I don't know if it's "broken down" so much as it never really got going in the first place. Earlier in the year it seemed as if Paizo was ready to take the much neglected FAQ system off the back-burner and finally put some steady effort into updating it. Things were looking good at first, especially when the stealth playtest was started, but all too soon the updates slowed down and then all but stopped once more. Now we're back to where we were before; with an FAQ system that Paizo doesn't consider a priority.

I hate to type these sort of posts since I'm otherwise a big fan of the work Paizo puts into their products. But the floundering FAQ system is a big sticking point for me.

I've noticed that the 'Last updated' date isn't always updated when the FAQ is. Granted, I haven't checked the FAQs in a while.

I've noticed that the 'Last updated' date isn't always updated when the FAQ is. Granted, I haven't checked the FAQs in a while.

I've seen that also, which is frustrating when you check it almost every day and then find out somehow something slipped in when you weren't looking but you actually were.

You're not missing it. There's been one or two updates in the last 3 months, but not many. The last big bunch was in August. Since then a trickle, and that trickle dried to nothing over the holidays.

*sigh*

I'm hoping they put someone back on it now that the holidays are overwith.

Actually, Sean was doing a bunch there. Then a bunch of guys jumped all over him, really lambasted him & attacked him, so he stopped doing it. They seemed to really hate the "TWF "Monk attacks and the no range/lance/pounce rulings.

So they spoiled it for everybody.

Actually, Sean was doing a bunch there. Then a bunch of guys jumped all over him, really lambasted him & attacked him, so he stopped doing it. They seemed to really hate the "TWF "Monk attacks and the no range/lance/pounce rulings.

So they spoiled it for everybody.

A) You necromancy'd a thread that's been dead for almost four months.

http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz5drg?Attacking-with-a-weapon#44

Let's not necro a thread just to place a comment that does not apply to the original conversation (mdt's post was well before any of the recent clarification rage).

B) SKR does not make the FAQ's by himself, it's him, Jason Buhlman, and several other staff. SKR is the one tasked with putting them out once they're decided on.

Bold text is false, BTW.

I would also like to point out that rulings are not simple things in a game as complex as Pathfinder, and FAQ issues do not easily come up when pushing for the next release. After all, the goal of any release is to leave as few questions as reasonably possible.

Hi Folks!

I checked the FAQ and didn't see an answer for a question that I have.

When a post is flagged as a FAQ, does the specific message flagged get, uh, flagged? Or does the thread get flagged?

Thanks!

Maredudd

The specific post is flagged, not the entire thread. If you flag the wrong post, we often have to read the entire conversation to see where the true question is.

- Use the FAQ flagging system responsibly. This is a tool that will benefit us all if used correctly to identify issues with the rules that are unclear.

I think you made a mistake by calling this FAQ ...

There are some genuine FAQs such as vital strike combos which are ruleable but which are genuinely frequently asked. For the most part the intent and use of the FAQ system seems to be guidance on issues which probably should be ruleable but aren't though.

The predecessor of this system from your competitor had a better name in Sage Advice, I think you should look for something similar.

There are two problems with Paizo's FAQ system from the perspective of the people using it. Only one is a problem in reality.

First, Paizo has approximately 1.000000001 times as many developers as they need in order to publish the products they intend to publish in any given time period. The number of idle hands approaches zero asymptotically. As such, there is effectively almost no capacity to analyze and answer FAQs. This is a situation which shows no sign of changing as whenever staff come on board at Paizo, new products and product lines are immediately announced, absorbing excess capacity. This is natural and understandable but from customer perspective, a problem.

Secondly - and this is not a problem - it is intended that many rules remain ambiguous. It is by design that DM adjudication is required in this game. Much of the clarification people seek is not desired by the game developers. Still, human time is required to determine if clarity is desired or not, for which please see the first problem. This is why the answer "deliberately vague" doesn't get filed as an answer to FAQs.

Of course, there are stealth FAQs. Animal companions/familiars... should the PC run them or should the DM run them? Well, this months' Animal Archive finally answers this age-old question in a cute little side-bar. There is verbiage to the effect that "you should ask your DM how they run their game". There it is, in print, that the game intentionally does not clarify this particular aspect.

It's a pity they gave up on magazines ... as a page filler Sage Advice always had an inherent value to justify putting in effort.

It's a pity they gave up on magazines ... as a page filler Sage Advice always had an inherent value to justify putting in effort.

Gave up? Paizo didn't give up on the magazines. The license to print them was taken away from them.

I think they where saying decided against doing their own afterwards, so gave up more on the idea than literally gave up on Dragon and Dungeon specifically.

Hi
I'm not 100% this is where I need to be but you guys are great with helping so I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place. That said.

Is there a ruling on "powerful build"? I have the advanced race builders guide (which is brilliant) and it is not in there. I'm about a third of the way into creating a campaign setting (it would be far there but I'm redoing it for pathfinder) and was wanting to use the ability on a creature I had created. I know it was from 3.5 and therefore probably a bit overpowered. I have seen it in an open sourced book "psionics unleashed" for the half giant but didn't know how it was balanced with the core pathfinder books. Please if I could get a ruling I would be super grateful

Thank you
Brandon.

Hi

I'm not 100% this is where I need to be but you guys are great with helping so I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place. That said.

Is there a ruling on "powerful build"? I have the advanced race builders guide (which is brilliant) and it is not in there. I'm about a third of the way into creating a campaign setting (it would be far there but I'm redoing it for pathfinder) and was wanting to use the ability on a creature I had created. I know it was from 3.5 and therefore probably a bit overpowered. I have seen it in an open sourced book "psionics unleashed" for the half giant but didn't know how it was balanced with the core pathfinder books. Please if I could get a ruling I would be super grateful

Thank you
Brandon.

No, this is the wrong place.

Link to Advice section

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/advice

Havoc404 wrote:

Hi

I'm not 100% this is where I need to be but you guys are great with helping so I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place. That said.

Is there a ruling on "powerful build"? I have the advanced race builders guide (which is brilliant) and it is not in there. I'm about a third of the way into creating a campaign setting (it would be far there but I'm redoing it for pathfinder) and was wanting to use the ability on a creature I had created. I know it was from 3.5 and therefore probably a bit overpowered. I have seen it in an open sourced book "psionics unleashed" for the half giant but didn't know how it was balanced with the core pathfinder books. Please if I could get a ruling I would be super grateful

Thank you
Brandon.

No, this is the wrong place.

You should gp to the Advice section and create a thread.

Link to Advice section

http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/advice

Thank you Zark