Last Czarian wrote:I gave my GM a copy of every RCC, OCC, weapon, and anything else I found online. The rules lawyer will always say that it is not allowed since it is not in the books, he will use the things he finds online for himself until one of our acting GMs (normal GM was tired and wanted a break) told him that he could not since he said nobody was allowed before hand.
I ran one game with my group and had to stop to tell the rules lawyer to stop his butting in on something that did not involve his character or him. He wanted to try and say that I was running the game wrong, only he did not know I discussed the campaign with the normal GM before hand. He helped me to set the campaign in order and helped me to create all the npcs and enemy forces.
That is one way to keep rules lawyers from messing up any game. Get the normal GM to help with the rules, campaign, and all useful information.
Actually the best way to deal with a Rules lawyer is to tell them to walk. The first rule I explain to everyone I GM for. Arguments at the table during game will not be tolerated. If I make a call you don't like, or understand, make a note of it, and ask me after the game. I'll explain the 'who, what, where, when or why' of it then happily. But don't derail the game just because I called something that didn't mesh with the book.
The Story is the most important part of the Game, and if a rule gets in the way of the story, it's bye bye rule. And no this doesn't just apply to NPC's. I've allowed more then a few PC's do things that simply weren't allowed by the rules. As long as the Player could explain how they wanted/thought it would work, I let it fly and ran with it. Even if it was just down right stupid. So long as the other players didn't object(And I've often found that the most stupid ideas often get the whole group into things.).
If a player dislikes a call I make, I encourage them to talk to me about it, AFTER the game. I'll do my best to explain my thinking or reason. And I'll do my best to remain open-minded about their opinions, thoughts and feelings on it. An RPG is an interactive thing, the GM and players are telling a story. That means communication is vital. But to bog down a game because you can't think outside the rulebook and want to beat everyone else at the table over the head with it is just plain annoying, rude, and inbred thinking. I've seen to many games ruined because one person insisted that 'That can't happen, according to Page XX Paragraph XX Sub-paragraph XX, Lines XX-XX it says!" I had one player during a game that was so bad that it drove me to literally bane any books at the table!
Now I explain to any player running in my game, " I reserve the right to ignore, alter, change, laugh at, and run completely roughshod over the rules in the book. I encourage my players to do the same and think outside the box." If a player can't handle that, then they don't need to run under me, it's pretty much that simple.