D&D FAQ gets it wrong?

[KarinsDad]

I'm reading, and I'm telling you, that's inconsistent with the FAQ.

Non-FAQ version:
1. You create a mindblade
2. You shape it
3. You do a bladewind
4. The the mindblade reverts to its previous form
5. The next round, you attack with your shaped mindblade

FAQ version
1. You create a mindblade
2. You shape it
3. You perform a bladewind, ambiguously creating either identical versions of your current mindblade or identical shortswords
4. The mindblade reverts to its "previous form." Whatever that means. Is it a shortsword? Is it a longsword? No one knows.

Incorrect. The FAQ does not discuss Bladewind. But if it did, it would be:

FAQ version:
1. You create a mindblade
2. You shape it
3. You do a bladewind
4. The the mindblade reverts to its previous form
5. The next round, you attack with your shaped mindblade.


Bladewind has the ability to revert the mindblade to its previous form.

Other loses of the mindblade (such as throwing it or having it sundered) do not have this property. Only Bladewind does.


You are attempting to prove that since Bladewind has this property, that all recreations of a mindblade does. That is not RAW.

 

[pawsplay]

You are attempting to prove that since Bladewind has this property, that all recreations of a mindblade does. That is not RAW.

Saying it always appears as a shortsword is not RAW. Bladewind is a point of support showing that my intepretation is not only logical, but consistent with the rest of the writeup.

The FAQ answer is logically problematic, and is not consistent with the soulknife writeup.

By the RAW, shape mind blade gives the mind blade "a new form," without limitation, duration, or condition.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Where the FAQ REALLY got it wrong

The truly wrong FAQ ruling:

A 1st-level wizard/4th-level rogue with Practised Spellcaster can NOT qualify for a 5th-level arcane caster prestige class. But a 5th-level paladin CAN qualify for a 5th-level divine caster prestige class. That the prerequisite should read "Arcane Caster, 5th level" NOT "5th-level Arcane Caster."

A previous CustSrv reply I received stated the exact opposite and made much more sense.

 

[the Jester]

Saying it always appears as a shortsword is not RAW. Bladewind is a point of support showing that my intepretation is not only logical, but consistent with the rest of the writeup.

Except the RAW states that when you manifest a mind blade it appears as a short sword.

By the RAW, shape mind blade gives the mind blade "a new form," without limitation, duration, or condition.

Er, it does not specify a duration, but it sure does specify that when you create a mind blade it appears as a shortsword.

(Put me down on the "FAQ got the rules right, but the rules sure ain't right" side of this argument, btw.)

 

[KarinsDad]

Saying it always appears as a shortsword is not RAW. Bladewind is a point of support showing that my intepretation is not only logical, but consistent with the rest of the writeup.

The FAQ answer is logically problematic, and is not consistent with the soulknife writeup.

By the RAW, shape mind blade gives the mind blade "a new form," without limitation, duration, or condition.

It is always CREATED as a shortsword with one exception: Bladewind. There is only one way to create a Mind Blade: the Mind Blade supernatural ability. That is the core rule.

Shape Mind Blade does not explicitly override this. Bladewind does. You are giving Shape Mind Blade a property that it does not explicitly state it has: the ability to recreate the blade in the previous form.

There is no way (except Bladewind) to create one which is not a short sword.

Quote where it can be created as not a shortsword.

You are adding rules where none exist.


That's not RAW. That's an inference. You are inferring that this can be done with Shape Mind Blade because Bladewind can do it.

If this could be done at any time, then Bladewind would not have to explicitly specify it. They would just have had one shape rule in Mind Shape that states when the Mind Blade is recreated, it recreates in the shape it was previously in.

They did not do that. They only did this for Bladewind.

 

[Deset Gled]

Whether it's silly or not, we talk a lot here about how annoying it is when WotC uses the FAQ to change the rules. Surely we can't get angry with them for following the rules, even if it isn't how we'd house rule it in our own games?

Quoted for truth.

If you want to discuss an oppinion that the Soulknife is underpowered, and needs some tweaks to be balanced, thats one thing. But to try and argue that WotC is supposed to be inconsistent with their rulings to give the class a power boost is something else entirely.

 

[Marshall]

The truly wrong FAQ ruling:

A 1st-level wizard/4th-level rogue with Practised Spellcaster can NOT qualify for a 5th-level arcane caster prestige class. But a 5th-level paladin CAN qualify for a 5th-level divine caster prestige class. That the prerequisite should read "Arcane Caster, 5th level" NOT "5th-level Arcane Caster."

A previous CustSrv reply I received stated the exact opposite and made much more sense.

Thats yet another reason to take CustServ responses with a large grain of salt. It was obvious what the intent of the rule was to start with, yet CustServ got it wrong. Go figure.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Thats yet another reason to take CustServ responses with a large grain of salt. It was obvious what the intent of the rule was to start with, yet CustServ got it wrong. Go figure.

So then you agree that a 5th-level Paladin qualifies as a 5th-level divine caster? That seems to break the intent to me.

The obvious intent of the rule was not obvious to the posters of an entire thread here on ENWorld.

There are other prerequisites of those PrC (like skills) that bar early entry with PS. And you are putting yourself behind in spell level attained. I interpreted it the same way customer service did as a way to go into those PrC as a minor spellcaster. I definately don't think it was obvious as the fact that they felt it necessary to create a FAQ entry. Many must have asked for clarification, hence the Frequently in FAQ.

 

[wildstarsreach]

The truly wrong FAQ ruling:

A 1st-level wizard/4th-level rogue with Practised Spellcaster can NOT qualify for a 5th-level arcane caster prestige class. But a 5th-level paladin CAN qualify for a 5th-level divine caster prestige class. That the prerequisite should read "Arcane Caster, 5th level" NOT "5th-level Arcane Caster."

A previous CustSrv reply I received stated the exact opposite and made much more sense.

Practiced spellcaster allows you to cast as if you are upto 4 levels higher for purposes of damage or effect. It does not make you in this case a 5th level arcane caster with the ability in the case of wizard of casting 3rd level spells. Most PrC's who state an arcane caster also usually state the minimum spell level cast. This is not always the case as WotC are made of human beings and we are not perfect.

In the case of a paladin above, you are talking apples and oranges since he is considered a divne caster from the start.

 

[Artoomis]

...In the case of a paladin above, you are talking apples and oranges since he is considered a divne caster from the start.

Correct - he is indeed a 5th level divine caster, though he does not a have a caster level of 5.

Fifth level arcane caster means 5 levels of a class that is an arcane caster class. It does not mean an arcane caster level of 5. Very different things.

I can see how this could be confusing, though.