Rules Lawyers Unite: How often do you correct a DM?

[barsoomcore]

The note that rules lawyers should offer to be "book monkeys" is spot on.

As a DM, my usual tactic with lawyers is to make them the group's book monkeys. If somebody asks a question and I don't know the answer I'll turn to my RL and say, "Can you show Fred your PHB?"

RL invariably not only hands over the book but leafs through to the page, offers explanatory notes and bibliographic references. He gets the attention and credit for intelligence and knowledge he wants, other players learn the rules, and I look benevolent.

I've been practicing. I'm getting pretty good, actually.

*poses benevolently*

 

[reapersaurus]

I try to couch rules corrections as innocuously as possible, saying something to the effect of, "I'm not sure, but I think according to the rules, this is the way it should happen, but your call, of course." I defer to the DM, because he may have a different plan, but if he's genuinely interested, we will look up the rule, or we'll play it the way it is at the moment, and we'll make a note to clarify it for later.

Almost verbatim for me.

The note that rules lawyers should offer to be "book monkeys" is spot on.

As a DM, my usual tactic with lawyers is to make them the group's book monkeys. If somebody asks a question and I don't know the answer I'll turn to my RL and say, "Can you show Fred your PHB?"

RL invariably not only hands over the book but leafs through to the page, offers explanatory notes and bibliographic references. He gets the attention and credit for intelligence and knowledge he wants, other players learn the rules, and I look benevolent.

I wish this was like my experience.
I offer and do, but my DM's (and players) just haven't gotten the hang of it like you describe.

 

[barsoomcore]

On another note, one of my great pleasures in life has become the look on my RL's face when an NPC does something that he doesn't know the rule for.

"He can only take a 5-foot step if his move action doesn't involve any movement."

"I know. He takes a five-foot step."

Hee hee hee...

 

[mmu1]

I don't mind being questioned as a DM, as long as the people bringing things up actually know what they're talking about. It's incompetent rule lawyers I can't stand...

As a player, I don't expect perfection, but I do want consistency - the fewer arbitrary decisions are made affecting my character, the better I like it... So I end up speaking up on issues affecting my character fairly often.