"Wikilawyer" redirects here. For how the term is used on English Wikipedia, see
Wikipedia:Wikilawyering.
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.
The term "language lawyer" is used to describe those who are excessively familiar with the details of programming language syntax and semantics.[9]
On
English Wikipedia, a "wikilawyer" is a contributor who attempts to use the wording of policies to win disputes rather than reaching the goal of the policy.[10]
^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.
S2CID144615842.
^Herbert, Don (2007). 63 Days and a Wake-Up: Your Survival Guide to United States Army Basic Combat Training. Basic Training Book. p. 82.
ISBN978-0-595-42511-2.
^Jemielniak, Dariusz (14 May 2014). Common Knowledge?: An Ethnography. Stanford University Press. p. 98.
ISBN978-0804789448.
External links
Alex Loke.
"Immoral Gaming". Places to Go, People to Be. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — Loke advocates Games Masters using rules lawyers to their advantage, by turning the other players against them.
"What Should I Look Out For When I'm Playing?". What is Role Playing?. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — a description of two “rules-lawyer traps": always insisting upon following the rules and believing that there should always be a rule to cover every situation
"The Rules Lawyer". Meta-Gaming Strategies. Archived from
the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — which lists the rules lawyer's two weapons as “an onslaught of evidence, textual readings, precedent, and reasoning” and the “dreaded filibuster”.
"Wikilawyer" redirects here. For how the term is used on English Wikipedia, see
Wikipedia:Wikilawyering.
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.
The term "language lawyer" is used to describe those who are excessively familiar with the details of programming language syntax and semantics.[9]
On
English Wikipedia, a "wikilawyer" is a contributor who attempts to use the wording of policies to win disputes rather than reaching the goal of the policy.[10]
^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.
S2CID144615842.
^Herbert, Don (2007). 63 Days and a Wake-Up: Your Survival Guide to United States Army Basic Combat Training. Basic Training Book. p. 82.
ISBN978-0-595-42511-2.
^Jemielniak, Dariusz (14 May 2014). Common Knowledge?: An Ethnography. Stanford University Press. p. 98.
ISBN978-0804789448.
External links
Alex Loke.
"Immoral Gaming". Places to Go, People to Be. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — Loke advocates Games Masters using rules lawyers to their advantage, by turning the other players against them.
"What Should I Look Out For When I'm Playing?". What is Role Playing?. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — a description of two “rules-lawyer traps": always insisting upon following the rules and believing that there should always be a rule to cover every situation
"The Rules Lawyer". Meta-Gaming Strategies. Archived from
the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2005-12-30. — which lists the rules lawyer's two weapons as “an onslaught of evidence, textual readings, precedent, and reasoning” and the “dreaded filibuster”.