Character wealth

[ThirdWizard]

The RAW would be defined by WotC as the Current Rules Edition.

Yep. Which means that the SRD is not the RAW, the books are. Which is usually not important, but sometimes the Core books add things that the SRD leaves out that clarifies or rarely changes the RAW. The SRD is usually good enough, though.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Actually, the three core books are the D&D RAW while the SRD is the d20 RAW. There are many similarities, but as you note they can differ.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Actually, the three core books are the D&D RAW while the SRD is the d20 RAW. There are many similarities, but as you note they can differ.

Works for me!

 

[Sil]

I would say RAW is anything written in any source at all (Article, mag, online, 3rd party, ect.). Core is the three books. Non core is anything else. CS is the campaign setting.

The SRD (an open source, open license version of some of the rules) is a RAW source, which contains Rules, but does not supplant the original source of those rules (Information is often left out of the SRD version of the Rules.) So the SRD, by default, is RAW. If something in the RAW source was edited out in the translation to SRD, the original source wins, (as ThirdWizard suggested.)

There are non-core WotC books, like the complete series, and 3rd party books, like E.N. worlds.

So you can quote the RAW of the (non-core) Gestalt rules from Unearthed Arcana, and say that Gestalt is not core, or part of any CS (I guessed at this CS part, as to my knowledge this is true, but might not be).

 

[Nail]

The RAW would be defined by WotC as the Current Rules Edition. It is therefore strictly the three core books, plus errata. All other works, including WotC works whether published in hard copy, on-line (web enhancements, articles), or as FAQs or updates, are non-RAW (not part of the current rules edition) and therefore technically houserules. Official, well-defined houserules, but houserules nonetheless.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

...but that definition provides no distinction between "Core" and "RAW"; so it's just not useful. Nor do I think that's the intent when people type it in.

Rules As Written. Sounds like any rule material from an official source that's written down, nicht wahr?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Well it depends. I would say that you cannot use anything non-Core to determine what is RAW for a Core source. Likewise, you cannot really figure out what is RAW for a non-Core source with another non-Core source since they are all independant of one another. So, for example, Complete Warrior has its own RAW, but you cannot use that reading to determine how something in Complete Arcane works. You have to go back to Core.

 

[Nail]

So, for example, Complete Warrior has its own RAW, but you cannot use that reading to determine how something in Complete Arcane works. You have to go back to Core.

Except for things like immediate actions, swift actions, ......

 

[ThirdWizard]

Except for things like immediate actions, swift actions, ......

Isn't it true that any book that uses immediate or swift actions, for example, has to also include the definition for them? They're completely self-contained entities, so you don't have to buy one to use the other, meaning that there is no rule in Complete Arcane that must be explained through Complete Warrior, its either the book in question, Core, or nothing.

 

[Nail]

Sudden Metamagic is another great example of my point.

Which version do you use, pray tell? MH, or CA?

 

[ThirdWizard]

Isn't that an example of my point?

I own neither book (one of my player owns C Arcane, though). Are they different? If they are, then what would be the Sudden metamagic RAW? Would you use the Complete Arcane version to rule on the Mini Handbook one? No, you wouldn't. You would use the book it was contained in. If they're the same, it helps my point, because WotC doesn't necessitate you to have two books to use rules from one. The RAW is self contained in both cases.

EDIT: In other words, Book X is only RAW when discussing Book X. When discussing Book Y, then Book X becomes irrelevant. The only books that are RAW for all D&D published materials are the Core books.