hey,
please, please, please ! help me with the erudite class by Bruce Cordell (from dragon #319)... can an erudite learn discipline power other wise than with the the Expanded Knowledge feat ???
Is it errata when it is written "If the power is not on his class list or is a discipline power, he automatically fails his check" ???
thanx for answering.
I have the same question. I've asked both via scale mail and via the sage, but gotten no response. :( It's been a month and a half or more and by this time I'm third level and having to spend feats to gain access to powers. Without some ability to gain Dicipline powers other than feats, there's no point in playing an Erudite. While I know a lot of powers, I've used fewer than I would know as a Psion at this time, and as a Psion, I'd at least have access to the powers of one of the disciplines as well as being able to use any power I knew instead of just the ones from the unique powers per day list. Also because the Erudite has access to fewer powers, he also has access to fewer power stone and djories. While it's nice to be able to know those rare powers you almost never need, a Psion could cover them with power stones and other such devices, but an Erudite can't even do that as well. I've asked several questions of Wizards through their website and always gotten a response with a few days. On this specific question though, they refer me to Paizo and the Dragon staff. Well I did a search on their web site and they haven't even answered this thread. As much as I love Dragon and Dungeon, this lack of communication and clarification is very frustrating.
If your DM says yes, then the answer is "yes".
Otherwise, you're stuck with it as written.
The way it is written is contridictary. In one spot it says that you can and that it is explained later, in that section it says that you automatically fail the attempt. I believe the second mentioning is wrong. Perhaps some clarification can be given on the issue by the staff?
Neomorte
I had found a reference to this issue on the WotC board. A member there had contacted Mr. Cordell and he said that the roll automatically failing on discipline powers was incorrect. The roll still fails on things such as Psychic Warrior powers, but not discipline powers. I hope that helps you out.
Neomorte
Thanx, Neomorte. I heard the same on the WotC board.
Anyway i find it very strange (and lame) that no official clarification has been given.
Hopefully this will help,
"...Next, the erudite may make a Psicraft check (DC15+ power's level) to see if he understands one of the powers. If the power is not on his class list or is a discipline power, he automatically fails this check."
I do believe what we have here is a dangling modifier. This is just written poorly, with the correct inflection it makes sense. I believe the following is what he intended:
If the power is not on his class list or is NOT a discipline power, he automatically fails this check.
What does this mean? It means that powers that are reserved soley for psychic warriors(or psychic thieves) are out, psion/wilder powers + discipline powers are in. I think the 'not' in the articles wording was meant to apply to both the list and discipline powers... perhaps the 'is' before 'a discipline power' is a typo... if you remove it it makes perfect sense when spoken aloud. Either way... discipline powers were meant to be included