Mike18xx
First Post
>>>> The first post in this thread (the one you're reading now) will be continuously "edited" by me so that I needn't keep creating new threads or force readers to slog to the bottoms of existing threads. Bookmark the location URL of this page and check back regularly for the updated errata list. <<<<
= = = =
NEW errata 8/10/03
41: Duplicated six-line text sequences (back-to-back) beginning "or she could attack with one end of the quarterstaff and one unarmed strike..." and ending "...at a +0 attack bonus" in left-hand column.
98: Combat Reflexes: (1) Last sentence of "Benefit" contains "opportunity" twice. (2) Second to last sentence of "benefit" begins "If four goblins move out..."; this is a poor example, as the goblins may be retreating in such a way that an AoO is not permitted.
236: Uncertainty as to whether Glitterdust's duration refers to the presence of the "cloud" of glitter, or only to effects upon victims.
The 3.5 PHB Errata List
Updated: 8/04/03
The purpose of the list is to insure that a maximum number of Player's Handbook errors are consolidated into one location, and to receive quick answers regarding many of them prior to the release of FAQs or other documents.
The list is maintained by Mike Schneider, mike1@usfamily.net, and regularly updated at wizards.com http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72109 and Enworld http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58896.
If you find an error in your copy of the PHB, please consult the latest version of the errata list to see if it already present, then post to one of the locations specified above, preferably the wizards.com one. Do NOT send errata for the DMG or MM; I do not have or intend to create an errata list for those book (but *you* could start one!).
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Official, credited answers are sought for inconsistency, ambiguity or implied-by-omission errors (***). The list will be reposted including them as a preliminary FAQ of sorts.
=====
Errors and possible errors:
14,84***: Dwarves appear eligible to Tumble in medium or heavy armor as they no longer suffer movement penalties from it.
28,89***: Inconsistency regarding bards and Armor Proficiency (medium).
40,41: Table and text reference to "lawful" Ki strikes. (As an effect, "Lawful" has been renamed to "Axiomatic".)
44***: Multiple uncertainties regarding a paladin's special mount, now summoned as a spell-like, conjuration ability: For the purposes of "detect magic", how magical is the mount? Can the summoning of the mount be interrupted by Dispel Magic, Break Enchantment or Silence? Does the summoning require verbal or somatic components? What is the paladin's effective spell-level while summoning? Is the mount, since it is summoned, susceptible to being thwarted by Protection from Good (or Law), Magic Circle, Dismissal, etc?
45: The Paladin's Mount: First sentence contains "is" twice.
50***: Uncertainty regarding absence of sap from rogue weapon list.
50,112***: Inconsistency regarding rogue proficiency with all simple weapons.
53: Familiars' Empathic Link: Ambiguity in text description in that "....only general emotional content....can be communicated..." seems to preclude a master from giving his familiar instructions telepathically.
60***: Whether prestige class levels avoid XP penalties is not addressed.
63: What "C" and "cc" mean isn't listed underneath the skill chart -- sure to confound newbies seeing it for the first time.
66***: Uncertainty as to whether multiple synergy bonuses stack.
67,308***: Inconsistancy between Balance's usage of, and the glossary's definition of, the condition of being flat-footed.
69,283***: Inconsistency between what recipients of Spider Climb are capable of and whether Climb checks are necessary for them.
73: Disguise refers to a non-existent "Deceptive" feat.
76,79***: Hide and Move Silenty list a -5 penalty for over-half-to-normal move, and -20 for attacking, running or charging. Since the skill descriptions do not address it, some are assuming that a penalty exists when taking a double move action (even if both are at half-rate). This should be clarified.
76,283***: Inconstancy between Heal's description of, and Spike Growth and Spike Stones' description of, movement reduction.
78: Listen DC Modifiers: The -1 and -5 entries should be +1 and +5. "Listener Sleeping" should appear on the list at +10, and/or distraction's modifier should be listed in the "Special" section along with sleeping.
89: Armor Proficiency (Light) references Pick Pocket.
91,94: Greater Spell Focus doesn't list its Spell Focus prerequisite in either place in the appropriate section.
91,96***: Improved Overrun: Inconstistancy regarding avoidance of AoOs from feat table entry to text entry.
91,102***: Weapon Finesse: (1) "1,2" in p91 table entry. (2) Inconsistency between table and description as to whether proficiency with weapon is a prerequisite.
93***: The text of "Endurance", near the end of the "Benefit", reads "...Also, you may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued." It then immediately continues: "[paragraph] Normal: A character without this feat who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued..." These two passages, and the fact the anybody may sleep in light armor without fatigue anyway, imply that the last sentence of the "Benefit" paragraph should actually be: "Also, you may sleep in medium or heavy armor without becoming fatigued." True or not, the grammar should be improved to avoid ambiguity.
96: Improved Unarmed Strike: typo error: "...you do not provoke attacks or opportunity" ("of", not "or").
96,158,167***: Uncertainty (stemming from omission) regarding whether magical weapons have a chance (e.g., saving throw) or no chance to break when struck (sunder attempt) by weapons of lesser enhancement.
98: The text of Point-Blank Shot should allude to the applicability of certain types of magical ranged attacks.
99,123***: Run: "Normal" text indicates that persons in medium armor can run only three times their speed; this conflicts with the text in the armor section which penalizes heavy armor only.
99,121***: Rapid Reload: (1) Slings are not listed as applicable, even though slings have been changed in 3.5 to require a move action to load. (2) This feat renders repeating crossbows, and Exotic Weapon Proficiency regarding them, very poor values. (Fix: shift repeaters to the Martial category, and allow Rapid Reload to reduce to a move action the time required to load a repeater case.)
99,154: The requirement of Charge to move "directly toward the designated opponent", taken literally, renders it impossible to ride by attack without committing to an overrun (no more jousting along-a-rail tournaments!). (Fix: insert phrase "a square which threatens" after the word "toward".)
100,123,124: Shields are categorized as "small" and "large" in the shield proficiency entry, but as "light" and "heavy" in the armor and shields table 7-6. Also, artwork on p124.
101,313***: Uncertainty (stemming from omission in monk section compared to glossary entry) as to whether victims of Stunning Fist drop items.
102***: Uncertainty in Weapon Focus (stemming from omission) regarding whether ranged-touch is an applicable category.
102***: Uncertainty regarding how (or whether) Widen Spell bolsters cone-shaped burst spells (e.g., Color Spray, Cone of Cold). If, as one assumes, their range is doubled, and a later reprint of the PHB explicitly states so, it must be careful to indicate that only cones receive doubled range.
113: "Thrown Weapons": Sais and bolas are missing from the list.
113***: Innappropriately Sized Weapons: Inconsistency between these two sentences: "A cumulative -2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference..." and "If a weapon's designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can't wield the weapon at all."
113,142***: Inconsistency regarding length of time to draw various ammunitions.
114: Duplicated text entries for 19-20/x2 and 18-20/x2 critical hits.
115: Reference to "light lance" in art.
115: The glaive pictured is capable of piercing damage.
115: Ordinary (i.e., neither short nor long) spears absent from art.
115,117: Sai: (1) This monk weapon should be added to p115 art. (2) Some sais are made with sharp tips, and blunt ones are easily sharpened. As it would be unrealistic to disallow sharpening them, sais should do bludgeoning or piercing damage.
115,118: Kama: (1) This monk weapon should be capable of piercing and slashing damage, not slashing only.
115,158***: Bolas: (1) These can make a "ranged trip attack", an action not described under Trip in the combat section. Opposed contests of strength do not seem appropriate, as the target is being wound-up, not jerked, nor should combatant sizes matter. It is also inappropriate that an opponent's legs be an easier target at range (for a trip) than his whole body (for a normal attack). Possible fix: Bolas entangle a struck target if it fails reflex-save DC of attacker's roll, and trip if it fails by 10 or more. (2) No hardness or hit points given (2 and 5 seem appropriate). (3) [See Net errata #3.]
116: Sap: As these are essentially just "soft clubs", positioning them as a martial weapon is an odd choice.
116-117, elsewhere: Uncertainty as to whether ranged weapons smaller than small or larger than normal have different ranged increments.
117,122: Arrows: 1 gp for 20 (p117); p122: "...masterwork quality adds...6 gp to the cost of a single unit of ammunition...a set of 10 masterwork arrows costs 70gp." (Ten MW arrows should cost 60 gp, 5 sp.)
118: Greatclubs: If these are bludgeoning only, then text references to being studded with nails or spikes should be omitted, and the art altered. Otherwise, greatclubs should do piercing and bludgeoning damage like a morningstar.
119***: Uncertainty as to whether there remains any top-end limit to strength bonuses possible in composite longbows.
119***: Net: (1) "A Net is only useful against creatures within one size category of you...." Now that weapons have their own sizes, the size of the wielder becomes irrelevant. FIX: change word "you" to "it", and eliminate the follow-up sentence with examples. (2) No hardness given. (3) DCs for strength and Escape Artist seem to preclude an entangled creature cutting itself free with a slashing weapon; mention should be made of the possibility or impossibility.
120: In the weapons picture, flails have spiked balls (spikier than the head of the nearby morningstar), but do only bludgeoning damage. Either the art or the damage categories of the weapon should be altered.
120: In the weapons picture, the gnome hooked hammer portrayed is implausibly short to enable functionality as a double weapon.
121-122***: Whip: Uncertainly regarding whether dexterity (via Weapon Finesse) can be used instead of strength during trip attack opposed rolls.
122: Masterwork Weapons: "All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality" should be rewritten as "All magic weapons are also of masterwork quality"
122,123***: Inconsistency regarding Tower shield Dexterity bonus to AC.
124***: Inconsistency in Armor Spikes regarding whether a spike attack is always considered an off-hand attack.
125: In the text descriptions of both heavy and light shields, the following phrase appears: "You can bash an opponent with a...shield, using it as an off-hand weapon." This precludes the possibility that the PC could be wielding a shield in his primary hand, supporting it in both hands, or wielding two shields.
126: Masterwork Armor: "All magic armors and shields are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality" should be rewritten as "All magic armors and shields are also of masterwork quality."
129-130***: Artisan's Tools, Masterwork appear to permit the same +2 competence bonus to Craft(alchemy) as the considerably more expensive Alchemist's Lab.
139,141,175***: p139 seems to state clearly that a spellcaster holding the charge on a melee touch spell is considered armed and threatens AoOs, but p141 would seem to imply otherwise, and p175 doesn't state either way. Also, p139 would seem to indicate that WF: Unarmed Strike applies to melee touch spells, although p141 and p175 don't mention it.
140,306***: Concentration: Inconsistency between skill text and glossary text regarding provocation of AoOs.
141: (Grammar quibble) On table 8-2, recommend changing "Make a dying friend stable" to "Stabilize dying friend".
141: Bull Rush table 8-2 entry has "No" for attack of opportunity.
141,158***: Inconsistency in whether trips (armed, unarmed) cause an AoO.
141,174***" Inconsistency regarding number of willing targets that can be touched in a round.
141,176***: Inconsistency with "Holding the Charge" in relation to multi-target spells.
92,140,143***: Combat Expertise: (1) On p140 it is stated that CE stacks with fighting defensively; it would be appropriate for the feat description to mention it. (2) Uncertainly as to whether CE stacks with fighting defensively as a full-round action.
153: Top picture: The flanking orc on right should have a "+2" next to him.
155,157***: An ally can block one's charge by being in a direct line between the charger and his target. This limitation appears to be easily circumvented, however, by the charger declaring an "overrun" attempt against his own party-member, who then "simply avoids".
174***: [Descriptor]: Uncertainty regarding whether or not one may cast spells of opposite alignment; as this is a frequent point of contention with new players, it should be made explicitly clear. (If the answer is anything less than affirmative, then questions arise concerning Tozan, a cleric of Pelor, casting Symbol of Pain, an evil spell, on p291.)
176: In Line Attack art, phrase "...or touches..." is extraneous and liable to cause confusion.
179: Spells Copied from Another's Spellbook or Scroll: 3rd Paragraph: "... A spell that was being copied from a scroll does not vanish from the scroll". (Poor grammar; recommend replacing text with "A spell does not vanish from the scroll unless it is successfully copied").
182,184,279***: Inconsistency regarding Silence area of effect.
182,193,267: Superscript "M" (material component) for Pyrotechnics is missing in bard and wizard spells-by-class section.
185,186(twice),191,225***: Inconsistency with Earthquake area of effect.
188,191,196,289***: Inconsistency with Sunburst area of effect.
189,278***: Inconsistency regarding Shillelagh damage. This spell should also reference a table (say, 7-4 on p114) to aid in calculating a weapon's new damage.
190,250***: Inconsistency regarding level power increase of Magic Fang, Greater.
192,210***: Inconsistency regarding Color Spray's number of targets.
193,280***: Inconsistency regarding effects of Slow.
193,294***: Inconsistency regarding whether Touch of Idiocy deals damage or a penalty.
194,228***: Inconsistency with Evard's Black Tentacles area of effect.
194,242***: Inconsistency with Horrid Wilting targets.
196- (the entire spell section): It is extremely frustrating for newbies (and to varying lesser extents anyone who hasn't memorized everything) to encounter 3.5's abbreviated (from 3.0) spell descriptions in which conditional results (e.g., blindness, stunned, falling, fear-stricken, etc) are left undefined in lieu of examination in glossary entries. It would be very helpful if such effects were emphasized (since italics are already earmarked for spell names, I suggest boldface), cuing the reader to the glossary.
198: Incorrect table references in Animal Growth.
205***: Blasphemy: (1) Inconsistency between range and area-of-effect.
206***: Blink: Inconsistency as to whether or not ethereal creatures can attack material creatures. FIX: Cut-n-pasted paragraph section beginning "An ethereal creature is..." should be replaced with a reference to "ethereal" in the PHB glossary (the entry should be expanded to include additional text currently in the spell description).
210***: Color Spray: Uncertainty is to whether or not the AC penalties resulting from being both blind and stunned stack. (Several others spells impart similar overlapping, deleterious effects.)
212***: Confusion, Lesser: (1) No saving throw or spell resistance listings. (2) DF component requirement, although it is a bard-only spell.
214: Control Weather reference to "hurricane-force winds" in the "Late Winter" season. (Fix: change to "gale-force winds".)
215***: Crushing Despair: Uncertainly as to whether spell remains in effect within the target area for the listed duration.
216: (Grammar) Darkness: Phrase "shadowy illumination" is an oxymoron.
216***: Darkvision: Two saving throw entries.
217***: Death Knell: Multiple uncertainties (one for each effect) regarding whether boons gained from multiple castings upon different victims stack.
221***: Inconsistant (with MM entry) reference to "extradimensional perception and attack forms" of basilisk gaze in Dimensional Anchor.
223***: Dispel Magic: Inconsistency between header and text description area of effect size. Also references to spell "monster summoning".
224, 294***: Uncertainty as to whether Divine Power and Tenser's Transformation (which elevate BAB to character level) are intended to work that way in epic level play.
225-226***: Earthquate: (1) No depth given for fissures created or falling damage (if any) assigned. (2) If it is possible to escape from a fissure before it closes, by means of flight, vertical jumping, tunneling (e.g., polymorph or shapechange into a burrowing creature) or anything besides a transport spell requiring a DC 20 concentration check, it should be variously indicated. (3) No effects listed for being stuck in mud or quicksand.
226-227***: Enlarge Person: (1) Reference to Table 2-2 in the DMG; if said table is not dissimilar with Table 7-4 in the PHB (p114), then 7-4 should also be cited as it is the one the player has readier access to (if the DMG table and 7-4 *are* different, expect confusion among players without DMGs, and confusion anyway as to why two tables regarding larger or smaller weapons versions would be different). (2) Uncertainty as to whether the recipients incur movement penalties from the increased weight of their own equipment (or themselves). (3) Uncertainty as to how much extra reach enlarged reach weapons acquire. (4) Inconsistancy regarding ammunition ("returns to its normal size"...."deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them" [e.g., would an arrow fired from a still-enlarged longbow deal 1d8 or 2d6?]) (5) Inconsistency between x8 weight increase of enlarged equipment and weight increases for larger armor on p123.
227-228: Ethereal Jaunt: Four-inch long paragraph (identical to the one in "Blink") beginning "An ethereal creature..." could be replaced with a reference to the PHB glossary entry for ethereal.
228: Etherealness: In accordance with the new spell-naming convention, this spell could be renamed Ethereal Jaunt, Mass.
229: Faerie Fire: While the spell description notes "outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness", it would be helpful to succinctly state that affected creatures are unable to hide in shadows.
229***: Fear: Uncertainly as to whether or not spell remains in effect within the target area for the listed duration.
238,297: Incorrect durations listed for Hallow and Unhallow.
238,258***: Inconsistency in wind speeds for "Gust of Wind" and "Obscuring Mist".
239***: Ambiguity regarding potential of Harm to drop a target to below one hit point on a failed save.
239: Haste: Phrase "...with any weapon he is holding" is extraneous and open to confusion. (FIX: Remove it.)
241***: In the context of Hold Person, what specifically constitutes an "action" is left undefined (i.e., is casting a Silent, Still spell or communicating telepathically allowed? etc).
245***: Invisibility, Mass. Incongruity in that this is the only "Mass" spell positioned 5 levels over the base spell. (Possible FIX: Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 6.)
251***: Magic Missile: Uncertainty regarding definition of "creature". Can Magic Missile target Spectral Hand, or specific (rather than random) Mirror Images? Etc.
252,254,260,265,279: (1) In Minor Image, is is unclear if "minor sounds" encompasses all sounds *except* "understandable speech". (2) It is unclear if Major and higher-up Image spells grant understandable speech. (3) Major Image, Minor Image, Permanent Image, Persistant Image and Programmed Image all reference (necessitating annoying page-flipping), and are upgrades to, Silent Image. (FIX: Rename all of these spells to Image, Xyx, so they're all listed adjacently.)
254***: Mirror Image: (1) Uncertainty as to whether each image must occupy a separate 5' square at the completion of movement. (2) Uncertainty as to whether or not the caster can arrange his images in such a way as to present melee opponents with only images within actual reach. (3) Uncertainly as to what, if anything, enhances the AC of images (e.g., would certain images benefit from partial cover bonuses to AC, etc).
255: Text of Mislead refers to Improved Invisibility (a renamed spell).
255: Moment of Prescience: Grammar FIX: Change "before you make the roll it is to modify" to "before the roll to modify is made" in order to account for situations in which the caster won't be the one making the die roll.
263: Polymorph any Object refers to "transmute water to dust".
266: Protection from Evil's text indicates it prevents bodily contact by all non-good (not just evil) summoned creatures. The equivalent texts of Protection from Good, Chaos and Law are not worded to work identically from their respective alignment.
274: Reference to "bolts" in Scorching Ray. (FIX: Just remove that word.)
274***: Inconsistancy regarding whether targets of Scrying can be heard.
276***: Shades: Uncertainly (stemming from omission versus inclusion in Shadow Conjuration) regarding whether conjuration mimicking is limited to summonings and creations.
276: Shadow Conjuration's text reads: "...the save DC is set according to shadow conjuration's level (5th)". It is a 4th-level spell.
277***: Shapechange refers to disorientation, an apparently (?) discontinued conditional affliction (Polymorph no longer imparts it, and there is no glossary entry for disorientation).
282-283***: (1) Spell Turning inconsistently handles Inflict Serious Wounds examples. (2) Further inconsistency regarding applicability to area-effect spells, and 4th-level arcane Fear (a cone-shaped burst).
284***`: Statue: Uncertainty regarding whether the subject is immobile while in statue form, or able to move about (i.e., as per Iron Body).
285: Summon Instrument: "Harp" is listed among instruments prohibited from summoning due to size. (Many harps are small enough to be held in two hands; I have a bard miniature with a hand-held harp). FIX: Eliminate the list of examples and save two lines of text.
285-289: A page of text could be eliminated by consolidating the Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally spells into a table.
314: Glossary entry for Suprise refers to "partial actions".
= = =
Annoyances and other things that could be fixed:
63: The "C"s and "cc"s on the skill chart are considerably less aesthetic than the old large-dot, little-dot scheme.
114,123: Armor helpfully has a cost table for all possible sizes; one for weapons and other equipment would be equally helpful.
259-260, many other spell listings: Repeated references within the text descriptions of various spells (e.g., Arcane Sight) as to whether or not they can be rendered permanent. Since Permanency's description contains a table listing all these spells, other references are redundant and could be removed to save space.
314: "Tripped" is not in the glossary. This is extremely annoyingly, since many weapons, feats and monsters trip.
Following is a list of spells whose descriptions are annoyingly unspecific. They fall into two categories: Those which do not explain the details of their effects (because the effect's definition is located in the glossary), and those which refer to unspecified locations in the DMG or MM when the information needed could be encapsulated briefly in a few sentences or a small table. This is very confusing to newbies.
Words in "quotes" below are PHB glossary items; a good fix would to make boldface relevant references within spell description text, and add a prefatory note regarding boldfaced terms on p196 prior to the first spell.
201: Astral Projection: "Luckily, few things can destroy a silvercord (see the DMG..." (Name these things, if they are only a few.)
205: Blasphemy references "dazed", "paralyzed" and "helpless".
206: Blindness/Deafness references "blinded" and "deafened".
208: Cause Fear references "shaken".
209: Chill Metal references the DMG regarding magical metal saves.
209: Chill Touch references "panicked".
210: Color Spray references "stunned" and "blinded".
213: Contagion references DMG.
218: Detect Evil references "stunned".
220: Detect Undead references "stunned".
221: Dictum references "deafened", "paralyzed" and "helpless".
225: Doom references "shaken".
227: Entangle references "entangled".
228: Eyebite references "sickened", "panicked" and "comatose".
229: Fear references DMG for information on "fear-panicked", even though PHB glossary entries for "fear-effect", "frightened", panicked" and "shaken" all exist.
229: Feather Fall references the DMG for falling damage (the omission of falling from treatment in the PHB is extremely annoying, given the frequency of it from a variety of failed checks, bull-rushes and dispels of flight spells; it deserves, minimally, a PHB glossary entry).
232: Flare references "dazzled".
234: Geas/Quest references "sickened".
235: Ghoul Touch references "paralyzed" and "sickened".
236: Glitterdust references "blinded".
239: Heal references a dozen different glossary entries.
241: Hold Person references "paralyzed".
241: Holy Aura references "blinded".
241-242: Holy Smite references "blinded".
242: Holy Word references "deafened", "blinded" and "paralyzed".
242: Hypnotic Pattern references "fascinated".
242: Hypnotism references "fascinated".
245: Iron Body references "blindness", "deafness" and "stunning". 254: Mirror Image references "blindness".
257: Nightmare references "fatigued" and "stunned".
258: Order's Wrath references "dazed".
263: Power Word: Blind references "blinded".
264: Power Word: Stun references "stunned".
264: Prismatic Sphere, Spray and Wall reference "blindness".
266: Project Image references "blinded" and "deafened".
267: Pyrotechnics references "blinded".
268: Rainbow Pattern references "fascinated".
269: Ray of Exhaustion references "exhausted".
270: Remove Blindness/Deafness references "blinded" and "deafened".
271: Remove Paralysis references "paralyzed".
272: Restoration, Greater, Lesser: reference "fatigue" and "exhaustion".
274: Scare references "frightened".
274: Scintillating Pattern references "stunned".
277: Shadow Walk references "fatigued".
279: Shout and Shout, Greater references "deafened".
281: Sound Burst references "deafened".
284: Status references (many glossary entries).
284: Stinking Cloud references "nauseated".
285: Storm of Vengeance references "deafened"
289: Summon Swarm references MM regarding "swarms".
289: Sunbeam and Sunburst reference "blinded".
290: Symbol of Fear references "panicked".
291: Symbol of Stunning references "stunned".
294: Touch of Fatigue references "fatigued".
297: Unholy Blight references "sickened".
301: Waves of Exhaustion references "exhausted".
301: Waves of Fatigue references "fatigued".
301: Web references "entangled".
301: Weird references "stunned".
303: Word of Chaos references "deafened" and "stunned".
= = = =
NEW errata 8/10/03
41: Duplicated six-line text sequences (back-to-back) beginning "or she could attack with one end of the quarterstaff and one unarmed strike..." and ending "...at a +0 attack bonus" in left-hand column.
98: Combat Reflexes: (1) Last sentence of "Benefit" contains "opportunity" twice. (2) Second to last sentence of "benefit" begins "If four goblins move out..."; this is a poor example, as the goblins may be retreating in such a way that an AoO is not permitted.
236: Uncertainty as to whether Glitterdust's duration refers to the presence of the "cloud" of glitter, or only to effects upon victims.
The 3.5 PHB Errata List
Updated: 8/04/03
The purpose of the list is to insure that a maximum number of Player's Handbook errors are consolidated into one location, and to receive quick answers regarding many of them prior to the release of FAQs or other documents.
The list is maintained by Mike Schneider, mike1@usfamily.net, and regularly updated at wizards.com http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72109 and Enworld http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58896.
If you find an error in your copy of the PHB, please consult the latest version of the errata list to see if it already present, then post to one of the locations specified above, preferably the wizards.com one. Do NOT send errata for the DMG or MM; I do not have or intend to create an errata list for those book (but *you* could start one!).
=====
Official, credited answers are sought for inconsistency, ambiguity or implied-by-omission errors (***). The list will be reposted including them as a preliminary FAQ of sorts.
=====
Errors and possible errors:
14,84***: Dwarves appear eligible to Tumble in medium or heavy armor as they no longer suffer movement penalties from it.
28,89***: Inconsistency regarding bards and Armor Proficiency (medium).
40,41: Table and text reference to "lawful" Ki strikes. (As an effect, "Lawful" has been renamed to "Axiomatic".)
44***: Multiple uncertainties regarding a paladin's special mount, now summoned as a spell-like, conjuration ability: For the purposes of "detect magic", how magical is the mount? Can the summoning of the mount be interrupted by Dispel Magic, Break Enchantment or Silence? Does the summoning require verbal or somatic components? What is the paladin's effective spell-level while summoning? Is the mount, since it is summoned, susceptible to being thwarted by Protection from Good (or Law), Magic Circle, Dismissal, etc?
45: The Paladin's Mount: First sentence contains "is" twice.
50***: Uncertainty regarding absence of sap from rogue weapon list.
50,112***: Inconsistency regarding rogue proficiency with all simple weapons.
53: Familiars' Empathic Link: Ambiguity in text description in that "....only general emotional content....can be communicated..." seems to preclude a master from giving his familiar instructions telepathically.
60***: Whether prestige class levels avoid XP penalties is not addressed.
63: What "C" and "cc" mean isn't listed underneath the skill chart -- sure to confound newbies seeing it for the first time.
66***: Uncertainty as to whether multiple synergy bonuses stack.
67,308***: Inconsistancy between Balance's usage of, and the glossary's definition of, the condition of being flat-footed.
69,283***: Inconsistency between what recipients of Spider Climb are capable of and whether Climb checks are necessary for them.
73: Disguise refers to a non-existent "Deceptive" feat.
76,79***: Hide and Move Silenty list a -5 penalty for over-half-to-normal move, and -20 for attacking, running or charging. Since the skill descriptions do not address it, some are assuming that a penalty exists when taking a double move action (even if both are at half-rate). This should be clarified.
76,283***: Inconstancy between Heal's description of, and Spike Growth and Spike Stones' description of, movement reduction.
78: Listen DC Modifiers: The -1 and -5 entries should be +1 and +5. "Listener Sleeping" should appear on the list at +10, and/or distraction's modifier should be listed in the "Special" section along with sleeping.
89: Armor Proficiency (Light) references Pick Pocket.
91,94: Greater Spell Focus doesn't list its Spell Focus prerequisite in either place in the appropriate section.
91,96***: Improved Overrun: Inconstistancy regarding avoidance of AoOs from feat table entry to text entry.
91,102***: Weapon Finesse: (1) "1,2" in p91 table entry. (2) Inconsistency between table and description as to whether proficiency with weapon is a prerequisite.
93***: The text of "Endurance", near the end of the "Benefit", reads "...Also, you may sleep in light or medium armor without becoming fatigued." It then immediately continues: "[paragraph] Normal: A character without this feat who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued..." These two passages, and the fact the anybody may sleep in light armor without fatigue anyway, imply that the last sentence of the "Benefit" paragraph should actually be: "Also, you may sleep in medium or heavy armor without becoming fatigued." True or not, the grammar should be improved to avoid ambiguity.
96: Improved Unarmed Strike: typo error: "...you do not provoke attacks or opportunity" ("of", not "or").
96,158,167***: Uncertainty (stemming from omission) regarding whether magical weapons have a chance (e.g., saving throw) or no chance to break when struck (sunder attempt) by weapons of lesser enhancement.
98: The text of Point-Blank Shot should allude to the applicability of certain types of magical ranged attacks.
99,123***: Run: "Normal" text indicates that persons in medium armor can run only three times their speed; this conflicts with the text in the armor section which penalizes heavy armor only.
99,121***: Rapid Reload: (1) Slings are not listed as applicable, even though slings have been changed in 3.5 to require a move action to load. (2) This feat renders repeating crossbows, and Exotic Weapon Proficiency regarding them, very poor values. (Fix: shift repeaters to the Martial category, and allow Rapid Reload to reduce to a move action the time required to load a repeater case.)
99,154: The requirement of Charge to move "directly toward the designated opponent", taken literally, renders it impossible to ride by attack without committing to an overrun (no more jousting along-a-rail tournaments!). (Fix: insert phrase "a square which threatens" after the word "toward".)
100,123,124: Shields are categorized as "small" and "large" in the shield proficiency entry, but as "light" and "heavy" in the armor and shields table 7-6. Also, artwork on p124.
101,313***: Uncertainty (stemming from omission in monk section compared to glossary entry) as to whether victims of Stunning Fist drop items.
102***: Uncertainty in Weapon Focus (stemming from omission) regarding whether ranged-touch is an applicable category.
102***: Uncertainty regarding how (or whether) Widen Spell bolsters cone-shaped burst spells (e.g., Color Spray, Cone of Cold). If, as one assumes, their range is doubled, and a later reprint of the PHB explicitly states so, it must be careful to indicate that only cones receive doubled range.
113: "Thrown Weapons": Sais and bolas are missing from the list.
113***: Innappropriately Sized Weapons: Inconsistency between these two sentences: "A cumulative -2 penalty applies on attack rolls for each size category of difference..." and "If a weapon's designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can't wield the weapon at all."
113,142***: Inconsistency regarding length of time to draw various ammunitions.
114: Duplicated text entries for 19-20/x2 and 18-20/x2 critical hits.
115: Reference to "light lance" in art.
115: The glaive pictured is capable of piercing damage.
115: Ordinary (i.e., neither short nor long) spears absent from art.
115,117: Sai: (1) This monk weapon should be added to p115 art. (2) Some sais are made with sharp tips, and blunt ones are easily sharpened. As it would be unrealistic to disallow sharpening them, sais should do bludgeoning or piercing damage.
115,118: Kama: (1) This monk weapon should be capable of piercing and slashing damage, not slashing only.
115,158***: Bolas: (1) These can make a "ranged trip attack", an action not described under Trip in the combat section. Opposed contests of strength do not seem appropriate, as the target is being wound-up, not jerked, nor should combatant sizes matter. It is also inappropriate that an opponent's legs be an easier target at range (for a trip) than his whole body (for a normal attack). Possible fix: Bolas entangle a struck target if it fails reflex-save DC of attacker's roll, and trip if it fails by 10 or more. (2) No hardness or hit points given (2 and 5 seem appropriate). (3) [See Net errata #3.]
116: Sap: As these are essentially just "soft clubs", positioning them as a martial weapon is an odd choice.
116-117, elsewhere: Uncertainty as to whether ranged weapons smaller than small or larger than normal have different ranged increments.
117,122: Arrows: 1 gp for 20 (p117); p122: "...masterwork quality adds...6 gp to the cost of a single unit of ammunition...a set of 10 masterwork arrows costs 70gp." (Ten MW arrows should cost 60 gp, 5 sp.)
118: Greatclubs: If these are bludgeoning only, then text references to being studded with nails or spikes should be omitted, and the art altered. Otherwise, greatclubs should do piercing and bludgeoning damage like a morningstar.
119***: Uncertainty as to whether there remains any top-end limit to strength bonuses possible in composite longbows.
119***: Net: (1) "A Net is only useful against creatures within one size category of you...." Now that weapons have their own sizes, the size of the wielder becomes irrelevant. FIX: change word "you" to "it", and eliminate the follow-up sentence with examples. (2) No hardness given. (3) DCs for strength and Escape Artist seem to preclude an entangled creature cutting itself free with a slashing weapon; mention should be made of the possibility or impossibility.
120: In the weapons picture, flails have spiked balls (spikier than the head of the nearby morningstar), but do only bludgeoning damage. Either the art or the damage categories of the weapon should be altered.
120: In the weapons picture, the gnome hooked hammer portrayed is implausibly short to enable functionality as a double weapon.
121-122***: Whip: Uncertainly regarding whether dexterity (via Weapon Finesse) can be used instead of strength during trip attack opposed rolls.
122: Masterwork Weapons: "All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality" should be rewritten as "All magic weapons are also of masterwork quality"
122,123***: Inconsistency regarding Tower shield Dexterity bonus to AC.
124***: Inconsistency in Armor Spikes regarding whether a spike attack is always considered an off-hand attack.
125: In the text descriptions of both heavy and light shields, the following phrase appears: "You can bash an opponent with a...shield, using it as an off-hand weapon." This precludes the possibility that the PC could be wielding a shield in his primary hand, supporting it in both hands, or wielding two shields.
126: Masterwork Armor: "All magic armors and shields are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality" should be rewritten as "All magic armors and shields are also of masterwork quality."
129-130***: Artisan's Tools, Masterwork appear to permit the same +2 competence bonus to Craft(alchemy) as the considerably more expensive Alchemist's Lab.
139,141,175***: p139 seems to state clearly that a spellcaster holding the charge on a melee touch spell is considered armed and threatens AoOs, but p141 would seem to imply otherwise, and p175 doesn't state either way. Also, p139 would seem to indicate that WF: Unarmed Strike applies to melee touch spells, although p141 and p175 don't mention it.
140,306***: Concentration: Inconsistency between skill text and glossary text regarding provocation of AoOs.
141: (Grammar quibble) On table 8-2, recommend changing "Make a dying friend stable" to "Stabilize dying friend".
141: Bull Rush table 8-2 entry has "No" for attack of opportunity.
141,158***: Inconsistency in whether trips (armed, unarmed) cause an AoO.
141,174***" Inconsistency regarding number of willing targets that can be touched in a round.
141,176***: Inconsistency with "Holding the Charge" in relation to multi-target spells.
92,140,143***: Combat Expertise: (1) On p140 it is stated that CE stacks with fighting defensively; it would be appropriate for the feat description to mention it. (2) Uncertainly as to whether CE stacks with fighting defensively as a full-round action.
153: Top picture: The flanking orc on right should have a "+2" next to him.
155,157***: An ally can block one's charge by being in a direct line between the charger and his target. This limitation appears to be easily circumvented, however, by the charger declaring an "overrun" attempt against his own party-member, who then "simply avoids".
174***: [Descriptor]: Uncertainty regarding whether or not one may cast spells of opposite alignment; as this is a frequent point of contention with new players, it should be made explicitly clear. (If the answer is anything less than affirmative, then questions arise concerning Tozan, a cleric of Pelor, casting Symbol of Pain, an evil spell, on p291.)
176: In Line Attack art, phrase "...or touches..." is extraneous and liable to cause confusion.
179: Spells Copied from Another's Spellbook or Scroll: 3rd Paragraph: "... A spell that was being copied from a scroll does not vanish from the scroll". (Poor grammar; recommend replacing text with "A spell does not vanish from the scroll unless it is successfully copied").
182,184,279***: Inconsistency regarding Silence area of effect.
182,193,267: Superscript "M" (material component) for Pyrotechnics is missing in bard and wizard spells-by-class section.
185,186(twice),191,225***: Inconsistency with Earthquake area of effect.
188,191,196,289***: Inconsistency with Sunburst area of effect.
189,278***: Inconsistency regarding Shillelagh damage. This spell should also reference a table (say, 7-4 on p114) to aid in calculating a weapon's new damage.
190,250***: Inconsistency regarding level power increase of Magic Fang, Greater.
192,210***: Inconsistency regarding Color Spray's number of targets.
193,280***: Inconsistency regarding effects of Slow.
193,294***: Inconsistency regarding whether Touch of Idiocy deals damage or a penalty.
194,228***: Inconsistency with Evard's Black Tentacles area of effect.
194,242***: Inconsistency with Horrid Wilting targets.
196- (the entire spell section): It is extremely frustrating for newbies (and to varying lesser extents anyone who hasn't memorized everything) to encounter 3.5's abbreviated (from 3.0) spell descriptions in which conditional results (e.g., blindness, stunned, falling, fear-stricken, etc) are left undefined in lieu of examination in glossary entries. It would be very helpful if such effects were emphasized (since italics are already earmarked for spell names, I suggest boldface), cuing the reader to the glossary.
198: Incorrect table references in Animal Growth.
205***: Blasphemy: (1) Inconsistency between range and area-of-effect.
206***: Blink: Inconsistency as to whether or not ethereal creatures can attack material creatures. FIX: Cut-n-pasted paragraph section beginning "An ethereal creature is..." should be replaced with a reference to "ethereal" in the PHB glossary (the entry should be expanded to include additional text currently in the spell description).
210***: Color Spray: Uncertainty is to whether or not the AC penalties resulting from being both blind and stunned stack. (Several others spells impart similar overlapping, deleterious effects.)
212***: Confusion, Lesser: (1) No saving throw or spell resistance listings. (2) DF component requirement, although it is a bard-only spell.
214: Control Weather reference to "hurricane-force winds" in the "Late Winter" season. (Fix: change to "gale-force winds".)
215***: Crushing Despair: Uncertainly as to whether spell remains in effect within the target area for the listed duration.
216: (Grammar) Darkness: Phrase "shadowy illumination" is an oxymoron.
216***: Darkvision: Two saving throw entries.
217***: Death Knell: Multiple uncertainties (one for each effect) regarding whether boons gained from multiple castings upon different victims stack.
221***: Inconsistant (with MM entry) reference to "extradimensional perception and attack forms" of basilisk gaze in Dimensional Anchor.
223***: Dispel Magic: Inconsistency between header and text description area of effect size. Also references to spell "monster summoning".
224, 294***: Uncertainty as to whether Divine Power and Tenser's Transformation (which elevate BAB to character level) are intended to work that way in epic level play.
225-226***: Earthquate: (1) No depth given for fissures created or falling damage (if any) assigned. (2) If it is possible to escape from a fissure before it closes, by means of flight, vertical jumping, tunneling (e.g., polymorph or shapechange into a burrowing creature) or anything besides a transport spell requiring a DC 20 concentration check, it should be variously indicated. (3) No effects listed for being stuck in mud or quicksand.
226-227***: Enlarge Person: (1) Reference to Table 2-2 in the DMG; if said table is not dissimilar with Table 7-4 in the PHB (p114), then 7-4 should also be cited as it is the one the player has readier access to (if the DMG table and 7-4 *are* different, expect confusion among players without DMGs, and confusion anyway as to why two tables regarding larger or smaller weapons versions would be different). (2) Uncertainty as to whether the recipients incur movement penalties from the increased weight of their own equipment (or themselves). (3) Uncertainty as to how much extra reach enlarged reach weapons acquire. (4) Inconsistancy regarding ammunition ("returns to its normal size"...."deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them" [e.g., would an arrow fired from a still-enlarged longbow deal 1d8 or 2d6?]) (5) Inconsistency between x8 weight increase of enlarged equipment and weight increases for larger armor on p123.
227-228: Ethereal Jaunt: Four-inch long paragraph (identical to the one in "Blink") beginning "An ethereal creature..." could be replaced with a reference to the PHB glossary entry for ethereal.
228: Etherealness: In accordance with the new spell-naming convention, this spell could be renamed Ethereal Jaunt, Mass.
229: Faerie Fire: While the spell description notes "outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness", it would be helpful to succinctly state that affected creatures are unable to hide in shadows.
229***: Fear: Uncertainly as to whether or not spell remains in effect within the target area for the listed duration.
238,297: Incorrect durations listed for Hallow and Unhallow.
238,258***: Inconsistency in wind speeds for "Gust of Wind" and "Obscuring Mist".
239***: Ambiguity regarding potential of Harm to drop a target to below one hit point on a failed save.
239: Haste: Phrase "...with any weapon he is holding" is extraneous and open to confusion. (FIX: Remove it.)
241***: In the context of Hold Person, what specifically constitutes an "action" is left undefined (i.e., is casting a Silent, Still spell or communicating telepathically allowed? etc).
245***: Invisibility, Mass. Incongruity in that this is the only "Mass" spell positioned 5 levels over the base spell. (Possible FIX: Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 6.)
251***: Magic Missile: Uncertainty regarding definition of "creature". Can Magic Missile target Spectral Hand, or specific (rather than random) Mirror Images? Etc.
252,254,260,265,279: (1) In Minor Image, is is unclear if "minor sounds" encompasses all sounds *except* "understandable speech". (2) It is unclear if Major and higher-up Image spells grant understandable speech. (3) Major Image, Minor Image, Permanent Image, Persistant Image and Programmed Image all reference (necessitating annoying page-flipping), and are upgrades to, Silent Image. (FIX: Rename all of these spells to Image, Xyx, so they're all listed adjacently.)
254***: Mirror Image: (1) Uncertainty as to whether each image must occupy a separate 5' square at the completion of movement. (2) Uncertainty as to whether or not the caster can arrange his images in such a way as to present melee opponents with only images within actual reach. (3) Uncertainly as to what, if anything, enhances the AC of images (e.g., would certain images benefit from partial cover bonuses to AC, etc).
255: Text of Mislead refers to Improved Invisibility (a renamed spell).
255: Moment of Prescience: Grammar FIX: Change "before you make the roll it is to modify" to "before the roll to modify is made" in order to account for situations in which the caster won't be the one making the die roll.
263: Polymorph any Object refers to "transmute water to dust".
266: Protection from Evil's text indicates it prevents bodily contact by all non-good (not just evil) summoned creatures. The equivalent texts of Protection from Good, Chaos and Law are not worded to work identically from their respective alignment.
274: Reference to "bolts" in Scorching Ray. (FIX: Just remove that word.)
274***: Inconsistancy regarding whether targets of Scrying can be heard.
276***: Shades: Uncertainly (stemming from omission versus inclusion in Shadow Conjuration) regarding whether conjuration mimicking is limited to summonings and creations.
276: Shadow Conjuration's text reads: "...the save DC is set according to shadow conjuration's level (5th)". It is a 4th-level spell.
277***: Shapechange refers to disorientation, an apparently (?) discontinued conditional affliction (Polymorph no longer imparts it, and there is no glossary entry for disorientation).
282-283***: (1) Spell Turning inconsistently handles Inflict Serious Wounds examples. (2) Further inconsistency regarding applicability to area-effect spells, and 4th-level arcane Fear (a cone-shaped burst).
284***`: Statue: Uncertainty regarding whether the subject is immobile while in statue form, or able to move about (i.e., as per Iron Body).
285: Summon Instrument: "Harp" is listed among instruments prohibited from summoning due to size. (Many harps are small enough to be held in two hands; I have a bard miniature with a hand-held harp). FIX: Eliminate the list of examples and save two lines of text.
285-289: A page of text could be eliminated by consolidating the Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally spells into a table.
314: Glossary entry for Suprise refers to "partial actions".
= = =
Annoyances and other things that could be fixed:
63: The "C"s and "cc"s on the skill chart are considerably less aesthetic than the old large-dot, little-dot scheme.
114,123: Armor helpfully has a cost table for all possible sizes; one for weapons and other equipment would be equally helpful.
259-260, many other spell listings: Repeated references within the text descriptions of various spells (e.g., Arcane Sight) as to whether or not they can be rendered permanent. Since Permanency's description contains a table listing all these spells, other references are redundant and could be removed to save space.
314: "Tripped" is not in the glossary. This is extremely annoyingly, since many weapons, feats and monsters trip.
Following is a list of spells whose descriptions are annoyingly unspecific. They fall into two categories: Those which do not explain the details of their effects (because the effect's definition is located in the glossary), and those which refer to unspecified locations in the DMG or MM when the information needed could be encapsulated briefly in a few sentences or a small table. This is very confusing to newbies.
Words in "quotes" below are PHB glossary items; a good fix would to make boldface relevant references within spell description text, and add a prefatory note regarding boldfaced terms on p196 prior to the first spell.
201: Astral Projection: "Luckily, few things can destroy a silvercord (see the DMG..." (Name these things, if they are only a few.)
205: Blasphemy references "dazed", "paralyzed" and "helpless".
206: Blindness/Deafness references "blinded" and "deafened".
208: Cause Fear references "shaken".
209: Chill Metal references the DMG regarding magical metal saves.
209: Chill Touch references "panicked".
210: Color Spray references "stunned" and "blinded".
213: Contagion references DMG.
218: Detect Evil references "stunned".
220: Detect Undead references "stunned".
221: Dictum references "deafened", "paralyzed" and "helpless".
225: Doom references "shaken".
227: Entangle references "entangled".
228: Eyebite references "sickened", "panicked" and "comatose".
229: Fear references DMG for information on "fear-panicked", even though PHB glossary entries for "fear-effect", "frightened", panicked" and "shaken" all exist.
229: Feather Fall references the DMG for falling damage (the omission of falling from treatment in the PHB is extremely annoying, given the frequency of it from a variety of failed checks, bull-rushes and dispels of flight spells; it deserves, minimally, a PHB glossary entry).
232: Flare references "dazzled".
234: Geas/Quest references "sickened".
235: Ghoul Touch references "paralyzed" and "sickened".
236: Glitterdust references "blinded".
239: Heal references a dozen different glossary entries.
241: Hold Person references "paralyzed".
241: Holy Aura references "blinded".
241-242: Holy Smite references "blinded".
242: Holy Word references "deafened", "blinded" and "paralyzed".
242: Hypnotic Pattern references "fascinated".
242: Hypnotism references "fascinated".
245: Iron Body references "blindness", "deafness" and "stunning". 254: Mirror Image references "blindness".
257: Nightmare references "fatigued" and "stunned".
258: Order's Wrath references "dazed".
263: Power Word: Blind references "blinded".
264: Power Word: Stun references "stunned".
264: Prismatic Sphere, Spray and Wall reference "blindness".
266: Project Image references "blinded" and "deafened".
267: Pyrotechnics references "blinded".
268: Rainbow Pattern references "fascinated".
269: Ray of Exhaustion references "exhausted".
270: Remove Blindness/Deafness references "blinded" and "deafened".
271: Remove Paralysis references "paralyzed".
272: Restoration, Greater, Lesser: reference "fatigue" and "exhaustion".
274: Scare references "frightened".
274: Scintillating Pattern references "stunned".
277: Shadow Walk references "fatigued".
279: Shout and Shout, Greater references "deafened".
281: Sound Burst references "deafened".
284: Status references (many glossary entries).
284: Stinking Cloud references "nauseated".
285: Storm of Vengeance references "deafened"
289: Summon Swarm references MM regarding "swarms".
289: Sunbeam and Sunburst reference "blinded".
290: Symbol of Fear references "panicked".
291: Symbol of Stunning references "stunned".
294: Touch of Fatigue references "fatigued".
297: Unholy Blight references "sickened".
301: Waves of Exhaustion references "exhausted".
301: Waves of Fatigue references "fatigued".
301: Web references "entangled".
301: Weird references "stunned".
303: Word of Chaos references "deafened" and "stunned".
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