Highly Regarded

Rules Lawyer › Guide

Rules Lawyer guide

How to install Rules Lawyer, the free 5E rules assistant for Foundry VTT, and how to use it at the table: asking, rulings on the scene, sheet checks, the GM's tools and the settings.

Install

Requires Foundry Virtual Tabletop v14 and the fifth-edition game system (dnd5e) 5.3 or later.

  1. In Foundry's setup screen, open Add-on Modules and choose Install Module.
  2. Paste this into Manifest URL and choose Install:
    https://highlyregarded.app/rules-lawyer/module.json
  3. Launch your world, open Manage Modules, and turn on Are You Sure About That? - Rules Lawyer.
  4. In chat, type /w rules help.

It carries the free SRD 5.2.1, and can read the rules modules you own on your server: their spells, classes, items, monsters and rules text. Nothing you own is copied into it or sent anywhere.

Asking

Start a chat message with /w rules (or /w lawyer), then ask. Every command is listed here.

AskExample
The basics/w rules how do I play
How something works/w rules how does fireball work
What something is/w rules what is prone
One fact/w rules what is the range of fireball
What ends or causes a condition/w rules what ends grappled
A list/w rules list spells where level = 3 and school = evocation
A ruling on the scene/w rules can I cast fireball at my target
A sheet check/w rules check Bill
Every way to get a spell/w rules how can I get heroism

When your words could mean several things ("shield": the armor or the spell?), the answer offers each as a button. Who sees the answer follows your chat mode.

How sure an answer is

Each library entry was checked against its page, then approved by an author. An answer only an older book gives (written for the 2014 rules) is marked unsure until you rule on it; where a 2024 book covers the same thing, the 2024 version is used.

For the GM

Ruling on what the rules leave open. When a ruling on the scene comes back "Not sure", its card has Allow, Deny and GM's call buttons for you. When an answer comes only from an older book, its card has Accept as a ruling and Don't use it. You can also type a ruling: /w rules rule can I cast alarm at my target: deny because it takes too long. A ruling never overrides what the rules settle. /w rules rulings lists yours, and /w rules forget R-7001 undoes one.

The allow list. When a sheet check flags something you let a character keep, allow it: /w rules allow Bill witch bolt because an old magic item. You can allow a spell, feat, feature, item, ability scores or hit points. /w rules allowed lists them.

Settings

In Configure Settings → Are You Sure About That? - Rules Lawyer:

SettingWhat it does
What the engine readsThe books and modules it reads, what each gives, and what it changed to fit the 2024 rules. Open to everyone.
Modules the engine readsChoose which installed modules' compendiums it reads: items, monsters, rules text, classes and adventures. Adventures' answers are the GM's only by default (possible spoilers).
GM allowancesThe allow list, to view and change.
Migrate rulings from world to worldExport this world's rulings, allow list and settings to a file, or import one from another world.
Older books2024 first (the default), or older books used as rules, for a campaign run on them.
Older subclass feature levelsThe 2024 levels (the default), or as an older book prints them.
Who sees…Which roles see monster stat blocks, magic items, treasure, adventure entries, and everything else.

Everything you rule, allow and set is kept in that world only.

What it doesn't do