History Main / SparseListOfRules

* In ''Disney/TheGreatMouseDetective'', Ratigan pulls out a LongList of decrees after declaring himself king. Only item 96 is read onscreen.
* Phil from ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' has a large set of rules on being a hero. He only mentions a handful, but the numbers do go into the hundreds.

--> -- '''contingency orders for the Grand Army of the Republic''', ''Franchise/StarWars: [[Literature/RepublicCommandoSeries Republic Commando -- True Colors]]''

* In the ''StarWars''[=/=]''MassEffect''[=/=][[spoiler:VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}]] MassiveMultiplayerCrossover ''[[FanFic/SovereignGFCOrigins Origins]]'', the Trans-Galactic Republic's "Standardized Regulations of Military Law" serve as important plot-points, having been derived from the RealLife [[UsefulNotes/YanksWithTanks UCMJ]] but otherwise is not fleshed out or given any body [[LawOfConservationOfDetail beyond what is necessary for the plot]].

* [[Porridge]]: According to the prison warden, there are only two rules in Slade Prison. The first is that you do not write on the walls. The second is that you obey all the rules.

* ''Series/Porridge'': According to the prison warden, there are only two rules in Slade Prison. The first is that you do not write on the walls. The second is that you obey all the rules.

** A full text of the Seventy Maxims was published as an incentive bonus for the Website/{{Kickstarter}} campaign that Howard Tayler launched for the ''TabletopGame/PlanetMercenary'' RPG'. There are currently both a clean version simulating an unread copy, and a 'defaced' version featuring annotations by characters from the strip. Unknown if both versions are going to make it to print, as the annotations present graphic re-production problems at the moment.

** A full text of the Seventy Maxims is now being published as an incentive bonus for the Kickstarter campaign that Howard Tayler launched for his Planet Mercenary RPG based on ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary''. There are currently both a clean version simulating an unread copy, and a 'defaced' version featuring annotations by characters from the strip. Unknown if both versions are going to make it to print, as the annotations present graphic re-production problems at the moment.

* ''DoctorWho'': The Caretakers' rule-books in "Paradise Towers," which are improbably compact for the amount of rules [[InformedAttribute they're said to have.]] Only a few rules are ever actually mentioned on screen, and the Caretakers themselves probably don't look at their own handbooks anyway. [[TheChessmaster The Doctor]] guesses as much, and bluffs his way out of capture by making up a few dozen rules. [[TheGuardsMustBeCrazy It takes them a few minutes to realize that he's just tricked them!]]

* There are 700 ways to commit a foul in Quidditch in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' universe, but the readers only learn a small selection of them and then mostly through the side book ''Literature/QuidditchThroughTheAges''. This is mainly because these are far and away the most common fouls: most of the rest are {{Obvious Rule Patch}}es such as, [[CaptainObvious "It is illegal to attack your opponent with an axe."]] And about 90% of the list is apparently rendered redundant by the general ban on using one's wand against other players. The full list, however, is not known in the universe except by the referees, on the grounds of not wanting to give people ideas.

* ''DoctorWho'': The Caretakers' rule-book in "Paradise Towers."

* Some ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' storylines and fluff use the ''[[BigBookOfWar Codex Astartes]]'' like this, for example in an early mission of ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar's'' single-player campaign where Captain Gabriel Angelos notes what the ''Codex's'' recommended course of action in response to the Orks' tactics is.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'': Fairy Godparents are restricted to a large list of rules listed in a gigantic book titles 'Da Rules'. Cosmo and Wanda would pull out the rule book any time Timmy plans on making a wish that would break the rules. It's never said how many rules there are, but [[NewRulesAsThePlotDemands new ones are mentioned frequently]].
** Timmy once managed to screw up so badly by [[spoiler: wishing every day was Christmas]] that a new rule was made up just to prevent it from happening again.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'' has the Space Core Directives that Kryten would often quote. Rimmer ended up quoting directives back but always being wrong. In one episode they show the book of directives and it's rather small despite the high numbers mentioned complete with multiple subcategories for each one, and rules for every situation including performing oral sex in a zero-g environment.

* TheBroCode is quoted often by Barney on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', yet only a few rules are ever given onscreen. A few more appear as {{vanity plate}}s on syndication. It was eventually {{Defictionalized}} and made available in full on bookstores.

* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' brings us [[BigBookOfWar "The Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries,"]] of which only 35 are known so far. Maxim #1 is, "Pillage, ''then'' burn."
** The may eventually become an averison. New Maxims are constantly being introduced and more importantly starting in 2012 the author started releasing calendars featuring 1 Maxim per month in numeric order (up to #36 as of the 2014 calendar). This could present a problem for an eventual 2017 calendar which will presumably finish the list with the entry for October.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Most people only ever learn the sections of legal codes that directly affect them. This includes lawyers, who typically specialize in a particular area of the law.
** Everyone knows about the (US Constitution's) First, Second and Fifth Amendments (freedom of speech/press/religion, right to bear arms, and [among other things] prohibiting self-incrimination respectively), and maybe the Thirteen (abolishing slavery) or the [[TwentyFifthAmendment Twenty-fifth]] (who replaces the president after they leave power), but not any of the rest. Even those who know about the protection against cruel and unusual punishment might not know that it's the Eighth Amendment.
[[/folder]]

* TheBroCode is quoted often by Barney on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', yet only a few rules are ever given onscreen. A few more appear as {{vanity plate}}s on syndication.

* Phil from ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'' has a large set of rules on being a hero. He only mentions a handfull, but the numbers do go into the hundreds.

* TheBroCode is quoted often by Barney on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'', yet only a few rules are ever given onscreen. A few more appear as {{vanity plate}}s on syndication.
** Same thing goes for Barney's playbook. Only a few plays are ever divulged, but the book itself is shown to be a {{Doorstopper}}.