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Message: <blockquote data-quote="andargor" data-source="post: 2526755" data-attributes="member: 7231">EDIT: MODS, would you mind leaving this post here instead of moving to Meta, since its addressed to the people in Rules specifically? Thanks. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Over the past year or so, I have seen a disturbing trend. For me, anyway, and I'd like to see if I'm just crazy.Please do not take this post as criticism, it's nothing personal.Last year, most posts here were all about RAW (rules as written) and how they are interpreted. The Rules Forum filled the gap between some murky verbiage in the textbooks, and the FAQ as well as other WoTC "official" resources to provide a consensus on what is house rule and what is not.I took a break earlier this year because I had things happening in RL. When I came back, I noticed that things had changed. Things have been changing for some time, actually, but creeping in so slowly that only by taking a break would make me see it.The change is this: I'm seeing a lot more "variants" proposed. Sometimes, not outright house rules, but coming periously close.For example:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Poster A asks question about a certain ability/spell/feat</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Poster B provides a quote from the textbooks that clearly indicates the in-game use of the ability/spell/feat. Or at least a RAW "gray area" that can be debated to consensus using other RAW.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Poster C comes in and says "well, I did away/changed ability/spell/feat, and this is the way we play it IMC".</li> </ul>The Poster C type of post is what I see creeping in. In sheer volume, it can represent 50% - 75% (from what I see) of the posts in a thread these days. Worse, thread starters that outright ask "I know the RAW, but how would you play ability/spell/feat". Poster C type posts abound.Yes, I have been guilty of this crime too on occasion. So no holier than thou here.I admit that I'm a little dismayed at this, since when I come to the Rules Forum, I search for guidance on RAW, or failing that, interpretations based on RAW. Searching the chaff for the wheat (i.e. variants vs. RAW) has been increasing difficult recently.So, I am asking:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Do you see the same happening?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Is this OK with what you expect of this forum? </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Should the variant discussions be relegated to the House Rules forum, or a should a Variant Sub-Forum be created under the Rules Forum?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Am I crazy?</li> </ul>I love you all, and apologies for any offense, real or imaginary. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Andargor</blockquote>

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