Wow, check out this rules FAQ on the WotC boards.

[Caliban]

A good cleric simply cannot cast Animate Dead or Create Undead. A good wizard/sorcerer could, but it would be an evil act and their alignment would start shifting towards neutral and eventually evil if they made a habit out of it.

 

[Anubis]

Haste is wrong in the FAQ.

The FAQ states that you get to take an extra partial action the SAME ROUND you cast Haste on yourself. This can't possibly be correct, and I'll tell ya'll why.

Haste lasts for 1 round/level. You are able to benefit from the spell once every round the spell is in effect. In you are 5th level, the duration is 5 rounds. If the duration is 5 rounds you are only allowed 5 extra partial actions.

However, you are allowed an extra partial action on the last round of the spell, but it must be before your standard action. If you were also allowed an extra partial action on the first round, you would get 6 partial actions, not five.

Let's take a look.

You are a 5th level wizard. You cast Haste on yourself and are hasted for 1 round/level, and are therefore hasted for five rounds. You cast the spell on Round 1 of combat, meaning the spell lasts until Round 6 of combat.

If you get an extra partial action on the first round, you get extra partial actions on Rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. That's 6 partial actions, despite the fact you only get five rounds. The spell does not function like that.

You get the AC bonus immediately, but your first partial action can't be until Round 2. If yanyone thinks this is wrong, try to find ANY other spell that you cast ON YOURSELF that gives you benefits for more turns that the duration in rounds. None exist.

This is a moot point when you cast Haste on other people because the duration begins and ends on the caster's turn, not the recipient's. That only gives further proof of my point however. Watch:

Fighter goes before Wizard in initiative. Wizard casts Haste on Fighter in Round 1. Haste lasts until the Wizard's turn on Round 6. Fighter receives 5 partial actions, one each on Rounds 2-6. If the Wizard had won initiative, the duration would have been the same, but the Fighter still would've gotten 5 partial actions, only now on Rounds 1-5. How could it be that you would get more benefit casting Haste on yourself than on others? Fact is, YOU DON'T.

You receive your partial actions starting the round AFTER you Haste yourself, never on the same round. I think I have successfully proven my point.

 

[Nareau]

Gah, a glaring error!

Q: Can multiple casters cooperate when making magic items?
A: Yes. In fact, some items require cooperation between spellcasters. In order to make an item you need:
a) a character with the Craft **** feat (appropriate to the item you want to make) and
enough XP to spend on the item without losing a level (1/25 of market price)
1/2 the market value in valuable components (to be determined by the DM)
8 hours per day of uninterrupted work time
the crafter must meet the maximum level prerequisite

First off, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to say, "the crafter must meet the MINIMUM level prerequisite"
And secondly, even that's wrong.
From our own illustrious ENWorld errata center:

Magic Item Caster Level vs. Level Prerequisites: Sean Reynolds offers a correction to these sentences that appers on Dungeon Master's Guide p. 178 under the heading Caster Level: "For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the item itself. In this case, the creator's caster level must be as high as the item's caster level (and prerequisites may effectively put a higher minimum on the creator's level)." The caster level is NOT a prereq and was never intended as one. We can sort of salvage that quoted text by changing the last sentence to: "In this case, the creator's caster level must be as high as the item's MINIMUM caster level (and prerequisites may effectively put a higher minimum on the creator's level)." So the minimum caster level of an item that makes a fireball would be 5, since that's the minimum caster level for a fireball.

 

[Oracular Vision]

Re: Haste is wrong in the FAQ.

You have only proven you can't do math. 5 rounds total, the spell is inclusive, you don't get six uses. It starts and it takes effect this round, and lasts a total of five rounds (four more).

Simple math...

Noob Village is filling up...

The FAQ states that you get to take an extra partial action the SAME ROUND you cast Haste on yourself. This can't possibly be correct, and I'll tell ya'll why.

Haste lasts for 1 round/level. You are able to benefit from the spell once every round the spell is in effect. In you are 5th level, the duration is 5 rounds. If the duration is 5 rounds you are only

You receive your partial actions starting the round AFTER you Haste yourself, never on the same round. I think I have successfully proven my point.

 

[Nareau]

And another...

Q: Can a Rogue sneak attack with a ranged weapon?
A: Yes. As long as their target is denied their Dex bonus to AC or are flanked, then the Rogue can use their Sneak Attack ability (and the Rogue must be within 30 feet of their target).

That's wrong, too. The rogue must be flanking the target himself in order to sneak attack it. You can't flank with a ranged weapon, as ranged weapons don't threaten an area.

 

[Anubis]

Re: Re: Haste is wrong in the FAQ.

5 rounds total, the spell is inclusive, you don't get six uses. It starts and it takes effect this round, and last a total of five rounds (four more).

Simple math

Ah, but in that case, you don't get that extra partial action the final round. I don't believe the spell is inclusive, however, meaning it's the other way around. Imagine combat as a block system. For the purpose of this example, let's consider combat in rounds that last from initiative 20 until initiative 1.

Round 1: 20 --- 10 (Wizard casts Haste . . . Duration 5 rounds . . . Lasts until Initiative 10 five rounds later, which would be Round 6, NOT Round 5 . . .) --- 1

Rounds 2: 20 --- 10 (Wizard gets partial action . . .)

Rounds 3: 20 --- 10 (Wizard gets partial action . . .)

Rounds 4: 20 --- 10 (Wizard gets partial action . . .)

Rounds 5: 20 --- 10 (Wizard gets partial action . . .)

Rounds 6: 20 --- 10 (Wizard gets partial action, but it must be BEFORE his standard action . . .)

The problem is that most of you take the rounds of duration and count down, which is incorrect. I took a long and hard look at the situation and decided that it is best to count rounds up. I keep track of rounds by number. If a 5th level wizard casts Haste in Round 1, it lasts for 5 rounds. 1+5=6, so the spell expires on the standard action of Round 6. Five uses means the caster does not get partial actions until Round 2.

 

[Caliban]

Spells take effect when they are cast, not the next round (unless the spell itself specifies otherwise).

5th level caster casting haste

Round 1: Cast Haste, immediately gain an extra partial action after your normal action.

Round 2: Gain an extra Partial Action before or after your normal action, and your normal action.

Round 3: Gain an extra Partial Action before or after your normal action, and your normal action.

Round 4: Gain an extra Partial Action before or after your normal action, and your normal action.

Round 5: Gain an extra Partial Action before or after your normal action, and your normal action. Haste ends just before your next action.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: Haste is wrong in the FAQ.

Edit: removed concurrent post with Caliban on same subject.

 

[Anubis]

You bring up a good point, Caliban. Done that way, it would still work. I see many people putting it into the extra round, however, which is why I began ranting about this. Although it would work either way, I wonder which way is best?

Casting Haste on yourself would be much riskier if you the way I have proposed, although it is more useful your way.

At least you have shown a valid way of doing it with an extra action in the first round, although I will further research the matter to think of the best way, be it that or another way.

 

[SpikeyFreak]

Re: And another...

That's wrong, too. The rogue must be flanking the target himself in order to sneak attack it. You can't flank with a ranged weapon, as ranged weapons don't threaten an area.

Read sneak attack again.

There are 2 ways to get sneak attack. Opponent is denied his dex bonus OR you are flanking him.

A rogue who wins initiative may sneak attack anyone within 30 feet with ranged weapons beacuse his opponent will be flat footed. (Note that this isn't the only way to get sneak attacks with ranged weapons, just the easiest.)

--Rouge Spikey