FAQ: a reliable source?

[mvincent]

where are all of these mistakes?

I study the FAQ quite a lot, and I've been trying to make a list. However, the majority of the "mistakes" people mention are actually just disagreements of opinion about a ruling (and so are subject to debate/interpretation), and/or are strawmen (i.e. statements that weren't actually made). Many of the genuine, provable errors are often corrected after someone writes in to point it out. Given the readership of the FAQ, you inevitably have both a lot of proofreaders and a lot of critics that are unhappy with any given ruling.

Some uncorrected issues I still see in the FAQ:
1) Two answers on monks using gauntlets still seem to contradict each other (however, a third, more conflicting answer on this was recently removed).
2) There seems to be a (minor) pricing oddity on arrows in one answer.
3) The price for mithral barding in an answer appears to be off by 150 gp (slight math issue)

If anyone has some other valid ones (i.e. not subject to debate and interpretation), I'd like to add them to this list.

The Sage is not perfect (nor should anyone have that expectation), but neither are the core rules. The FAQ is certainly reliable enough to resolve disputes and provide clarification (which is it's purpose).

 

[Legildur]

I'm with Pawsplay on this one, a useful place to start, but accept it as gospel at your own risk.

 

[irdeggman]

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).

Ahh but it also doesn't state that it "keeps its shape".

The things that are kept whenever the mindblade is manifested are specifically spelled out.

Psychic Stike, until used.

Enhancements (until changed)

Shape is not one of them though.



SRD:

Mind Blade (Su): As a move action, a soulknife can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a short sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium soulknife materializes a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19–20/x2). Soulknives who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind blades identical to short swords appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.


Psychic Strike (Su): As a move action, a soulknife of 3rd level or higher can imbue his mind blade with destructive psychic energy. This effect deals an extra 1d8 points of damage to the next living, nonmindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack (or ranged attack, if he is using the throw mind blade ability). Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to psychic strike damage. (Unlike the rogue’s sneak attack, the psychic strike is not precision damage and can affect creatures otherwise immune to extra damage from critical hits or more than 30 feet away, provided they are living, nonmindless creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects.)

A mind blade deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, but a soulknife can imbue his mind blade with psychic energy again by taking another move action.
Once a soulknife has prepared his blade for a psychic strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the soulknife drops the mind blade (or it otherwise dissipates, such as when it is thrown and misses), it is still imbued with psychic energy when the soulknife next materializes it.


Shape Mind Blade (Su): At 5th level, a soulknife gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a fullround action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a longsword (damage 1d8 for a Medium weapon wielded as a one-handed weapon) or a bastard sword (damage 1d10 for a Medium weapon, but he must wield it as a two-handed weapon unless he knows the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) feat). If a soulknife shapes his mind blade into the form of a bastard sword and wields it two-handed, he adds 1-1/2 times his Strength bonus to his damage rolls, just like when using any other two-handed weapon.
Alternatively, a soulknife can split his mind blade into two identical short swords, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) However, both mind blades have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the soulknife would otherwise create with a single mind blade.

Mind Blade Enhancement (Su): At 6th level, a soulknife gains the ability to enhance his mind blade. He can add any one of the weapon special abilities on the table below that has an enhancement bonus value of +1.

At every four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a soulknife can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A soulknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the soulknife’s level.

The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the soulknife materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to any form the mind blade takes, including the use of the shape mind blade or bladewind class abilities.

 

[Drowbane]

FAQ: a reliable source?

negative

 

[starwed]

What does reliable even mean in this context? Is the PHB reliable? That's a pointless question. The PHB is authoritative; and to a lesser extent, so is the FAQ.

 

[James McMurray]

The OP defines the criterion for reliability.

 

[hong]

The FAQ, for what it's worth, provides definitive answers to questions. This can be useful for settling disputes. The extent to which it succeeds depends on how likely the disputants are to accept answers they don't consider to be "right".

 

[Mistwell]

I find the FAQ to be in general reliable.

There are rare times when it is flawed.

However, there are rare times when the rules as written in the core rules are also flawed (and never corrected by the errata). For example, the "prestige classes don't charge an experience point penalty for multiclassing" rule is not in the core rules. The Prayer Beads are at best misleading (and at worst just outright wrong) in the pricing for making the beads without some beads attached. There are other flaws as well.

Anyway, my point is that no set of rules is perfect, and the FAQ is no exception. But, in general I find it useful and reliable.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

All published sources are, IMHO, just a starting point.

I use the Core, FAQ, Sage and any other source, including the analysis of my fellow players and myself to come to a consensus.

On occasion, the rules must even be altered to fit a certain campaign.

 

[Infiniti2000]

All published sources are, IMHO, just a starting point.

I use the Core, FAQ, Sage and any other source, including the analysis of my fellow players and myself to come to a consensus.

On occasion, the rules must even be altered to fit a certain campaign.

I agree. Moreover, I think it is impossible to play strictly 'RAW' when a consensus of 'RAW' cannot even be achieved.