DM: Alright so the troll lunges into your
campsite-- club raised high, ready to strike! Sita, you’re on deck! Calder, it’s your turn!
Calder: Okay, is the campfire still going? Cus as written trolls hate fire and it would
probably not have approached in that case. DM: Uhh good point! But no one said anything about
tending the fire overnight so no, the fire is out, troll is in, what is Calder doing?
Calder: Okay, well naturally Calder begins to cast fireball by taking out his
little box of sulfur and-- wait, ah no I’m all out of tiny balls of bat guano! Dang it!
DM: Look, Rick, remember unless there’s a cost in gold you don’t have to use
the material components for our game Calder: --Bob! My IMMERSION depends
on it… So I’ll just cast fire bolt. Hi :) Bob here, this is where
we learn how to have more fun playing D&D together, and now you know
the true way to speed up dnd combat is to edit out all the dice rolling and
descriptions in post… just kidding :P Really, combat pacing all comes down
to cutting out the interruptions, mostly questions or clarifications of the rules
by so-called “Rules Lawyers!” So whether you have a rules lawyer in your group, or YOU ARE the
rules lawyer in your group, we’re going to break down how you can talk to about this drag on the
game, without sounding like a jerk who’s saying “your fun is wrong!” to turn rules lawyering
into a skill that keeps your game fast and fun! And by the way, we all know dice rolling and cool
descriptions ARE some of the best parts of D&D, so if you want access to a library of around 3000
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of life! Check it out through the link below! Or sign up with the code B-O-B to save 10%,
and start your next adventure with dScryb! Now rules lawyering is a common behavioral
PITFALL that many players and DMs… fall into. It generally carries a very negative connotation,
and in the D&D meme universe, rules lawyers are these people like Calder from the sketch who
too frequently interrupt other players or the DM with an “Ummmm ACTUALLY” to explain how the
rules "actually” work for a given situation when another player was doing something or
was about to do something that would break said rules. And this usually happens during combat
because that’s what most of D&D’s rules are about. But like a lot of human behaviors, rules lawyering
isn’t always bad. It belongs on a spectrum! In another video we’re going
to expand on how a beginner’s knowledge of the rules affects the pace of the
game, but for now, know that expert knowledge does not inherently speed up your combat. If that were
the case, rules lawyers would be hailed across the dnd fandom! The problem arises when this expert
knowledge of game mechanics intersects with traits like perfectionism or pride, which are
also not inherently bad, but when a player or DM’s perfectionism drives them to follow rules
to a T AND make sure everyone else is following rules to a T, it quickly becomes annoying!
And the same annoyance can occur if someone is so proud of their rules knowledge that they’ll
“correct” the other players every chance they get. So when a player's knowledge of the rules is
used to undermine another player’s knowledge or their enjoyment of the game, intentionally or
unintentionally, they’ve crossed the line into bad rules lawyering. And if you're like
me, or some other D&D-lovers I know*, you may experience a phase in your D&D journey
where the letter of the rules, or merely their intent, becomes superior to the group’s fun,
so recognizing this behavior is the first step toward becoming a good rules lawyer! Yes, it’s
a thing! And here’s how you can achieve it! And feel free to just send this video to all your
players if you don’t want to single anyone out! Okay, if the rules are very important to
you*, that’s great! D&D is better with at least one player like you at every
table! But you gotta stay in your lane. If you’re a player, and you observe someone
at the table doing something that technically DOES NOT jive with the rules as written,
that’s okay! That’s what the DM is for, so look to them! Do they seem to be questioning
the ruling in their head, as if waiting for you to blurt out the actual mechanic? Well no, they’re
probably just deciding for themselves if the action makes sense here, because that’s THEIR
job as DM, aka referee of the game. But wait, what if that DM is calmly going along
with the situation as if they have no idea an infraction of the rules has
been committed?? Dude, that’s okay too. As long as everyone else is enjoying the
scene, there’s no need to start a debate! DM: Alright the troll is patting
out the flames, fear in its eyes! Sita it is now your turn!
Sita: Yess I quickly nock an arrow, take aim, and fire!
Calder: --Well ACTUALLY, without darkvision Sita can’t even see the troll!
DM: Oh, well we can say that its tattered clothes are still aflame after your fire bolt!
Calder: Welllll the fire bolt spell specifically says, “A flammable object hit by this spell
ignites if it ISN’T being worn or carried.” DM: Alright, thank you for the clarification,
but I’m going to say that it is on fire, maybe just its hair which
it's not technically wearing. Calder: *gasp* my immersion.
Sita: ...I shoot my bow! *rolls die So here’s the real advice: a good rules
lawyer is passive. Even if another player looks up from their character sheet and
asks, “Hey how does this work?” you gotta give the DM a chance to answer first. It’s
their rules that matter. So ONLY if the DM then asks you or the group in general, “Does
anybody know how this is supposed to work?” should you then quote one of the rulebooks.
I have struggled with this, and still have to check myself on a regular basis when a rule
is bent, broken, or questioned, but the more I have loosened up, the more I feel in tune with
the group and have fun just going with the flow. Now, if rules knowledge is a strength you bring
to the table as a player, you can tell your DM, “Hey, I’ve been playing for a while now / or /
I’ve been reading through the rule books a lot lately / and I think I’ve got a good handle on the
mechanics, so if you ever want someone to help you by looking up a rule mid-game or just providing
backup on how something is supposed to work, I’d appreciate it if you asked me sometimes
because that’s part of what makes D&D fun for me.” See, as long as your rules lawyering approach
is collaborative and in the name of fun for all, you can’t go wrong. And if you’re a DM who’s
working through this lawyer-phase yourself or someone in your group. Please check out this
awesome line from the 5e Dungeon Master's Guide: “The D&D rules help you and the
other players have a good time, but the rules aren’t in charge. You’re the DM,
and you are in charge of the game. That said, your goal isn’t to slaughter the adventurers but to
create a campaign world that revolves around their actions and decisions, and to keep your players
coming back for more!” - DMG 5e, Introduction That last part is so important! You should want to
keep your players coming back! So if you have one or two people in your group who really don’t seem
to fit with your DMing style, try to compromise. It can be really tempting to be like, “I’m the DM.
If you don’t like how I run, find another game.” ...Okay well, they will or they should for
being treated like that, and if you do that to one or two or three people, soon enough you
won’t have anyone to play D&D with. Same thing applies to literally every human relationship: be
nice! :) Also, if the rules lawyer is a player in your group, as long as you’re not condescending
about it, you can occasionally ask them to clarify something, or if you’re really generous,
just defer to them every once in a while; it can really take a load off your shoulders as
Dungeon Master, making them an asset instead of a nuisance! And if you, as DM, are the rules lawyer,
at least try to compromise with the silly ideas that seem so contrary to your vision for the game.
I promise, After one or two sessions, you won’t even remember that I chose to play an Aarakocra
bard in your exclusively underwater campaign!* Bottom line, with fewer interruptions to
question or clarify the rules during combat or any part of a D&D session, it will go much
faster and just be more pleasant for everyone! If you like this perspective,
please give the video a thumbs up, share it with your group, and consider
subscribing for more wholesome D&D content! Thanks to our sponsor dScryb and our new patrons
Guy, Radekk, Siris, Gary, Bill, Franky, Iustin, Dallas, and Gaston! Thank YOU for all
your support, and keep building :D
