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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Liquidsabre" data-source="post: 1889636" data-attributes="member: 15635">The DM obviously feels threatened by your rules knowledge (rather than mining you as a rules resource as a good DM should) and has gotten overly defensive to your poking and prodding in-game. Continuing to call out rules to a DM who refuses to listen is a waste of time that serves only to disrupt the game.It is also highly inappropriate to call your actions rules lawyering as any roleplayer worth their salt knows that true rules lawyering involves the bending of rules interpretations in an effort to take advantage of other's lack of knowledge and to gain advantages for their character. Simply knowing the rules and able to access them relatively easily is NOT rules lawyering but being a responsible player to know the game system in which you play, just as it is also the DM's responsibility to be familiar with the game system to a manageable degree. First, when faced with a DM with inaudequate rules knowledge coupled with an unwillingness to acknowledge their own lack of rules mastery, one must first come to the realization of this truth. Such a DM will ignore the existence of rules in favor of trying to keep the game going, this sort of sloppiness can and will inevitably result in unfair rulings on both the sides of the players and likely foes as well. When playing under such a DM I try to point out some of the rules as a useful tool for the DM to decide to make use of them or not. Like it or not it IS the DM's preogative to decide which rules to use or not and how to make use of them!One should never argue against rulings by the DM, however it doesn't sound like your DM is making 'rulings' at all but instead arguing that he knows the rules stated and continuing on with the game in a manner inconsistent with said rules. This is a DM in denial and no amount of arguing with them will bring about a desirable result. One must proceed from this point on cautiously because as a player once the DM has lost your trust you may begin questioning even relatively mundane rulings by said DM, whether such rulings are correct or not.This here is a prime example of what I'm referring to. Above may very well have been a correct use of the rules by your DM though we can't be sure (don't know what the caster's Concc check is). Skill checks don't auto fail on 1's and don't auto succeed on 20's as attacks and saves do. That is, unless your group plays with houserules to this effect. You apparently weren't awar of this rule and likely the DM was in the right here, nonetheless you tried to call the DM on the ruling. This will cause your DM's behavior to grow worse as the DM knows the ruling is correct and will feel justified in upholding later  potentially unfair application of the rules.By persisting in your behavior you were being disruptive and yes, a bit of a jerk. This doesn't mean you weren't unduly provoked by the actions of an unfair and unyielding DM. By acting in the way that you did you will only worsen the situation however. You must talk to your DM immediately out-of-game and discuss this problem. Apologize profusely first for your disruptive and unruly behavior and do not try to defend it, that is the first step. Second step, describe to the DM how game-play made you feel. State that you felt betrayed and like you were being taken advantage of by what appeared to you as unfair use of the rules against the group's characters. If the DM goes on to apologize for their own misuse of the rules against the players and makes an honest effort to discover the proper rules-use for future game play, then you may be alright. If not, either next discuss this with your fellow players and find out if they feel the same as you do. If the other players agree and the situation persists, depose your DM as gently as possible. Otherwise begin looking for a more worthy group to share game play with. That's all you can do. The rest is left up to your DM really, but you must first  refrain from being a disruptive player as this will only cause your credibility within the group to diminish and thus weaken you influence in resolving the matter.Best of luck, and here's to hoping the DM steps up! If not, chock up another one to the fabled halls of poor DMing.</blockquote>

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