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the design intent of a rule isn’t clear or when one rule
seems to contradict another.
Dealing with those situations is where Sage Advice
comes in. This column doesn’t replace a DM’s adjudica-
their tastes. The column should also reveal some perspec-
tives that help you see parts of the game in a new light and
RAW. “Rules as written”—that’s what RAW stands
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gard to the designers’ intent. The text is forced to stand
on its own.
-
wished we’d published or thought we’d published.
RAI.-
“rules as intended.” This approach is all about what the
designers meant when they wrote something. In a perfect
words on the page don’t succeed at communicating the
designers’ intent. Or perhaps the words succeed with one
group of players but not with another.
R A F. Regardless of what’s on the page or what the de-
the ringmaster at each game table. The best DMs shape
-
We expect DMs to depart from the rules when running
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piness for a certain group of players. Sometimes my rules
answers will include advice on achieving the RAF inter-
pretation of a rule for your group.
Character Creation
How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)?
Player’s Handbook
Unarmored:
Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing
(see PH-
Unarmored Defense (Barbarian):
Unarmored Defense (Monk):-
Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer):-
Natural Armor:-
ral armor bonus. This is a calculation method typically
relevant to a druid or another character who assumes a
form that has natural armor.
These methods—along with any others that give you a
druid/barbarian who transforms into a beast form that has
natural armor can use either the beast’s natural armor or
Unarmored Defense (you aren’t considered to be wearing
armor when you use natural armor).
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modify AC as well. Shield of faith
Magic items can also enhance your AC. Here are a few
+1 chain mailring of
protection
bracers of defense-
nus to AC if you’re not wearing armor or using a shield.
Racial Traits
Does the Trance trait allow an elf to nish a long rest
in 4 hours? If an elf meditates during a long rest (as de-
Do the lightfoot haling and wood elf hiding racial
traits allow them to hide while observed? The lightfoot
of the Wild—do allow members of those subraces to try
to hide in their special circumstances even when observ-
and a wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy
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capable of hiding in situations when most other creatures