Should I become a Rule's Lawyer?

[Angcuru]

have your character gift the death touch guy with a pair of +something bracers of armor as a peace offering. however, 2 hours after being donned, the bracers suddenly and EXTREMELY quickly contract until they are no longer hollow cylinders but solid rods, effectively severing the Death Touch Guy's hands. PROBLEM SOLV-ED!

 

[Witness]

Unfortunatley, my PC has no money and limited resources, while his has near-unlimited resources, and mountains of gold. He also has the annoying habit of having items identified by high-level spellcasters before he uses them. Also, as a mortal enemy, I doubt he would trust such a gift.

 

[blackshirt5]

Unfortunatley, my PC has no money and limited resources, while his has near-unlimited resources, and mountains of gold. He also has the annoying habit of having items identified by high-level spellcasters before he uses them. Also, as a mortal enemy, I doubt he would trust such a gift.

Dude then no offense your DM sucks if he allows such a huge disparity to exist between PCs. I've played in campaigns with a rift like that between PC enemies, and it sucked.

Ask Angcuru about fable.

 

[Angcuru]

have your party's wizard cast an illusion on you to make you look like his bedroom attendant, and sneak inside, and either kill him in cold blood or remove his hands in cold blood so that you can take him down publicly. doesn't seem too far-fetched to me.

well, I don't know, blackshirt. In fable I went from .50 cal Rifle to God&Soul Slaying Vorpal Crystal Round firing Sniper rifles and swords in less than 3 sessions.

 

[Witness]

my party doesn't really have a wizard at the moment. Also he doesn't have attendants... And he's an elf (Drow actually) so he doesn't sleep.

Perhaps a better explanaition of the situation is in order. Originally the campaign was all one group and we were allowed to be any alignment. The evil players in the party got together and started doing evil things that were taking time away from the campaign. To rectify this the DM split the campaign into an evil group and a good group; every player has a good character and an evil character and we go back and forth every few game seeions. My good charcter and his evil character are 2 of the 3 PCs still around since the beginning of the campaign and have had a couple of run-ins. While the good group goes off and does heroic things (and gets shafted for payment at the end), the evil group has joined with an evil church so they have lackeys to do their bidding and lots of resources. For a while the groups were heading in very different directions, but it seems fate is intent on bringing them together again.

I veryy much prefer the good group while he very much prefers the evil group. The other players are ambivilant. If my PC dies, the good campaign may die with him.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, if you`re working for the good side (Ever considered shifting your alingment to lawful good?), why not just take a few ranks in Diplomacy and make all the guys you helped be your allies that help you against the evil church and your arch enemy!
(Karma is on your side )

Otherwise, speak about it with your DM, off the game. Tell him the problems you see ...

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[Tsyr]

Actualy, I was always under the impression that Drow were an exception to the whole "Elves don't sleep" bit...

 

[Joseph Elric Smith]

Well if your Dm likes to play fast and loose with the rules you dragon to become a rules lawyer will solve nothing as he has the finale say. I have most of the 3rd edition rules memorized and know the correct way to play but I I tend to warp the rules to match mine and the groups play style I had one player a few times try the but the book says, and I would just ask him if he would like to discuss it after the game. and accept the ruling at the moment. occasionally the group and I will change or alter the way we usually interpret things but for the most part we have all been playing together for over 7 years and we know what we like.
Ken

 

[Tom Cashel]

Re: Respectfully disagree with everyone

So does that mean that, as a DM, you wouldn't want to know when you had made a mistake or a bad ruling? Doesn't being wrong and being TOLD your wrong ultimately make you a better DM?

Of course. I agree with the Carp:

Discussion of the rules with your DM, at the appropriate times, does not make someone a rules lawyer. I have found my self in the same situation before, especially with people not familiar with the 3E rules. I recommend speaking with the DM after the game, and simply pointing out the particular rules. Make it known that some of the rules changes are taking away from your enjoyment of the game, but that the final decision is up to him, and that you'll respect it. Once he makes his decision, that's it. Either play within his rules or find a different group.

A "rules lawyer," in the classic sense, is one who pipes up during every encounter to point out that the DM is doing things wrong. I like being told between games...during the game it breaks my train of thought and, frankly, annoys the heck out of me.

 

[Arnwyn]

Hmmm... what you (should) do really depends on your group's dynamics and the personalities involved. Would your DM appreciate having the rules quoted to him during the session? If he is okay with that, and you believe that he would want (in your words) "to know when (he) had made a mistake or bad ruling", then yes, you should tell him during the session when he has made a mistake. However, you'd better darn well be prepared with PHB page references.

If you don't think he'd be okay with that, then you should discuss your issues outside of the session. Make sure you are rational, and definitely make clear the consequences of what the DM has been ruling (i.e. *why* specifically you are bringing these issues up with him).

In any case, if you are going to quote rules, ensure that it is *only* from the PHB. Any other book (IMO) is totally up to the DM whether it will be allowed and/or disallowed, and any changes outside of the PHB are entirely in his discretion (changes to the PHB should always be discussed with the players). IMO.