The Rules Lawyer
Those of you who have played dice-and-paper RPGs may be familiar with the concept of the "rules lawyer." This is someone who uses the printed rules of the RPG to disrupt the game and contradict the game master ("Dungeon Master" or "DM" in Dungeons and Dragons parlance) for their own benefit. It's one thing to know the rules really well, but it's something else to be a "rules lawyer." They are basically a special brand of whiner.

I was in college during the final days of the "First Edition" Dungeons & Dragons era. I'd been playing the game since I was twelve years old, and knew most of the common rules pretty well. And I liked to run games and create fun experiences for my friends. Some things don't change. As I've chronicled before, I was recruited to be the "Dungeon Master" for the college group.

During my second semester as a freshman, we had someone join the group who was a rules lawyer. This guy would argue with me on many rulings, as he thought he knew the rules inside and out. I happened to know them better than him, but I still usually appealed to "DM authority". This means I'd refuse to take the time out of the game to argue rules (man, I should follow that guideline more today), and simply ask that people assume I'm correct because I was the one running the game.

One particular evening this rules lawyer got pretty vehement about the rules, and started arguing with me on some fine point that would give his character some temporary benefit that really wouldn't make a difference in the long run. And I knew he was wrong. But it got even better than that.

I had a favorite illustration in the Dungeon Master's Guide (the rule book full of supplemental material for Dungeon Masters). It was a drawing by Darlene Pekul, which I happened to know was on page 59 of the book. I also remembered that the particular rule that contradicted him was about three pages past this illustration. I could kinda-sorta visualize where on the page this rule was.

So I took a guess. I did my best stern-gaze and told him he was wrong, and that page X, column 1, third paragraph clearly contradicted his assertion. Then I proceeded on with the game as if the exchange had never happened.

Fuming, he opened his copy of the Dungeon Master's Guide, sure that I was bluffing.

I kinda was... I was guessing, at least. Fortunately, I guessed right. He looked it up, read the rule, got a very astonished look on his face, closed the book, and shut up. I don't remember him ever questioning me on a rule again after that experience. In fact, I don't remember ANYONE in that game questioning me on a rule again after that. I guess people assumed I'd committed the whole book to memory or something.


(Vaguely) related faux alpha-geekness
* Birthday Cake for Geeks
* Original Dungeons & Dragons Trivia
* Disappointment in the Demonweb Pits
* Teenagers and D&D
* Adult Dungeons & Dragons
* Can CRPGs Age Gracefully?
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Labels: Geek Life, Roleplaying Games

- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 6:00 AM (Permalink)