Someone please tell me what this means, I've been gaming a long, long, time and no one I know uses this abbreviation when speaking, and I am newish discussing gaming on teh interwebz and am not familiar with all of it's lingo ;)
(R)ules (A)s (W)ritten.
also, very similar is RAI
(R)ules (A)s (I)ntended.
Thank you kindly :)
Here is a list of items that may be helpful. Some of these comments are my opinions only so take it with a grain of salt.
RAW = Rules as Written (Letter of the law)
RAI = Rules as Intended (Spirit of the law)
Build = A character designed for the sole purpose of rule implementation to determine combat effectiveness. AKA Optimized Build
DPR = Damage per Round usually used to rate a Build.
Concept = A character designed with flavor or RP as the core and not rules. (Although this character should still follow the rules it is not necessarily optimized.)
RAW and RAI are usually used for people discussing the nuances of the game on an issue that game up in play or dealing with players and DM's that like to "redline" the system for builds.
There is a popular subculture of the web where people play with "what is possible" not necessarily what is used in real world play. RAW is also important in organized play to make sure everyone is on the same playing field.
LOL. That one took me a while. I was like where is this RAW book they keep talking about...
LOL. That one took me a while. I was like where is this RAW book they keep talking about...
Some of us may not be old enough to read RAW. It must remain hidden from the young and impressionable.
Rules as written sometime lead to some very odd results.
Rules as "intended" is usually saner, but also far more subjective.
With all the questions asking for clarification on acronyms, it makes sense to me to have a single post catalog in the FAQ.
Seriously. I have been playing since '82 (Third Grade!) and it took someone else asking what MAD was. I thought it was Mutually Assured Destruction! (Stupid Cold War Baby...).
Just thinking out loud :)
GNOME
eriously. I have been playing since '82 (Third Grade!) and it took someone else asking what MAD was. I thought it was Mutually Assured Destruction! (Stupid Cold War Baby...).MAD has another meaning?
In some circles, when talking about classes, it means "Multiple-Ability Dependent", as opposed to "SAD" which is "Single-Ability Dependent".
A MAD class would be something like a Monk or Paladin, while a SAD class would for instance be most spellcasters.
this is the part where a G.I.Joe should jump in
Build = A character designed for the sole purpose of rule implementation to determine combat effectiveness. AKA Optimized Build
Build (noun): The mechanical representation of a character in game terms. A build includes various statistics representing basic options and ability to influence and be influenced by the game world, including defining how they function. This build is good for a character who wants to fight monsters in melee, while that build is good for someone who wants to protect their allies.
DPR = Damage per Round usually used to rate a Build.
DPR (acronym): Damage per round. Used as a form of shorthand for quickly describing the average damage inflicted per round by a source. Commonly used to compare the effectiveness of different forms of attacks, or for gauging the danger of various hazards such as lava exposure. We can clearly see that the fighter wielding a falchion has a higher DPR if you consider their critical hit damage, while the greatsword wielder has a marginally better DRP against creatures immune to critical hits.
Concept = A character designed with flavor or RP as the core and not rules. (Although this character should still follow the rules it is not necessarily optimized.)
Concept (noun): The creative idea behind a character. A concept is the creative archtype of a character before they are defined in game. Often seen as the foundation of a character. A concept can include features of a character, such as race, gender, history, fighting styles, skill sets, and motivations. My concept is a human outdoorsy guy who was raised by orc druids, and now wants to see his human lands. I think I want him to wield a big greataxe and a bow. I'm thinking a ranger build would work well for this concept.
Sorry, just wanted to throw some slightly different interpretations out there. Unfortunately, these are inferior to the examples I wrote previously, but the forums ate my post and I just hastily re-wrote it.
Where's ODB? He liked it RAW, not RAI. Keeps things simpler.
And if you hafta ask what ODB means...
Where's ODB? He liked it RAW, not RAI. Keeps things simpler.
And if you hafta ask what ODB means...
Old Dirty Bast-worshipper?
Old Dirty Bast-worshipper?Where's ODB? He liked it RAW, not RAI. Keeps things simpler.
And if you hafta ask what ODB means...
He had a stated preference for Osiris, actually. But close : )
Another one - very important to the Adventure Paths - still needs defining.
TPK = ?
Aside from that, TPK usually stands for "Total Party Kill".
Another one - very important to the Adventure Paths - still needs defining.
TPK = ?
** spoiler omitted **
I have heard so much about this particular character I am tempted to use her in my next game. I might have to do a reskin, but I have to do it. One of friends had that entire AP, but he did not want to do a pathfinder conversion for the monsters.
edit:I just looked at the conversion over at PFSRD and that is all types of wrong for that level, and for some reason I still want to use it.
Another one - very important to the Adventure Paths - still needs defining.
TPK = ?
GNOME
Another one - very important to the Adventure Paths - still needs defining.
TPK = ?
** spoiler omitted **
I have heard so much about this particular character I am tempted to use her in my next game. I might have to do a reskin, but I have to do it. One of friends had that entire AP, but he did not want to do a pathfinder conversion for the monsters.
edit:I just looked at the conversion over at PFSRD and that is all types of wrong for that level, and for some reason I still want to use it.
Not only are her abilities over the top (which they are), she encounters the party at the top of a 300ft tower with broken stairs. What this means is that the party cannot retreat. And, unless they can fly, they cannot advance and close with her.