Hexcrafter RAW or RAI?


Rules Questions


Just how literally do people take RAW vs. RAI?

A literal reading of the Hexcrafter, by RAW, doesn't work.

Quote:

Hex Magus (Su)

At 4th level, the hexcrafter magus gains access to a small number of witch’s hexes. The hexcrafter magus picks one hex from the witch’s hex class feature. He gains the benefit of or uses that hex as if he were a witch of a level equal to his magus level.

This feature replaces spell recall.

No problem right? Works just like how people think it works. Yup, it does, for that one particular hex you get at 4th level. The other hexes you get? Not so much:

Quote:

Hex Arcana

A hexcrafter gains access to the following magus arcana, or may select any witch hex in place of a magus arcana. At 12th level, the hexcrafter may select a hex or major hex in place of a magus arcana. At 18th level, a hexcrafter can select a hex, major hex, or grand hex in place of a magus arcana. He cannot select any hex or arcana more than once.

Note, unlike the Hex Magus ability, there is absolutely no language in the Hex arcana ability to suggest that the magus is treated as a witch to gain the benefit of the hexes, so all of the 'witch specific' class and levels language wouldn't apply.

That's the literal RAW translation. It's also obviously bonkers. And yet, I see the same argument used for things like the Swashbuckler precise strike ability gained through Flamboyant Arcana.

So my question: is stupidly literal RAW still RAW, or is there any room to add even the remotest of common sense and context to a RAW interpretation. Or does that automatically become RAI?


In a situation where a given ability is rendered completely useless unless one makes an assumption about what was intended, then it's a pretty safe assumption to make. If a given ability functions just fine for some or most purposes without having to make an assumption, then it's a much more subjective situation.

The problem with RAI is that people love to assume that they know what the developers were thinking, and - surprise! - it tends to agree with how those people think things should work. In a case like this one, RAI is pretty objective, so it isn't contentious.

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