Boots of Striding and Springing: Whats the rules on it?

[Hypersmurf]

You mean Sage Advice?

No... I mean the Official WotC Dungeons and Dragons Main FAQ...?

Has the price of 2,500 gp been changed?

6000gp post-errata.

-Hyp.

 

[Felix]

Ah. Righty-o.

What is the difference in criteria to make it into the FAQ and not the errata?

As for this matter, I'm filing it under the headline "English Football Hooligans Succeed in Planting Spurious Rule into WotC Main DnD FAQ". The FAQ has now slipped just below ENWorld on proper and clear rulings for me.

 

[Hypersmurf]

What is the difference in criteria to make it into the FAQ and not the errata?

An error would be if they hadn't said "normal movement", and would be fixed in errata.

"What is normal?" is a FAQ, and the answer can be found in - oddly enough - the FAQ document.

That answer being, as has been pointed out, "not a monk's supernatural movement, that's for sure!"

-Hyp.

 

[Kraedin]

I would like to point out (because it amuses me to do so) that the monk's base speed is never supernatural, her ability to run is.

Normal is defined as "unharmed an unafflicted, or standard" in the Player's Handbook.

Is a monks supernatural speed "unharmed?" Yes.
Is a monk's supernatural speed "unafflicted?" Yes.
Is a monk's supernatural speed "standard?" As standard as her non-supernatural speed.

Is there any reason to limit boots of striding and springing based off of the "normal speed" wording of the boots? No.

 

[Artoomis]

I would like to point out (because it amuses me to do so) that the monk's base speed is never supernatural, her ability to run is...

Wowo. I never caught htis before.

Fast Movement: At 3rd level and higher, a monk moves faster than normal. A monk in armor (even light armor) or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. A dwarf or a Small monk moves more slowly than a Medium-size monk.

From 9th level on, the monk's running ability is actually a supernatural ability.

It seems the base movement is simply increased, but if you want to run (post-9th level) it is supernatural. Well, that's the it reads, anyway.

 

[cptg1481]

Actually, if you go to the FAQ portion of the WOTC site this question is coverd. It is on page 14 of the D&D FAQ sheet at the top of the second column.

Note that the monk's fast movement ability becomes supernatural at 9th level. Once that occurs, the monk's fast movement no longer stacks with the boots of striding and springing . A 9th level human monk for example, has a movement speed of 60. If wearing boots of striding and springing , the monks speed is 100. (This is twice the 50 foot speed the monk would have at 8th level, which is the fastest nonsupernatural speed the monk can achieve).


This is getting good.....and I get to quote myself.

Wow, I guess there are a great many champions for the "it doubles your move - period" theory.

I'm guessing that this view is popular since it allows those interested to get more mileage out of this magic item.

I wonder what the motive would be for one to argue so energetically in favor of this view....perhaps having a monk with this item? Just wondering.

My favorite is the contention that "errata" is the only "official" way to change a rule, and that the FAQ is for "clarification" only. Oh, I see, when clarifying a rule, the clarification given - like the example in the text below is not really binding...its a clarification only.

Therefore, even.......no, especially, if you have a monk character using the boots of striding and springing this rather specific example of how the rule is to be applied to this scenario in the game does not apply to your monk using the boots of striping and springing.

So it should read....

On page 40 of the PHB it says that From 9th level on the monk's running ability is actually a supernatural ability.

Once that occurs, a monk's fast movement no longer stacks with the boots of striding and springing .

***new line*** The exception to this clarification is that if you are playing a monk character and are using the boots of striding and springing then you may disregard this clarification - it is only intended to apply to monks wearing the boots of striding and springing when played by other people.***

At 9th level, lets say....someone elses, human monk for example, has a movement speed of 60. If wearing boots of striding and springing , their monks speed is 100.

(This is twice the 50 foot speed thier monk would have at 8th level, which is the fastest nonoperational speed the monk can achieve).

For your monk its double your speed period! Go crazy with it.....

Oh, now I get it....how could I have misunderstood?

It seems rather straight forward to me...this example applies to everyone elses monks when using the boots of striding and springing.

 

[Spatzimaus]

What is the difference in criteria to make it into the FAQ and not the errata?

The way I originally heard it, the Errata is only updated when they make a new printing of the books. That is, if I took my First Printing PHB and made the Errata changes, it'd look the same as the book available on shelves now. (Except that my handwriting is messier than theirs, of course). Since they don't make new versions very often, the Errata doesn't usually get updated. The dates on the various errata seem to support this, although I haven't seen enough versions of each book to confirm.

A potential change will go into the FAQ, first. This doesn't make it an "unofficial" ruling like Sage Advice; it's "official", it's just not quite as permanent as the Errata. They can, theoretically, put something in the FAQ and then overrule themselves in the future.

Hopefully, when they release 3.5E, they'll update the errata with all the stuff they've put in the FAQ since the last printing and we can end these arguments once and for all.

 

[Drasmir]

Does anybody have two cents I can borrow...

Oh wait, here is my two cents:

"Normal movement" for a monk higher than 9th level does not include the supernatural movement. If that monk were in an antimagic field or a "rift in the weave" then that supernatural movement would not apply.

From SRD- Antimagic Field
An invisible barrier surrounds the character and moves with the character. The space within this barrier is impervious to most magical effects, including spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

Another Quote...

Is a monk's supernatural speed "standard?" As standard as her non-supernatural speed.

Not so. If it will go away when no magic is allowed how can it be standard? So, I reiterate that a monks supernatural speed is not "normal movement."

 

[Felix]

Originally posted by cptg1481
Snip for brevity's sake. Soul of wit that it is.

I don't have a monk.
I don't have boots of striding and springing.
You made me out to be a jerk, along with everyone arguing the same thing I am.
That ain't nice.

According the the rules, not the rules clarifications, the supernatural movement of the monk is doubled. This is a very strict interpretation; I would house rule it otherwise, but I would do so outside of the rules forum. That's my bias. Not because I'm a hypocrite, thank you very much.

Spatzimaus: thanks for the low-down bud.

Drasmir: re: Anti-magic sphere
The aquatic elves' ability to breathe underwater is not used when on land. Does that make it less normal? Just because a monk can't run really fast in an anti-magic field does not mean the ability is not normal. The setting, or changes in setting, does not affect the normalcy of the ability.

 

[Drasmir]

The aquatic elves' ability to breathe underwater is not used when on land. Does that make it less normal? Just because a monk can't run really fast in an anti-magic field does not mean the ability is not normal. The setting, or changes in setting, does not affect the normalcy of the ability.

The ability to breath underwater and normally on land is not a supernatural ability like the monk's speed. I'm arguing that a supernatural ability (based on the fact that it is SUPERNATURAL) is not "normal movement."