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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MrMyth" data-source="post: 5482968" data-attributes="member: 61155">FAQ vs rules updates have always been treated as seperate things. Now, I don't disagree that they should make it easier to find them both - having to go to one place for the updates, and another for the FAQ, is definitely poor management. But complaining about this 'type of ruling'?  I mean, this ruling was made very early in the life of 4E. Specifically to answer that, say, a rogue can use a single magic dagger with Blinding Barrage, rather than needing a pile of daggers in order to use his powers. It has been around for quite a while, and could very well be in the Rules Compendium or the like for all I know. This isn't something that has been secretly changed behind the scenes and hidden away - it has been an assumed aspect of the game pretty much since the start of the edition.  Definition of attack, from the Compendium: "An attack roll and its effects, including any damage rolls. The word “attack” is sometimes used as shorthand for “attack power.” Some attack powers include multiple attacks, and some powers, such as magic missile, are designated as attacks yet lack attack rolls (using such a power counts as making an attack if the power has a target)."  Yes, it does. And when people asked if that remained true when using magic weapons, which return after each attack, they said that you could use those on each attack!  Your ruling might minimize stuff like Twin Strike Gouge, but let's be honest - there are plenty of other abuses out there, and that one has nothing to do with the rules for thrown weapons and everything to do with the inherent issues in Twin Strike.  At the same time, what your ruling would do would be to cripple many powers and abilities used by martial characters. The rogue using Blinding Barrage, for example. Pretty much any build designed around throwing weapons that includes multi-target attacks.  There is neither a mechanical nor thematic reason to cripple those builds. The reason for the requirement to have enough ammo/weapons for each target is because they wanted to make it clear you couldn't throw one dagger and have it bounce between ten dudes. With a magic dagger, however, it returns to your hand and you can, apparently, chuck it at everyone you want to hurt. This is clearly the intent of the rule, as supported by the FAQ itself.   You may be technically true on this count. Now, it seems pretty clear that the intent of the rule is otherwise, and I don't think I've ever met a DM who would tell a player that magic thrown weapons return for Twin Strike but don't return when used with Blinding Barrage. And if I did, I doubt I'd think highly of such a ruling. Especially with the FAQ indicating that they are intended to return when used with such powers.  Now, I'll readily admit that the rules for area and close weapon attacks are somewhat wonky, and could absolutely been better clarified. (And I haven't checked to see if the Rules Compendium does so).   Well, yes and no. As I noted, the question is specific to area attacks, but the wording used for both limitations is identical. And the answer itself, meanwhile, does not refer to just area attacks.  Note what it says: "Magical thrown weapons return to you after each attack, so you’ll be able to use it against each enemy as part of using your power." Nothing about that statement is limited to area effects, and given that magical thrown weapons do return after each ranged attack, they clearly allow this ruling to apply to something like Twin Strike.  You may have an argument, by RAW, that would prevent magic thrown weapons from returning with area attack powers (though the intent clearly seems otherwise.) But in terms of actual ranged attacks, such as Twin Strike, it is clear that by the rules, a single magic thrown weapon will definitely do the job.</blockquote>

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