Arrow Deflection no longer requires a roll?

[0-hr]

Arrow Deflection: This shield protects the wielder as if he had the Deflect Arrows feat. Once per round when he would normally be struck by a ranged weapon, he can make a DC 20 Reflex save.

You must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to use this feat. Once per round when you would normally be hit with a ranged weapon, you may deflect it so that you take no damage from it. You must be aware of the attack and not flatfooted. Attempting to deflect a ranged weapon doesn’t count as an action. Unusually massive ranged weapons and ranged attacks generated by spell effects can’t be deflected.

These two passages seem to be at odds. I'm assuming that when they updated the feat (or rather, Monk ability), that they forgot to update the magic item section as well. That seem right?

 

[Christian]

That's correct. But the 3.5 DMG errata indicates that the item is supposed to work as described in the item description, not according to the new feat description. Don't ask why.

 

[Nail]

Yup. Errata: Cut/Paste mistake.

 

[James McMurray]

That's correct. But the 3.5 DMG errata indicates that the item is supposed to work as described in the item description, not according to the new feat description. Don't ask why.

Perhaps because they didn't want to give away such a handy feat for such a low price, so they added a saave to it to make it less useful than the feat?

 

[Silveras]

Interesting. Andy Collins or Ted Start (I can't recall which, now), on the Wizards' boards when they were answering questions about the then-upcoming 3.5 release, said it was a deliberate change. The reasoning he described was that ... the roll was too hard to make when it would do the most good, and all-but-meaningless by the time it became "easy".

 

[Silveras]

That's correct. But the 3.5 DMG errata indicates that the item is supposed to work as described in the item description, not according to the new feat description. Don't ask why.

No, the errata says "Change the first sentence to read ..." and removes the reference to the roll, because the feat now works differently.

 

[Christian]

No, the errata says "Change the first sentence to read ..." and removes the reference to the roll, because the feat now works differently.

Incorrect. The first sentence of the description just says, "This shield protects the wielder as if he had the Deflect Arrows feat." The errata changes this to read, "A shield with this ability protects the wielder from ranged attacks." None of the rest of the description, including the reference to the Reflex save, is changed by the errata-the shield's power is disconnected from the feat description.

 

[Christian]

Oh, and BTW-I missed that too. That's why my first post in this thread is edited. It was a, "Hey-waitaminnit!" moment.

 

[Dyntheos]

So as a monk with this feat you can automatically deflect one ranged attack per round if you are aware of it?

Does this count as one missile, or one attack action from an enemy, possibly deflecting more than one missile, if launched all in one attack? The feat refers to "weapon" and "attack" yet in an attack action you can roll to hit many times, firing off many missiles.

 

[Caliban]

So as a monk with this feat you can automatically deflect one ranged attack per round if you are aware of it?

Does this count as one missile, or one attack action from an enemy, possibly deflecting more than one missile, if launched all in one attack? The feat refers to "weapon" and "attack" yet in an attack action you can roll to hit many times, firing off many missiles.

One missile.