Making rulings can be the most difficult part about being a successful DM, but the Dungeons & Dragons fandom has a handy solution.

The guidelines set out by Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons in the fifth edition lay a solid groundwork for Dungeon Masters to follow when crafting and maintaining an adventure. However, sometimes the written rules don't always have the answers for every single encounter with D&D's world-ending monsters, or the effects of every spell or class feature.

This contention between different reads on the rules has led many players to adopt two different philosophies when it comes to making judgement calls on any encounter. These philosophies in reads can be boiled down into two major categories: Rules as Written (RAW) and Rules as Interpreted (RAI). Many DMs will find that players will more often prefer RAI, but in an effort for both maintaining the integrity of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign and the balance of the game, RAW is often the go-to option.

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The literal definitions of RAI and RAW are easy enough to understand on their own. To put it simply, RAW is reading the rules exactly as they are written, with no interpretation or additional logic. Essentially, whatever the words in Dungeons & Dragons' official rules say, that is RAW and that is what this philosophy follows to the letter. RAI, on the other hand, is built on interpretation, applying an additional level of logic onto rules that aren't in the exact wording of the text.

However, following the RAI philosophy isn't quite the same as making full-on Homebrew classes or throwing out the rules entirely. Instead, the idea is to take the rules as they are presented and interpret them in a way that logically fits with the rest of the D&D mechanics that might conflict in one way or another. One example from a more recent class archetype is for the Soulknife Rogue, which states that the psychic blades they use in combat are only manifested when specifically taking the attack action. In this case, RAI might interpret this to mean that this is how the attack transpires, but the Rogue can otherwise summon the blades any other time.

As shown in the above example, RAI can at times fill in some of the logical gaps that appear in the exact wording of certain rules. Maybe the developers at Wizards of the Coast didn't perfectly calculate some exact wording, or maybe it was an oversight that no one officially thought of. For Dungeons & Dragons' Rogue example, this means that the archetype can't use an attack of opportunity as a reaction with the psychic blades when reading RAW for manifesting the weapons themselves.

Alternatively, RAW can be a necessary part of keeping the game balanced, especially once players start reaching higher levels and gain access to powerful spells and class features. A prime example of this comes from the 9th level spell True Polymorph combining with the Echo Knight Figher archetype. Reading the Echo Knight as a creature, because the rules don't specifically call it out as not being a creature, could make it possible to be transformed into a monster at the same level as the original character. This could mean that a party with an Echo Knight and a 17th level Wizard could start throwing around Ancient Dragons, Pit Fiends, and D&D's strongest monsters once a day.

It can be helpful, especially with newer players, for a DM to start interpreting rules in ways that might not exactly align with the exact wording in the text. The structure that RAW brings to the table can always be good to keep things consistent, but occasionally bending interpretations can make some encounters more fun. That isn't to say that RAI means completely ignoring the rules, such as implying that Wish can summon D&D's best magical items with no stress, but instead blending the logic to make the game more enjoyable.

The Soulknife example again is a great time to pull out the RAI reading, as it would allow players to not only use the psychic blade during an attack of opportunity, but also outside of combat entirely. Using the RAW interpretation could not only limit the player's ability in combat, it could also remove an entire piece of the archetype's toolkit for everything from performances to intimidation. However, there are separate occasions when the most fun option, or even the most logical option, isn't the best balance for a particular Dungeons & Dragons campaign.

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Some players might find RAW to be the less interesting option, or sometimes the option with the least flexibility. That being said, Dungeons & Dragons 5E is nothing if not flexible. Still, the rules in the Player's Handbook weren't made by accident. Wizards of the Coast clearly put painstaking effort into making sure that the rules as they were written were created with both balance and entertainment in mind. It's a bit of an "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," type of situation.

Back to the True Polymorph example, the RAW on that could certainly make for a more interesting outcome, especially if a player were to combine it with something like the Simulacrum spell. If after the full hour of being transformed by True Polymorph a Simulacrum takes on the true form of an Ancient Brass Dragon, a RAW reading of the spells would mean that the player who cast the spell would no longer have complete control over it and the dragon. Additionally, even if the dragon managed to use its Change Shape ability to turn back into the Simulacrum form, it couldn't use any of its original class features or ability skills anymore. This means that RAW would force players to contend with a dragon now instead of simply taking a new dragon slave as a RAI reading might provide them.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect philosophy to adopt in order to make any campaign run smoothly and ensure that players are challenged, engaged, and not arguing with the DM. While there are different DMs out there who would prefer to choose one of these methods and stick with it from start to finish, the freeform style of tabletop gaming requires flexibility. There are some rules that will break the game when interpreted too broadly, or others that can limit the available options that should exist in the logic of Dungeons & Dragons' rules.

The best advice is that DMs should trust their intuition and their instincts, as well as always leaning on the side of what will create the best shared story for the adventure. At the end of the day, that's what D&D is really about - using the rules so expertly crafted by Wizards of the Coast to create these shared experiences with a group of fellow adventurers. It's the flexibility to choose that makes for the better game in the moment, whether it be RAI or RAW, that will make for the best experience as a DM.

Dungeons and Dragons 5E is available now.

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Jared Carvalho is an avid lover of gaming, and the author of Level One (under the pen name Jerry Schulz).