need it.

33) Be prepared for all possibilities.

32) Know your objective before plunging into anything.

31) Don’t throw away a victory by overreaching.

30) Always keep your eyes open.

29) Only quest for things that can be found.

28) Never build up expectations unless you’re certain you can meet them.

27) Life is a gamble, and sometimes there’s nothing to do but raise the stakes.

26) Never waste valuable time on worrying when you could do something more useful.

25) Whenever possible, be diplomatic when dealing with enormous magical creatures.

24) Don’t save for tomorrow what will keep you alive today.

23) Never underestimate the damage that can be done by an idiot.

22) Learn as much as you can before entering a situation.

21) Be cautious, because it costs less than the alternative.

20) Never make a Good Fairy angry.

19) If you’ll be better served by talking, don’t fight.

18) Travel alone. It’s faster, easier and safer.

17) Never leave weapons lying around.

16) In magical situations, the simplest explanation is rarely true.

15) Inns are excellent sources of food, shelter and business opportunities.

14) You can do anything you want until someone tells you that you can’t.

13) Other people’s pasts indicate nothing about your future.

12) Never refuse a reward the second time.

11) Always refuse a reward the first time.

10) Never approach an enchanted dwelling and/or monster for the first time at night.

9) Don’t provoke people while they’re doing what you want. Wait until you don’t need anything else from them.

8) You can do anything you want to if you think long enough and work hard enough.

7) While on quests, help anyone who asks.

6) When all else fails, intimidate.

5) Never openly refuse a girl’s hand.

4) Never show fear.

3) Never trust a magician.

2) Never make plans, because if they don’t exist they can’t go awry.

And Rule #1…is private.