Rules lawyer

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A rules lawyer is a participant in a rules-based environment who attempts to use the letter of the law without reference to the spirit, usually in order to gain an advantage within that environment. [1] The term is commonly used in wargaming and tabletop role-playing game communities, [2] often pejoratively, as the "rules lawyer" is seen as an impediment to moving the game forward. [3] The habit of players to argue in a legal fashion over rule implementation was noted early on in the history of Dungeons & Dragons . [4] [5] Rules lawyers are one of the "player styles" covered in Dungeon Master for Dummies. [6] The rules of the game Munchkin include various parodies of rules lawyer behavior.

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Related Research Articles

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Pharaoh is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The module was published in 1982 by TSR, Inc. for the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It formed the first of the three-part Desert of Desolation module series. The module was written by Tracy and Laura Hickman; Tracy Hickman would later go on to help create the Dragonlance campaign setting.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set</i> Boxed set for tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons

The Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set is a set of rulebooks for the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. First published in 1977, it saw a handful of revisions and reprintings. The first edition was written by J. Eric Holmes based on Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson's original work. Later editions were edited by Tom Moldvay, Frank Mentzer, Troy Denning, and Doug Stewart.

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References

  1. Fine, Gary Alan (2002). Shared Fantasy. University of Chicago Press. pp. 109–113. ISBN   0-226-24944-1.
  2. Beattie, Scott (2007). "Voicing the Shadow: Rule-playing and Roleplaying in Wraith: The Oblivion". Law, Culture and the Humanities. 3 (3): 477–492. doi:10.1177/1743872107081432. S2CID   144615842.
  3. Kaufman, Daniel; Kestrel, Gwendolyn F. M.; Selinker, Mike; Williams, Skip (2002). Book of Challenges: Dungeon Rooms, Puzzles, and Traps. Wizards of the Coast. p. 123. ISBN   978-0-7869-2657-2.
  4. Swanson, Mark (January 1979). "Trapped: Four Years in the Gilded Hole". Different Worlds (1): 15–17.
  5. Edwards, Ron. "A Hard Look at Dungeons and Dragons". The Forge . Retrieved 2008-09-19.
  6. Slavicsek, Bill; Baker, Richard; Grubb, Jeff (2006). Dungeon Master for Dummies. For Dummies. pp. 135, 136. ISBN   978-0-471-78330-5.
  7. Garner, Bryan A. (1995). A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage . Oxford University Press. p.  512. ISBN   978-0-19-514236-5.
  8. Herbert, Don (2007). 63 Days and a Wake-Up: Your Survival Guide to United States Army Basic Combat Training. Basic Training Book. p. 82. ISBN   978-0-595-42511-2.
  9. "language lawyer". catb.org.
  10. Jemielniak, Dariusz (14 May 2014). Common Knowledge?: An Ethnography. Stanford University Press. p. 98. ISBN   978-0804789448.