Does the Skald's rage power contradict itself?

Question

A skald is a cross between barbarian and bard. They are able to give others (and themselves) a psudo-rage using a bard-like ability.

Rage Powers - 3rd level

At 3rd level and every 3 levels thereafter, a skald learns a rage power that affects the skald and any allies under the influence of his inspired rage. This cannot be a rage power that requires the creature to spend a standard action or rounds of rage to activate it. For example, the skald cannot choose terrifying howl (which requires a standard action to activate), but can choose knockback (which is made in place of a melee attack).

Ok, so thats pretty clear that you cant grant rage powers that take a standard action to activate.

Later on...

If a rage power can only be used a certain number of times per day or per rage (such as renewed vigor), each ally affected by the inspired rage song is subject to that limit (with once per rage abilities limited to once per inspired rage).

Hmm, renewed vigor

Benefit: As a standard action, the barbarian heals 1d8 points of damage + her Constitution modifier. For every four levels the barbarian has attained above 4th, this amount of damage healed increases by 1d8, to a maximum of 5d8 at 20th level.

Ok, that seems fine...wait its a standard action to activate! So why would they use an ability that is not allowed as an example?

So which is it? Is renewed vigor a special case? Are all rage powers that require standard actions to activate allowed? Did they somehow make a mistake with this very specific example of how the ability works?

Answer 1

It was a mistake.

Here are Mark Seifter (Paizo's developer) thoughts on the topic when it was presented to him:

Something that was brought to my attention, but can Skalds take/grant the Renewed Vigor Rage Power through Raging Song despite that it is a Standard Action to use?

Wow, I hadn't noticed that example. Renewed vigor clearly doesn't work due to activation, and while it's a good example of a rage power with daily uses (of which there really aren't that many), that makes it a bad example to use for a skald who can't share it anyway; better no example, in my opinion.

Answer 2

The restriction still applies against rage powers that require a standard action to use. The skald's Rage Powers class feature explicitly says so.

This cannot be a rage power that requires the creature to spend a standard action or rounds of rage to activate it.

No, the choice of Renewed Vigor as an example does not imply that rage powers that require standard actions can be used. The previous rule is very clear about that.

No, the Renewed Vigor rage power is not a special case. Nothing in its description (or in the skald class features) provides a way to activate Renewed Vigor without a standard action.

(Note that a skald could gain the Renewed Vigor rage power for themselves, via the Extra Rage Power feat. But, it still cannot be applied to Inspired Rage.)

So why is Renewed Vigor used an example, even though it cannot be selected as one of these rage powers? The most likely explanation is that the authors at Paizo made a mistake that nobody noticed during the editing process. All publishers make mistakes, and that's why they release errata and updated editions of the rulebooks to correct these mistakes. However, Paizo has a habit of leaving minor design oversights uncorrected (such as reusing class names, making a class archetype without class features, or referring to nonexistent class features or even nonexistent game mechanics, and so on); and so it's possible that a future revision of the Advanced Class Guide might not address this mention of Renewed Vigor.

Answer 3

That is just a poor choice of an example. You would not be able to use Renewed Vigor as a Skald, as it requires a standard action, but in the entry where it is used as an example you are just told how would it work if you could take it.

Answer 4

I'm probably wrong, but they may have intended to write Skald's Vigor (extended feats list), instead using Renewed Vigor in it's place. Skald's Vigor can regenerates HP for allies based on the Skald's CON modifier and (if I read it correctly) doesn't require a payment (turn or rounds of rage) but rather starts regenerating HP on the beginning of every allies' next turn. Skald's aren't supposed to be great healers, but can use a feat to do minor healing while using Inspired Rage. Doing so can weaken the Skald on the battlefield, but they're supposed to be in between support and frontline classes. Also, I think Skalds are denied activated Rage Powers to keep them nerfed. Having access to everything both parent classes have wouldn't be great game mechanics. Again, I could be wrong. I'm just starting a game as a Skald for the first time and have been pouring over all the information I can find, much of which I've had to compile from pages based on Skald, and it's parent classes. I hope this helps someone.