Ok, so I've been off the forums for a while and there are some abbreviations I either don't remember or never knew.
BBB (I think it means big black book???)
RAW ( no clue)

Anyone who could help a brother out would be appreciated. Also if you have any others that come up often fill me in.

BBB refers to the core rulebook (yes, Big Black Book... it has to do with some of the old hardcovers being all black and stuff, whatever. Point is, it means the core rulebook)
RAW = Rules As Written.

BBB can also be the Big Blue Book.

But in general, it means the core rulebook of whatever version you're looking at.

Set of notes cribbed on the inside of an auto trader's manual?

me personally? I've never really liked the term 'RAW'. I believe the colloquial is something along the lines of "rules is rules" - of course using 'RAW' clears up any confusion with house rules..and opens up a whole other can of worms by confusing it with many other TLAs


RAW - Research and Analysis Wing (India's analogue to MI-6 / CIA etc)
RAW - Ready and Willing!
RAW - Read and Write

etc.

The only meaning for RAW that I've seen used is Rules As Written, so I don't really see the problem, R/W usually means reading/writing in my experience.

Personally, I cringe when I see RAW used on DSF, because it's a carryover from the Wizards D&D boards. I don't like mixing my SR with cance...ahem...d20.

Just say "rules" or "house rules", says I.

(in no way to be construed as an official post, official policy, etc etc disclaimer)

I always feel that RAW is a derrogatory term for the rules. Used only when pointing out weaknesses and flaws.

When people use the written rules to defend something they believe in they use nicer terms...

At least that's the impression I get.

I have to say that no one used the term "RAW" here before SR4. It started being used when some of the new members started using it. Damn immigrants

At first I was a little confused with DV(Damage Value), and DV(Drain Value), but since their essentially the same thing it really doesn't matter.

actually, drain value causes damage that cannot be magically healed, whereas damage value causes damage that can be magically healed. it's a subtle, but definitely important, difference.

And then by using the meta-magic Sacrifice, physical DV (Damage Value) is used to directly reduce DV (Drain Value) and the best part is that it can be magically healed afterwards.

*EDIT*

Of course, you might want to think twice before using it, considering that people tend to misunderstand exactly how the Blood Mage bounty really works and will simply geek you instead of bringing you in alive. (Plus I seem to recall reading somewhere that it wasn't an actual open bounty, but that it only applied against a known list of blood mages or something to that effect, but I could easily be misremembering in my old age. Not that it would matter to your character after your teamates believed that your head was suddenly worth a cool million...)

Right, the Foundation was getting sick of people hauling in mages so they put a "wish list" up.