by Shawn Vilmaire

Created on: October 07, 2007

The first and best way to deal with rules lawyers is to know the rules. Bending or breaking the rules is a DM prerogative however if done indiscriminately it is as bad as being a rules lawyer. Be fully prepared for all eventualities when DMing a game. If a player can cite the rules and be right then he is not a rules lawyer he is merely attempting to play the game as it is written. I as a DM do not allow the rule books at the table during play. While it may be necessary to bring out a book every now and then I discourage the use of books at the table during play. I am also fully aware of the rules that relate to any given game so that if a player has a concern about the rules I can quote the rule in question or at least para phrase it and explain that there may very well be extenuating circumstances that the player is unaware of for the seeming discrepancy. Whether the player has correctly quoted the rules or not under no circumstances will I back down once I have ruled and will make the player aware that continuing to argue the point will lead to divine consequences for his character to deal with that will be harsh and unforgiving. Most of the people I play with I have played with for a very long time and know quite well so arguments in my campaigns are rare. If you are not playing with people you know very well then you may be more prone to arguments than my campaigns have been. However, establishing your authority and demonstrating that you know the rules and will not be budged by arguments about the seeming contradictions to them is essential.

At times there may be rules that are ambiguously written so that more than one interpretation is possible. If possible the DM should point this out in advance and make sure the players are aware of the way the DM is going to interpret these rules. This will have a double benefit, it will prevent an argument in the middle of the game and it will give the players a chance to object with out interrupting the game. In the end it is your game and how you deal with unruly players is entirely up to you but try to remember that you are there to have fun and remind your players of this as well.

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