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This is sort of a branch off of the rust monster thread. Many people in that thread mentioned simply not playing with people that like to exploit weak areas in the rules regardless of how clearly it is not intended to work that way. What should we as players and judges do when those types of players are the majority? How populous do those players have to be before it's easier to fix the rules than it is to fix the players.

A guy who I play with regularly and I were talking on the way home from a game. He mentions that the Ring of Personal Gravity is completely broken. I ask him for an explanation. After he does so I am confused. The item is good but certainly not broken. He explains his interpretation of the rules (I'll leave looking up the item to you guys).

He believes that the immobilize is essentially permanent once it is applied since the only listed duration is one the player using the ring controls. I understand where he could get this idea but that is clearly not how the item is intended to function. I tell him that our disagreement fortunately doesn't matter because no one in our area has the ring. He clarifies that he just bought it. I tell him how I intend to rule on the subject, that I believe the immobilize ends when the afflicted creatures are no longer adjacent. He insists it does not. He is technically right.

I go on to repeat how I will be ruling on the subject (this is important as I judge about three times as often as he does). He gets indignant and begins quoting the CCG on how judges are to handle the rules. Again, he is technically right.

I tell him he is welcome to not play, that no other player will have a problem with my ruling. He gets more indignant insisting that I cannot make such a ruling.

This brings me to a crossroads. This person is not someone I can simply not play with. He is someone who is, and will be, involved in many of the games in my area. Judging games for him will become a constant battle.

Social pressure to not use the ring will not work. He admits it is broken and looks forward to doing so. I cannot trust this player to 'police' himself. This is also not an isolated incident. Before this ring there were at least half a dozen other clearly broken things that he has insisted on abusing before they were fixed.

How should I deal with this person and the dozen others like him in my regular gaming circle?

Well if an animal bites you its not the animals fault. Its the trainers fault.

Your going to just say you are ruling it that way at your table. When he gives you whatever argument he gives you, your just going to have to listen and say "I hear you, but this is the decision I have made for how things are going to run. It may change in the future, but for now that is how its going to work."