How do I deal with a rule lawyer?

[irdeggman]

The idea that the DM could cheat involves assumptions foreign to D&D as it has always been presented.

Yes and no.

DMG pg 18 talks about "DM Cheating and Player Perceptions."

"Do you stand by and watch them get slaughtered, or do you 'cheat' and have the foes run off, or fudge the die rolls so that the PCs still miraculously win in the end?"

"Do you cheat? the answer: The DM really can't cheat. You're the umpire and what you say goes."

Essentially it talks about the DM "cheating" but then covers it with since the DM is the arbiter he can't really cheat.

So it comes down to semantics.

Fudging die rolls is "cheating" and if a player did it everyone would consider it so.

If the DM does it, it is still "cheating" but he has the responsibility to "wing it" to ensure the game is enjoyable and so since he makes the rules (or interprets them) it is not "cheating".