The FAQ trumps the PHB

[Majoru Oakheart]

And does acid damage ignore hardness?

-Hyp.

Yes, the FAQ is official in LG. Acid ignores hardness of inanimate objects but not animate ones. The sage is clear that his clarification is because you aren't hitting objects, you are hitting creatures.

According to the FAQ, the bastard sword is a two handed weapon, so it is.

 

[Caliban]

Yes, the FAQ is official in LG. Acid ignores hardness of inanimate objects but not animate ones. The sage is clear that his clarification is because you aren't hitting objects, you are hitting creatures.

Actually, the sage is pretty clear that you use the same rules for hardness for both. From the answer to the question regarding animated objects and hardness, first sentence:

If the spell in question has an energy descriptor, hardness
affects the attack as noted in the rules for damaging inanimate
objects (see page 165 in the Player’s Handbook); here’s a
summary:

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Actually, the sage is pretty clear that you use the same rules for hardness for both. From the answer to the question regarding animated objects and hardness, first sentence:

I don't know, I read that "when using spells on an inanimate object, use the rules from the PHB"

I.E. acid and sonic ignore hardness, etc.

 

[Silveras]

I used to think the answer in the FAQ about energy attacks and hardness was wrong, too. Then I re-read the Players' Handbook, and found the FAQ was correct.

Hardness: Each object has hardness -- a number that represents how well it resists damage. Whenever an object takes damage, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object's hit points (see table 9-8: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points; Table 9-9: Substance Hardness and Hit Points; and table 9-11: Object Hardness and Hit Points).

Hit Points: An object's hit point total depends on what it is made of and how big it is (see Table 9-8, Table 9-9, and Table 9-11). When an object's hit points reach 0, it is ruined.
Very large objects have separate hit point totals for different sections. For example, you can attack and ruin wagon wheel without destroying the whole wagon.

Energy Attacks: Acid and sonic attacks deal damage to most objects just as they do to creatures: roll damage and apply it normally after a successful hit. Electricity and fire attacks deal half damage to most objects: divide the damage dealt by two before applying the hardness. Cold attacks deal one-quarter damage to most objects: divide the damage dealt by 4 before applying the hardness.

Ranged Weapon Damage: ...

Note that the Hardness section simply says you ALWAYS apply hardness.

What the FAQ is making clear is poor wording in the Hit Points section's sub-section on energy attacks. Namely, Acid and Sonic ARE NOT reduced before applying hardness, while Electricity, Fire, and Cold ARE reduced before applying hardness.

Without the FAQ's explanation, it is easy to conclude that the wording in that section prevents hardness from being applied to Acid and Sonic attacks.



However, I still stand behind my general statement that the DM makes the final decisions. Some particular forms of play (Living Greyhawk, for example), may constrain the DM more than others, but in most non-organized play, the DM decides which rules and which interpretations (NOT the same things) will be used.

 

[RedShirtNo5]

Argument 1: the FAQ is a secondary source because 1) the primary source rule specifically lists the core books as primary and does not mention the FAQ, 2) since what most players have are the printed books, the printed books should take precedence over electronic sources. Therefore, \the FAQ can clarify but cannot overrule the core books.

Argument 2: the FAQ is primary over the core books because 1) the purpose of the FAQ is to ensure uniform rule application, and 2) individual DMs do not agree on whether a rule from the core books is ambiguous (and thus do not agree whether the FAQ is merely clarifying or is overruling the core), so the only way to achieve uniformity to to treat all rules from the FAQ as primary.

Personally, I see argument 2 as stronger. The errata and FAQ are both electronic sources. If the group has the errata, they should have the FAQ too. So in a Living campaign, where both are stated to be official, there isn't a reason to treat errata differently. Yes, it would be better to have the errata updated, but I agree with IanB - the FAQ is now the method WotC uses to deliver official rulings.

-RedShirt

 

[Caliban]

There is only one Living Campaign where the FAQ is official, as far as I know. That's Living Greyhawk.

I don't think it's official in the "Legacy of the Green Regent" or "Eberron: Mark of Heroes" campaigns.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I used to think the answer in the FAQ about energy attacks and hardness was wrong, too. Then I re-read the Players' Handbook, and found the FAQ was correct.

So you're saying that the FAQ is correct on p36 when it says...
Hardness applies to acid and sonic attacks. These
attacks deal normal damage both to creatures and to
objects, and thus would deal normal damage to an
animated object (less the effect of the hardness). You
would subtract 5 points for hardness from whatever
damage a Melf’s acid arrow spell deals to the
animated table in your example.

and

Hardness applies to force attacks. These attacks deal
normal damage both to creatures and to objects
(when applicable), and thus would deal normal
damage to an animated object (less the effect of the
hardness). You would subtract 5 points for hardness
from whatever damage a magic missile spell deals to
the animated table in your example. A magic missile
spell normally cannot be aimed at an object. Because
an animated object is a creature, however, it can
affect the animated table in the example.

... right?

I've got no problem with that.

What about on p50 where it says:
Acid, sonic, and force attacks ignore hardness. Hardness
applies to cold, electricity, and fire attacks.

...?

So, again - in a Living Greyhawk campaign, where the FAQ is official... do acid, sonic, and force damage take hardness into account (per FAQ p36) or ignore hardness (per FAQ p50)?

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

So, again - in a Living Greyhawk campaign, where the FAQ is official... do acid, sonic, and force damage take hardness into account (per FAQ p36) or ignore hardness (per FAQ p50)?

-Hyp.

The entry on page 36 is actually more recent, and came from Andy Collins.

The entry on page 50 is older, and came from Skip Williams.

The most recent entry is generally considered to be the most "official" one. Andy Collins just didn't take the time to look through the FAQ and clean up any older answers that no longer applied. Typical.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The most recent entry is generally considered to be the most "official" one.

Of course, entries aren't dated... so someone who comes to the FAQ and looks up an answer can't tell.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

Of course, entries aren't dated... so someone who comes to the FAQ and looks up an answer can't tell.

-Hyp.

Your complaining to the wrong person Hyp. You asked, I gave you the answer I have.