FAQ: a reliable source?

[Aaron]

I know that some (most?) people here think that the FAQ is not a reliable source, due to the various mistakes in it.

But..where are all of these mistakes?

Can you cite me some of these errors? (or, at least, the "greatest" ones)

Thank you in advance.

 

[pawsplay]

The answer to the question, "Does a soulknife have to reshape his mindblade every time he creates it?" seems baldly wrong to me, and is nerftastic besides. The soulknife can throw, whirlwind and psychically charge his mindblade all day, without it losing its charge or properties, and given time, can reconfigure its enhancements and can call it to hand as a free action... yet if he splits it into two blades or turns it into a bastard sword, according to the FAQ, he must use a full round action every time he summons it to reshape it. To me, that doesn't make sense.... shaping the mind blade is something he does to the form of the mindblade, not something he does to a particular mind blade (which will vanish and reform, still charged, if he throws it). Further, a soulknife who wants to use it in longsword or bastard form for a Str bonus or Power Attack has to carry it readied all the time or else be stuck making a full round action to have a weapon, unlike, well, every other melee character in the game.

Bad FAQ, no biscuit.

 

[Aaron]

The answer to the question, "Does a soulknife have to reshape his mindblade every time he creates it?" seems baldly wrong to me, and is nerftastic besides. The soulknife can throw, whirlwind and psychically charge his mindblade all day, without it losing its charge or properties, and given time, can reconfigure its enhancements and can call it to hand as a free action... yet if he splits it into two blades or turns it into a bastard sword, according to the FAQ, he must use a full round action every time he summons it to reshape it. To me, that doesn't make sense.... shaping the mind blade is something he does to the form of the mindblade, not something he does to a particular mind blade (which will vanish and reform, still charged, if he throws it). Further, a soulknife who wants to use it in longsword or bastard form for a Str bonus or Power Attack has to carry it readied all the time or else be stuck making a full round action to have a weapon, unlike, well, every other melee character in the game.

Bad FAQ, no biscuit.

I agree, but this answer doesn't seem to be against the rules.

 

[IcyCool]

I haven't taken a look at it recently, but some of the old standouts (most of which have been fixed, I think) are:

A one-handed weapon held in two hands becomes a two-handed weapon, and so (by the rules) gains hardness and hp (or just hp).

Some forms of energy damage both do and do not ignore hardness on objects (two conflicting answers in the same FAQ).

That's about all I can remember at this moment. Hypersmurf had a few more, and someone compiled a list at one point.

 

[Aaron]

That's about all I can remember at this moment. Hypersmurf had a few more, and someone compiled a list at one point.

That would be quite interesting.

Can someone link it?

 

[pawsplay]

I agree, but this answer doesn't seem to be against the rules.

I don't see anywhere it says a mindblade loses its shape when its not manifested, so I think it's a MUR (Made Up Rule).

 

[Artoomis]

There is a lot of material in the FAQ. Some egregious errors have been published and fixed, and no doubt a few errors may remain. Generally, though, it is reliable as an indicator of how WotC says the rules really work.

I don't know what more one could ask of that sort of document. It's unreasonable to expect perfection, and they've been pretty good about fixing errors (and some errors are not even errors, necessarily )

As far as WotC is concerned, it's just as offical as the published rule books. As far as any particular game or person on this site is concerned, it's as offical as you agree to allow it to be.

 

[pawsplay]

The FAQ is valuable, but not infallible. At the least, you can compare the answers to the rulebook and see if you agree you are reading the same thing.

 

[James McMurray]

I've seen problems with it in the past, although I can't think of any offhand. But in general it's been right when I've needed it.

 

[pawsplay]

It's not as smart as Hypersmurf, and probably not as knowledgeable as many of the posters here, but it knows more than someone who doesn't know, so it's always a good starting place when the core books run you off the road.