RAW? What is this

[The Shaman]

Just pointing out that people are going to disagree. Yes, he's wrong - but he doesn't think so, and will tell people what 'core' is according to what he believes.

Well, he can also believe the moon is made of Swiss cheese, and share that belief with others, but it doesn't mean he's right.

After all, if you look very closely at the surface of the moon, you can plainly see...uh...uh-oh...

 

[Crothian]

Actually, it does always mean the same thing: rules from the PHB, DMG, and MM only. It's not a matter of interpretation; anyone using the term otherwise is wrong. In fact, take a look at the cover of your PHB, DMG, or MM: the word 'Core' is right there.

Creature Collection, Relics and Rotuals, and Traps and Treachery have the word Core on them too. Are they Core books?

 

[Turjan]

Creature Collection, Relics and Rotuals, and Traps and Treachery have the word Core on them too. Are they Core books?

This use of "core" by third party publishers was forbidden in later drafts of the d20 STL. Plus, I don't think that anyone here argues for third party material being part of the core, as good as it may be.

This said, everybody knows that RAW means Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk .

 

[Umbran]

Creature Collection, Relics and Rotuals, and Traps and Treachery have the word Core on them too. Are they Core books?

Sure they are core - Core Scarred Lands. If you're discussing a Scarred Lands game, and referred to "core rules", I'd expect all the books Sword and Sorcery Studios has claimed as "core" would be included.

But, the Scarred Lands books carry the d20 license. That means they aren't D&D per se. Not that the general public necessarily recognizes the difference. I'd hazard a guess that WotC was a little cheesed off that S&SS put those words on the cover, but had no legal right to stop them.

 

[Crothian]

Sure they are core - Core Scarred Lands. If you're discussing a Scarred Lands game, and referred to "core rules", I'd expect all the books Sword and Sorcery Studios has claimed as "core" would be included.

But, the Scarred Lands books carry the d20 license. That means they aren't D&D per se. Not that the general public necessarily recognizes the difference. I'd hazard a guess that WotC was a little cheesed off that S&SS put those words on the cover, but had no legal right to stop them.

Traps and treachery is not part of Scarred Lands.

My point with these three books is all of them on the cover say "Core Rules" . So, one can't just say that only the books with Core Rules on the cover are RAW or Core or whatever since half of the books with Core Rules on the cover are not actually core rules.

 

[Turjan]

My point with these three books is all of them on the cover say "Core Rules" . So, one can't just say that only the books with Core Rules on the cover are RAW or Core or whatever since half of the books with Core Rules on the cover are not actually core rules.

Then change it to "WotC books that say Core Rules on the cover".

 

[amethal]

I'm not understanding what RAW pertains to in the other threads so I'm just up and asking what this means?

Please enlighten me so I can understand what some of you are talking about on here.

To give an example, someone had a query on the WotC message boards about whether gnoll PCs could speak common as an automatic language.

As he didn't specify whether he wanted answers limited to the RAW or not, I suggested that he should ask his DM to let him have it as an automatic language regardless, as it wasn't gamebreaking and its not much fun playing a PC who can't speak to the rest of the party.

I was taken to task for this by another poster, who was only interested in helping the person by using the Rules as Written.

The answer in this case is [per the monster manual] gnolls can only speak gnoll (unless their intelligence is 12+) and as no one was aware of an actual written rule that all PCs can speak common then his PC gnoll couldn't either.

It can therefore be important to specify whether you only want answers based on the RAW, (unless you are happy to get replies which include houserules, opinions, analogies and attempted uses of common sense).

 

[Nyeshet]

RAW = Rules As Written.

I've always taken this to mean the SRD. Of course, that means that - in addition to the core three books - psionics, epic, deities, and even unearthed arcana (at least at hyperd20, or whatever its called) are also part of it.

But RAW == SRD has always worked well for me and most others I personally know.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Yeah, but that happens too...

In 1897 the Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure redefining the area of a circle and the value of pi. (House Bill no. 246, introduced by Rep. Taylor I. Record.) The bill died in the state Senate.

Oh, if only...if only they had managed to get it through. It would have been the most glorious failure Indiana had ever perpetrated. My eyes well with tears at the thought of its awful magnificence, gone forever because of an unfortunately right-minded senate.

 

[Fieari]

RAW = Rules As Written.

I've always taken this to mean the SRD. Of course, that means that - in addition to the core three books - psionics, epic, deities, and even unearthed arcana (at least at hyperd20, or whatever its called) are also part of it.

But RAW == SRD has always worked well for me and most others I personally know.

X (- Y: X is a member of the set Y
X !(- Y: X is not a member of the set Y

SRD (- RAW
PHB (- RAW
DMG (- RAW
MM (- RAW
All Published Material being used (- RAW
FAQ !(- RAW
RotG !(- RAW
House Rules !(- RAW
Common Sense !(- RAW
Real World anything !(- RAW