Simple Q&A D&D 3.5 (by RAW) XV [Archive] - Page 5 - Giant in the Playground Forums

Yora

2010-12-17, 08:14 AM

Q417

If I have, say, a Hat of Disguise, and I want to add a +2 to Int enchantment on it, that should cost 2^2 * 1000 * 1.5 (for adding another ability)
Yes.

if I decide to make a new belt of Int +2 instead, that should cost 2^2 * 1000 * 1.5 (wrong body slot affinity). Correct?
Yes.

If I later decide to enchant my belt with +2 to Str, that costs another 2^2 * 1000 * 1.5 (for adding another ability); but if I'd done the Str enchantment first I'd only have to pay the x1.5 on the Int enchantment? (Or am I now paying x2 on the Int enchantment; 50% for a second enchantment and 50% for wrong body slot?)
Wrong body slot and additional ability should both increase the cost and stack. You'll have to pay extra for the wrong body slot once, and you'll have to pay extra for the additional ability once. In which order you do the enchantment doesn't make a difference.

KillianHawkeye

2010-12-17, 08:14 AM

A 416 correction

NO.

To initiate a maneuver or stance, you must be able to move. You do not need to be able to speak. You initiate a maneuver by taking the specified initiation action.

EDIT: Ninja'd by a more complete answer! :smallsigh:

Yora

2010-12-17, 08:16 AM

Q418. Can a large creature squeeze to occupy only 2 squares if there are no obstacles to "squeeze through"?
Probably depends on why you would want to do that.

If not, can a large creature squeeze with only allies as obstacles?
When the only obstacles are allies, you don't need to squeeze through, as allies can always let you pass through their squares. However, you can not end your movement inside an allies square.

OMG PONIES

2010-12-17, 08:21 AM

A418 clarification: It doesn't depend. You can squeeze, as long as you don't end your move in the same square as an ally. Here are the rules for squeezing:

In some cases, you may have to squeeze into or through an area that isn’t as wide as the space you take up. You can squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide as your normal space. Each move into or through a narrow space counts as if it were 2 squares, and while squeezed in a narrow space you take a –4 penalty on attack rolls and a –4 penalty to AC.

When a Large creature (which normally takes up four squares) squeezes into a space that’s one square wide, the creature’s miniature figure occupies two squares, centered on the line between the two squares. For a bigger creature, center the creature likewise in the area it squeezes into.

Keep in mind that these rules are for tight spaces (tunnels & hallways, mainly) and do not allow you to squeeze down to 2 squares at will.

Awetugiw

2010-12-17, 08:23 AM

Q418 clarification.

The point in both cases is to actually end the movement while squeezed, using the "into part" of the squeezing rules.

You can squeeze through or into a space that is at least half as wide as your normal space.

For the case without obstacles think of a situation where you want to avoid a certain area on the floor because you suspect there is a trap there. For the case with allies think of trying to reach an enemy when there is only a 5 by 10 foot area where you can reach him because an ally is in the way.

EDIT:

Keep in mind that these rules are for tight spaces (tunnels & hallways, mainly) and do not allow you to squeeze down to 2 squares at will.
That was pretty much what I was looking for. Do you happen to have a reference for it?

IthilanorStPete

2010-12-17, 08:57 AM

A417 Dispute

Wouldn't adding the +2 to Int to a Hat of Disguise cost only 4000, as per the rules in MiC for adding common effects to magic items?

bokodasu

2010-12-17, 09:07 AM

A417 Dispute

Wouldn't adding the +2 to Int to a Hat of Disguise cost only 4000, as per the rules in MiC for adding common effects to magic items?

Ah-HAH! THAT'S why I kept getting two different answers. So in core-only I'd be right, but if MiC is used, there are rules that make it cheaper?

Black_Zawisza

2010-12-17, 09:21 AM

Q419

Is there a Haste-like spell somewhere in 3.5 that allows casters to cast extra spells in the same round?

Boci

2010-12-17, 09:27 AM

A419

Celerity (4th level, PHII), Arcane Spellsurge (7th level, Dragon Magic) and Arcane fusion + its greater cousine (5th and 8th level, Complete Mage)

Runestar

2010-12-17, 09:30 AM

Q419

Is there a Haste-like spell somewhere in 3.5 that allows casters to cast extra spells in the same round?

You could also shapeshift into a creature with extra actions, like a choker or chrototyn.

Some spells let you cast extra spells, like spell sequencer/trigger (spell compendium).

worly7000

2010-12-18, 02:43 AM

Logician

2010-12-18, 12:27 PM

Q421

When a bard is using bardic music such as inspire courage, does continuing the song for multiple rounds use a charge of bardic music for every round continued? or does the single charge last until the bard decides to stop singing. As a extension of this that it seems appropriate to group under the same question, would carrying on inspire courage cause one to take additional damage from Words of Creation: Celestial Choir? Or is the one damage roll good until you stop and launch into a new song?

Kaww

2010-12-18, 12:39 PM

A421

PHB 29. Using bardic music expends one daily use, you keep it going until you decide not to (you have to concentrate on it). You do not expend additional daily uses on maintaining it. WoC damages you only once per usage of bardic music.

EDIT: By concentrate I didn't mean anything mechanical, purely fluff.

Douglas

2010-12-18, 12:45 PM

A421 minor correction

Concentration is not a general requirement for Bardic Music. Fascinate, Inspire Competence, and Song of Freedom require concentration. The various other Bardic Music uses do not - all you have to do to maintain them is continue singing, which does not take an action. It is possible to have Inspire Courage, Inspire Greatness, and Inspire Heroics all active at the same time, and maintain all three while simultaneously making a full attack.

MasterOfDungeon

2010-12-18, 01:47 PM

Q422:
Is there a craft skill for making books?

KillianHawkeye

2010-12-18, 01:52 PM

A 422

Sure, just make one up. Craft isn't really split up into specific skills which form a list for you to choose from (although there are some listed as examples).

In fact, the PHB does list Craft (bookbinding) as a specific example.

Mordrigar

2010-12-19, 12:41 PM

Q: 423
Which year is it in Planescape (or simply Sigil) when it is 1372 in Faerun?

Thurbane

2010-12-19, 10:27 PM

Q 424

Question about the Paralyzing Fists feat (DotU, p.51). To trigger it, you need to hit a foe with two or more Stunning Fist attacks in the same round. Short of a Belt of Battle or other ability that gives more than one standard action/round, how is this possible? The text of the Stunning Fist feat says it can be used “no more than once per round”...actually, with that wording, I don’t think even a Belt of battle would help.

tyckspoon

2010-12-19, 10:43 PM

A 424

Rapid Stunning feat, Complete Warrior, allows you to perform 1 more Stunning Fist/round/selection of the feat.

It would appear Paralyzing Fists was intended to stand alone, however, and the author simply forgot that one rather important piece of the rules. It would probably get errata'd if Wizards was bothering with 3.5 errata any more. I would suggest changing the effects of the feat to require a Stunning Fist hit+ any one other successful unarmed attack, similar to how Rends work.

Thurbane

2010-12-19, 10:58 PM

A 424

Thanks, that's pretty much what I thought. Chalk it up to another misunderstanding of a fundamental rule by a designer that wasn't picked up. At least Rapid Stunning offers a RAW workaround.

nerd-7i+42e

2010-12-19, 11:09 PM

Q 425

If I have a magic item that grants the wielder a feat, could I then take a feat that has the granted feat as a prerequisite but only be able to use it while wielding that weapon? (For example, if I own a Sylvan Scimitar, could I get Great Cleave and only be able to use it while wielding the Sylvan Scimitar?)

Defiant

2010-12-19, 11:23 PM

A 425

In short, yes.

Roc Ness

2010-12-20, 01:55 AM

Q426
Does the Heartfire Fanner Prestige Class from Dragon Magazine gain, at 5th level, an effective Bard Music level of 10 if he did not have already have it from a previous class?

Q426a
If Yes to Q426, then what would happen if the aforementioned Heartfire Fanner gained Bard levels afterwards? Would the effective Bardic Music level drop to 6, or increase to 11?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-20, 02:39 AM

A 426 No.

A Heartfire Fanner without Bard levels gets, at 1st level, the Bardic Music capability of a 5th-level Bard; there is no advancement beyond that point with Heartfire Fanner levels. A Heartfire Fanner with Bard levels adds their Bard and Heartfire Fanner levels to determine their Bardic Music capability.

Psyren

2010-12-20, 09:28 AM

This is hopefully a quick question, but if it sparks a debate I will create a thread to discuss.

Q 427
There is supposedly a passage in Magic Item Compendium (or its errata) which allows Use Psionic Device to be used in placed of Use Magic Device for item-crafting purposes. I've been trying to locate this passage to no avail. If it is in MiC, what page is it on? If it is in errata or some other WotC web source, where can I find it?

TIA

Runestar

2010-12-20, 09:41 AM

Psyren

2010-12-20, 09:55 AM

A 427:

I don't know about UPD, but page 232 of MIC lets you use craft psionic item in place of its normal version.

That was it! Thank you! :smallbiggrin:
Reading that, now I know why Psionic Artificers are tier-0 broken :smalleek:

Zherog

2010-12-20, 10:57 AM

Q420

Is there any expanded book for Tome of Battle or a publisher publishing resources about Tome of battle just like the relationship between Dreamscarred Press and Psionics ?
and the same question about Tome of Magic and the Magic of Incuram

A 420

Those sub-systems are not designated as Open Game Content. As such, a 3rd party publisher cannot* use the mechanics from those books to further build upon the systems. Dreamscarred Press can build upon Psionics because WotC has designated that material as Open Game Content by placing it in the SRD. Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, and Weapons of Legacy (even though you didn't mention it) have no such designation.

* I'm going to use the word "cannot" here, although a good Intellectual Property lawyer could probably get a publisher around it. However, it's not a reasonable discussion for this thread (because it's not RAW) or for this forum (because it gets into legal advice), so I'm going to go with the simpler answer even though it's a far more complex topic.

weenie

2010-12-20, 12:48 PM

Q 248

Can an evil cleric gain controll of undead that are already controlled by another evil cleric?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-20, 02:41 PM

A 248

Assuming you actually mean undead commanded via the evil Cleric's rebuke ability (since Control Undead isn't a Cleric spell), this works the way all opposed turn/rebuke attempts do.
Commanded

A commanded undead creature is under the mental control of the evil cleric. The cleric must take a standard action to give mental orders to a commanded undead. At any one time, the cleric may command any number of undead whose total Hit Dice do not exceed his level. He may voluntarily relinquish command on any commanded undead creature or creatures in order to command new ones.

Dispelling Turning

An evil cleric may channel negative energy to dispel a good cleric’s turning effect. The evil cleric makes a turning check as if attempting to rebuke the undead. If the turning check result is equal to or greater than the turning check result that the good cleric scored when turning the undead, then the undead are no longer turned. The evil cleric rolls turning damage of 2d6 + cleric level + Charisma modifier to see how many Hit Dice worth of undead he can affect in this way (as if he were rebuking them). Replace "good" with "another evil", and "dispelling turning" with "overriding command" and you've got the mechanism for usurping command of the undead from another evil Cleric.

Lateral

2010-12-20, 04:47 PM

Q 429: Can Exiled Modron take the Ironwood/Mithral/Adamantine Plating feats? Would it be reasonable to allow them to, even if they can't by RAW?

Fair enough.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-20, 05:15 PM

A 429 No.

Assuming you mean Ironwood Body, Mithral Body, and Adamantine Body feats, these are for warforged only and cannot apply to other living constructs. Modrons already have a durable shell which grants acid, cold, and fire resistance, as well as a natural armor bonus.

Whether particular house rules are reasonable or not is outside the scope of this thread.

Lateral

2010-12-20, 08:12 PM

Q 430 Are Living Constructs vulnerable to energy drain?

Edit: M'kay, sweet. Lifedrinker axe it is.

Keld Denar

2010-12-20, 08:13 PM

A 430 Accoding to the ECS, no. They are still vulnerable to Ability Damage and Ability Drain though. A warforged would be immune to the touch of a Wight, but not the touch of a Shadow.

Runestar

2010-12-20, 09:27 PM

Q 430 Are Living Constructs vulnerable to energy drain?

Edit: M'kay, sweet. Lifedrinker axe it is.

Doesn't living construct traits explicitly include energy drain immunity?

Reverent-One

2010-12-20, 11:45 PM

Q 431
Just making sure I have this right, the Dwarven Waraxe is a martial one-handed weapon for dwarves, not an exotic one? That's how I'm reading the entry in the srd.

A dwarven waraxe is too large to use in one hand without special training; thus, it is an exotic weapon. A Medium character can use a dwarven waraxe two-handed as a martial weapon, or a Large creature can use it one-handed in the same way. A dwarf treats a dwarven waraxe as a martial weapon even when using it in one hand.

Defiant

2010-12-20, 11:57 PM

A 431

Yes, that is correct. A dwarf with martial weapon proficiency can wield a Dwarven Waraxe in one hand with no non-proficiency penalties.

Any other character with martial weapon proficiency can wield a Dwarven Waraxe in two hands with no non-proficiency penalties. For a non-dwarf character to wield a Dwarven Waraxe in one hand without any non-proficiency penalties, said character need to take the Exotic Proficiency feat for Dwarven Waraxes.

Thurbane

2010-12-20, 11:58 PM

Q 432

I'm a little confused about using turn/rebuke attempts to fuel Devotion feats. I always thought you burned up X number of daily uses to get another daily use of the feat, but a comment in another thread brought this to my attention:

If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you can gain additional daily uses of a domain feat’s benefi t by permanently sacrificing daily uses of that ability.
...so you have to sacrifice a number of a turn/rebuke attempts permanently to be able to use a certain Domain feat more than once a day??? The wording under the feats themselves says you "expend X daily uses of turn/rebuke attempts to get an additional daily use of the feat, which seems at odds with the above quote.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-21, 12:19 AM

A 432

There's a mismatch between the general description of domain feats (Complete Champion, page 52) and the particular specifications of individual domain feats elsewhere, which generally follow this form:
Special: If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you gain one additional daily use of this feat for each three daily turn or rebuke uses you expend. "Expend" and "permanently sacrificing" are different concepts.

You follow the specific rules of each domain feat individually.

Runestar

2010-12-21, 12:49 AM

Q 432

I'm a little confused about using turn/rebuke attempts to fuel Devotion feats. I always thought you burned up X number of daily uses to get another daily use of the feat, but a comment in another thread brought this to my attention:

...so you have to sacrifice a number of a turn/rebuke attempts permanently to be able to use a certain Domain feat more than once a day??? The wording under the feats themselves says you "expend X daily uses of turn/rebuke attempts to get an additional daily use of the feat, which seems at odds with the above quote.

Check the complete champion errata on the wotc website. Basically, you just expend uses as per normal. The designers admitted that "permanently" was an error. :smallsmile:

Chen

2010-12-21, 08:19 AM

Q433

Can the hit point loss that occurs when you take Con damage kill you if you are full health? Or does the "minimum of 1 hp per hit die" clause keep you alive?

E.g., A 12 level character has a Con of 10 and 37 hit point. He takes 8 points of Con damage. Does this kill the person (i.e., he is reduced to -11 since he loses 12*4 hp) or is he at 12 hp (his con is considered 2 and he recalculates his total hit points).

Runestar

2010-12-21, 08:47 AM

Gnaritas

2010-12-21, 09:05 AM

A433

Yes.

It would follow the same logic as a barb potentially dying from going below below 0 hp when his rage expires.

No! That is not correct

If a character’s Constitution score drops, then he loses 1 hit point per Hit Die for every point by which his Constitution modifier drops. A hit point score can’t be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die.

Your maximum HP is at least as much as your HD.

Douglas

2010-12-21, 09:08 AM

A433 correction

No. A hit point score can’t be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#abilityScoreLoss)

Chen

2010-12-21, 09:26 AM

Q434

Thanks for the quick answers. Now what happens if they aren't at full HP when taking the Con damage? Do they lose HP from their current and max hp? Or just from their max hp?

E.g., Level 12 character, 14/37 hit points, 10 con takes 8 con damage. Do they lose 25 hp from current and max (thus killing them) or do they reduce their max hp to 12 and their current hp to 12 as well?

Douglas

2010-12-21, 09:37 AM

Gnaritas

2010-12-21, 09:55 AM

A434

By technical RAW, it appears the rule I quoted applies to both max hp and current hp because it makes no distinction, so the level 12 character would be reduced to 12/12 hp.

In general, however, both current hp and max hp would decrease by the same amount, so a level 12 character starting at 26/37 hp who took 2 con damage would drop to 14/25 hp.

I believe that RAI is for that minimum to apply only to max hp, so in your example the character would drop to -11/12 hp and die, but that's my guess for RAI rather than actual RAW.

Notice that the rule states "hit point score". It never says that, it always says "hit point". I believe the "hit point score" refers to the "maximum hit points".

Else a raging barbarian would never die after a rage from CON-loss, which it most certainly does.

Douglas

2010-12-21, 10:03 AM

Else a raging barbarian would never die after a rage from CON-loss, which it most certainly does.
Ah, but the Barbarian's end-of-rage con loss is neither constitution damage nor constitution drain, so this rule wouldn't apply to that anyway - and even if it did, the Rage rules would override it as being more specific.

But yes, the use of the word "score" there might be indicating max hp specifically, in which case RAW would have the example character drop to -11/12 and die. The exact meaning here is unclear.

Vistella

2010-12-21, 06:01 PM

Q435
when you use a total defense, you cant make AoO's
if you have the feat defensive throw from Cwarrior, can you use total defense with it? it doesnt say it is an AoO but it says "This attempt counts against your allowed attacks of opportunity in the round"

so, does it work?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-21, 06:31 PM

A 435

No, Defensive Throw is unavailable while using total defense, because total defense temporarily makes "your allowed attacks of opportunity" zero.

Critical

2010-12-21, 06:37 PM

Q436

Someone runs into someone/something - what are the consequences?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-21, 06:41 PM

A 436

Absent special rules (such as the Dungeon Crasher Fighter ACF with bull rush) there are no consequences. You can't end your turn in another creature's space unless they're helpless. D&D doesn't include the concept of acceleration, so you go from still to moving at speed without any time, and similarly you stop without spending any time decelerating. Thus D&D characters don't "run into" things; they merely stop because that obstacle prevents further movement.

Lateral

2010-12-21, 07:26 PM

Q 437 Can you place templates on creatures in order to Alter Self into them? For instance, could an Aasimar Wizard Alter Self into a Half-Celestial Oni (because Half-Celestial makes them Outsiders)?

Also, what happens if you have a creature with two templates that change base creature type? For instance, a Pseudonatural Half-Fey Ettercap? Would it be an outsider, a fey, or what?

Edit: 'Kay, fair enough.

Psyren

2010-12-21, 07:50 PM

A 437
"You cannot take the form of any creature with a template" (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alterself.htm) - seems pretty straightforward.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-21, 07:54 PM

A 437 No.
You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype. Templates can be applied to a base race in any order that's legal. All inherited templates must be applied first, and then acquired templates after birth. So when creating a Pseudonatural Half-Fey Ettercap, you could apply either Pseudonatural or Half-Fey templates first, and the last-applied template would set the creature's type.

ffone

2010-12-21, 10:11 PM

Q438

Does a character need line of sight for an area spell? For example, if she has darkvision 60', could she cast a Fireball centered 100' ahead of her in a specified direction?

KillianHawkeye

2010-12-21, 10:19 PM

A 438 No.

You don't need line of sight to place the origin point of an area spell, merely line of effect. However, you obviously won't be able to see what you're aiming at, and any unseen obstacles will cause your fireball to detonate before reaching the target square.

Blue Bandit

2010-12-21, 11:58 PM

Q439

Does the Explosive Runes spell require the reader to "read aloud" in order to activate the spell? Or can the runes be activated simply be reading without physically speaking the words?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 12:48 AM

A 439 No.

"Aloud" is not in the spell description. The required time needed for the reading is not detailed (and thus is up to the DM to decide), but silent reading is enough.

ffone

2010-12-22, 02:06 AM

Q440

Character A is Invisible, and picks up character B ( who weighs less than A's max load); does B become invisible? Do they become invisible if they're unconscious? Or do they have to be dead (I'm assuming a non-undead corpse becomes an Object instead of a Creature).

Vistella

2010-12-22, 02:23 AM

A 435

No, Defensive Throw is unavailable while using total defense, because total defense temporarily makes "your allowed attacks of opportunity" zero.

but "You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense" =/= "your AoO count is 0"

and defensive throw is no AoO, it is just using the same pool

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 03:12 AM

Re: A 435

but "You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense" =/= "your AoO count is 0"

and defensive throw is no AoO, it is just using the same pool You seem to think "your unused AoO count" is a defined concept in the D&D game; it is not. (The number of AoOs you've made and the total you are allowed to make in the round are defined, but both of these may change from round to round.) While in total defense you are not allowed attacks of opportunity, and Defensive Throw is an ability that counts against your allowed attacks of opportunity and thus cannot be used when none are allowed.

You can always choose to fight defensively (instead of total defense) if you want to be able to attack during the round; that would enable you to use Defensive Throw.

KillianHawkeye

2010-12-22, 05:28 AM

A 440 No.

Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature.

A fellow party member is generally too big to be tucked away into clothing or pouches.

Vistella

2010-12-22, 06:27 AM

Re: A 435
You seem to think "your unused AoO count" is a defined concept in the D&D game; it is not. (The number of AoOs you've made and the total you are allowed to make in the round are defined, but both of these may change from round to round.) While in total defense you are not allowed attacks of opportunity, and Defensive Throw is an ability that counts against your allowed attacks of opportunity and thus cannot be used when none are allowed.

You can always choose to fight defensively (instead of total defense) if you want to be able to attack during the round; that would enable you to use Defensive Throw.

what i think is that defensive throw isnt an AoO and should thus work in a total defense. cause why shouldnt you use your AoO attempts for other things even if you cant to AoO's?

its the same with turn undead: you can power use divine feats with your turn attempts even if youre not allowed to turn undead

i dont see why it would be differant

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 06:34 AM

Re: A 435

what i think is that defensive throw isnt an AoO and should thus work in a total defense. cause why shouldnt you use your AoO attempts for other things even if you cant to AoO's?
If you already had decided the answer, I'm not sure why you would ask here. :smallconfused: Anyway, I've given my best understanding of the RAW involved. If that's not the answer you wanted, you can of course create a house rule in your games.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 06:40 AM

A 440 additional info

With a -30 Hide modifier you can attempt to hide another character; see here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#hide). Being invisible will help you in this endeavor:
If you are invisible, you gain a +40 bonus on Hide checks if you are immobile, or a +20 bonus on Hide checks if you’re moving. You will still need to satisfy both Hide requirements for the other character (cover/concealment, and not being observed). Being visually undetectable by hiding has similar properties to being visually undetectable via invisibility (+2 to attacks, your opponents lose their DEX bonus to AC, and you can't be targeted).

Vistella

2010-12-22, 06:42 AM

Re: A 435

If you already had decided the answer, I'm not sure why you would ask here. :smallconfused: Anyway, I've given my best understanding of the RAW involved. If that's not the answer you wanted, you can of course create a house rule in your games.

i havent decided an answer yet, i just want a RAW answer and not a RAI :)

bokodasu

2010-12-22, 06:55 AM

Q441

Is there an item/weapon/armor enchantment that gives a bonus to grappling, other than by increasing strength or size? (Edit: A feat that doesn't have a stupid prereq like Improved Grapple would be good too.)

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 07:23 AM

A 441 Yes.

Bearskin Armor (Magic Item Compendium): +2 to grapple checks.
Least/lesser/Greater Crystal of Glancing Blows (Magic Item Compendium): +2/+5/+10 to resist being grappled.
Gauntlets of the Talon [relic] (Magic Item Compendium): +4 to grapple checks.
Gloves of Titan's Grip (Psionics Handbook 3.0): +8 on grapple checks for 7 rounds, 3/day.
Brawler's Gauntlets (Magic Item Compendium): +2 to grapple checks.
Gloves of Fearsome Grip (Sword and Fist 3.0): +5 to grapple checks.

Stegyre

2010-12-22, 08:46 AM

Q 442
Using the psionic power Dissipating Touch (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dissipatingTouch.htm):

(a) Does DR protect? (I think not: it's not a weapon or natural attack)

(b) Does hardness, for an object? (Fluffwise, I'd think not: you're teleporting portions away; RAW-wise, however . . . :smallconfused:; if hardness doesn't protect, this looks like a very useful, low-level disintegrate power.)

Foryn Gilnith

2010-12-22, 08:52 AM

i havent decided an answer yet, i just want a RAW answer and not a RAI :)

There is no RAW, there is only our crude approximation of it. My thoughts on the matter...
1) Compare with the text of Evasive Reflexes (Tome of Battle). That activates "when an opponent gives you a chance to make an attack of opportunity", essentially replacing the AoO, and Total Defense would bar that from occurring. Defensive Throw does not replace an AoO; it simply triggers when an opponent misses you under certain circumstances. The next paragraph stating that it counts against your AoOs is incidental.
2) You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense. That means you're not allowed to make any attacks of opportunity. That means Defensive Throw can't activate. It's a simple chain.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 09:01 AM

A 442 (a) No.

As you surmised, damage reduction only applies to weapon and natural attacks.

A 443 (b) Yes.
Hardness

Each object has hardness—a number that represents how well it resists damage. Whenever an object takes damage, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points There are no DR-type limitations with hardness, so it applies normally.

Vistella

2010-12-22, 10:10 AM

There is no RAW, there is only our crude approximation of it. My thoughts on the matter...
1) Compare with the text of Evasive Reflexes (Tome of Battle). That activates "when an opponent gives you a chance to make an attack of opportunity", essentially replacing the AoO, and Total Defense would bar that from occurring. Defensive Throw does not replace an AoO; it simply triggers when an opponent misses you under certain circumstances. The next paragraph stating that it counts against your AoOs is incidental.
2) You can’t make attacks of opportunity while using total defense. That means you're not allowed to make any attacks of opportunity. That means Defensive Throw can't activate. It's a simple chain.

but defensive throw isnt an AoO

to take your eample, evasive reflexes: it is explicitly said that you get an AoO while defensive throw just says "you get an immideate attack", nothing about AoO there. it just counts as AoO to limit the uses per turn, but thats the only thing related to it. at least as its written

OMG PONIES

2010-12-22, 10:21 AM

At this point, the Defensive Throw issue requires its own thread for further discussion.

Stegyre

2010-12-22, 10:22 AM

A 443 (b) Yes. There are no DR-type limitations with hardness, so it applies normally.
That's what I suspected from a review of the RC. Thanks for the confirmation, Crum. :smallsmile:

(I think I can even rationalize a fluff explanation: among other things, "hardness" represents the strength of molecular bonds and their resistance to being separated by Dissipating Touch and similar effects.)

Koury

2010-12-22, 04:09 PM

Q 444

Say you need to move through an area which an enemy threatens. Say its only one threatened square you must pass through. Say you choose to (and succeed on your attempt to) Tumble through that square at half speed.

Does only that one square count as double cost to move through (similar to most creatures when they fly up), or is the entire move action forced down to half speed?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 05:03 PM

A 444

Each square you move through at half speed costs 2 squares of movement. (Doubling the movement cost for all squares you move through is a tool of a lazy DM, not the RAW.)

Munkay

2010-12-22, 05:21 PM

Q445

Manyshot with readied action vs a caster.

As it applies to a concentration roll when using to disrupt a caster would you total the damage from all the arrows + any applicable enchantment/precision damage and then add 10 to the DC? Or would you force multiple concentration DC's?

Secondly Occult Slayers vicious strike ability allows you to double the damage when a standard is readied against a caster. Being manyshot is a standard not a full round, when using manyshot would you double ONE of the arrows fired or add all the arrows dmg up and double that for the DC?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 06:30 PM

A 345

The Concentration check to continue an interrupted spell is based on the total damage dealt per attack of opportunity or readied action. So one readied action using Manyshot would total up the damage from all arrows which hit (subtracting the spellcaster's DR from each), and that total would set the Concentration DC.

As for Occult Slayer's Vicious Strike, double damage "if the attack hits" means you double the damage for each part of the attack which qualifies.

Munkay

2010-12-22, 06:34 PM

A 445

The Concentration check to continue an interrupted spell is the total damage dealt per attack of opportunity or readied action. So one readied action using Manyshot would total up the damage from all arrows which hit (subtracting the spellcaster's DR from each), and that total would set the Concentration DC.

As for Occult Slayer's Vicious Strike, double damage "if the attack hits" means you double the damage for each part of the attack which qualifies.

Thanks for the answer Curmudgeon, you always do have an answer that's for sure. But i'm curious on the second part...i'm confused on what you mean mechanically. Could we use an example of 1d8 +1 for 3 arrows fired in manyshot with one attack roll. Now do vicious strike and tell me the concentration DC...if you don't mind =)

Souhiro

2010-12-22, 06:43 PM

Q 446

Can a Wizard who have Necromancy as a forbidden School cast Necromantic spells from a wand, a scroll, or from any Spell-Like Ability he have or gets?

I say Necromancy as I could say Conjuration, Evocation...

Stegyre

2010-12-22, 06:51 PM

A 446

From the SRD: "Spells of the prohibited school or schools are not available to the wizard, and she can’t even cast such spells from scrolls or fire them from wands. She may not change either her specialization or her prohibited schools later."

However, SLAs are not spells, so the wizard could continue to use any SLAs that are "like" a spell from the prohibited schools.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 07:32 PM

Re: A 445

If the attack roll is successful, 3 arrows from Manyshot with Vicious Strike would be totaled as follows:
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] +
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] +
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] = damage dealt
Multiplying Damage

Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. You roll the damage for one arrow twice and add that; that's the effect of Vicious Strike. Subtract the target's damage reduction from that total for one arrow. Repeat for the other two arrows (subtracting DR once per arrow), and add to obtain the total damage dealt. The DC of the Concentration check required for the spellcaster to maintain the spell is

10 + damage dealt + level of spell.

Munkay

2010-12-22, 08:05 PM

Re: A445

If the attack roll is successful, 3 arrows from Manyshot with Vicious Strike would be totaled as follows:
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] +
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] +
[(1d8+1) + (1d8+1) - DR] You roll the damage for one arrow twice and add that; that's the effect of Vicious Strike. Subtract the target's damage reduction from that total for one arrow. Repeat for the other two arrows (subtracting DR once per arrow), and add to obtain the total damage dealt. The DC of the Concentration check required for the spellcaster to maintain the spell is

10 + damage dealt + level of spell

I fixed it for you!

Thanks for the assistance.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-22, 08:31 PM

I fixed it for you!
Yes, you did; thank you. I got distracted when the doorbell rang (another box full of holiday cheer :smallsmile:) and then failed to check for completeness before submitting. I've edited my post to allay confusion.

Duke of URL

2010-12-23, 08:42 AM

A 446, additional

Note that while the rules don't explicitly say so, it's generally held that a single level in another class that offers access to the normally prohibited school(s) will allow the wizard to use spell trigger and spell completion devices from that school.

For example, a 1-level dip in sorcerer (access to the full sorcerer/wizard spell list) or cleric with the magic domain (allows the use of devices for sorcerer/wizard spells).

However, scrolls might still have an issue with the caster level check, since you'd have to use the caster level of the class that put the spell on your spell list.

Following the same logic, the use magic device skill can also be employed to use devices with spells from prohibited schools.

OMG PONIES

2010-12-23, 09:28 AM

Q448: I am building a bard 5/Mindbender 1/Lyric Thaumaturge 4. If I take the Obtain Familiar/Improved Familiar feats for a pseudodragon familiar, do I advance the pseudodragon per the abilities granted at 10th level? Or instead, do I subtract the required level (like a druid's animal companion), only advancing the pseudodragon per the abilities granted at 3rd level?

Duke of URL

2010-12-23, 10:01 AM

A 448

There is no "level adjustment" for familiars obtained via Improved Familiar akin to that for a druid's animal companion. The cost of the feat offsets the familiar's power boost.

Munkay

2010-12-23, 10:59 AM

Q449

Would freedom of movement allow you to walk/jog/run on slippery surfaces with no need of a balance check?

I ask being slippery surfaces do not literally impede movement being you have the option of moving normally with a check to not fall - whereas freedom of movements example spells show spell effects that do not give an option simply impede your movement.

Mappy

2010-12-23, 11:13 AM

A449

Would freedom of movement allow you to walk/jog/run on slippery surfaces with no need of a balance check?

I ask being slippery surfaces do not literally impede movement being you have the option of moving normally with a check to not fall - whereas freedom of movements example spells show spell effects that do not give an option simply impede your movement.

The spell allows you to move and attack underwater as normal so why wouldn't it allow you to move on ice as normal? I would allow this to happen in my game as a seasoned DM and player with 15 years of experience.

Ponder

2010-12-23, 12:21 PM

A449
It specifically says those things because it thinks the DM might have a hard time deciding about those... easier decisions like 'it makes it easy to move on ice' could be reached on your own. If it makes your movement unhindered when you don't get a check, why wouldn't it make your movement unhindered when you do get a check? One would think that would still logically equal hindered movement, but less hindered since you can overcome said hindrance with a check. Just because you can choose to run on ice, doesn't mean that you can do it. Oh wait, yes you can, if you have Freedom of Movement!

DeltaEmil

2010-12-23, 12:43 PM

Q 450

Can you initiate the Tiger Claw maneuver "Sudden Leap" in the air while already jumping and so "double-jump" like in a video-game during your turn?

Q 450 a

If yes, could you also initiate the maneuver while falling, if you get to act as it would be your turn?

Duke of URL

2010-12-23, 12:49 PM

A 450

Technically, probably not. Sudden Leap is a separate action (a swift action, to be precise) and is resolved separately from any other actions in the round.

From a descriptive/fluff sense, jumping as a move action plus Sudden Leap as a swift action could easily be described as you are suggesting. The biggest difference is that you would have to be able to clear any obstacles separately, i.e., you can't clear a 70' chasm by stringing together two 40' jumps in this fashion.

Of course, there's also the problem that nothing in Sudden Leap's text seems to allow you to move more than your normal speed in a single round. Referring to the Jump skill description, you might very well be able to jump so far in a swift action that you'd have to wait for your following turn to finish the jump!

A 450a

This seems like a judgment call. The rules don't specifically say so, but one would presume that you have to jump from something (a floor or a wall, for example).

OMG PONIES

2010-12-23, 12:57 PM

A449 clarification

No. While those are reasonable house rules, they are not RAW. The only seemingly related clause in the RAW is that "this spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement." It makes no mention of slippery surfaces, difficult terrain, or the like because these all fall under the rules for "moving and attacking normally."

A 450 (mostly ninja'd)

No. If you use all of your movement mid-jump, then "your next action (either on this turn or, if necessary, on your next turn) must be a move action to complete the jump. You cannot initiate the maneuver while "hanging" in midair.

A 450 a (partial)

I'm not sure if a character can still move while falling. If not, they cannot initiate maneuvers as per the Tome of Battle.

DeltaEmil

2010-12-23, 02:18 PM

From a descriptive/fluff sense, jumping as a move action plus Sudden Leap as a swift action could easily be described as you are suggesting. The biggest difference is that you would have to be able to clear any obstacles separately, i.e., you can't clear a 70' chasm by stringing together two 40' jumps in this fashion.
No. If you use all of your movement mid-jump, then "your next action (either on this turn or, if necessary, on your next turn) must be a move action to complete the jump. You cannot initiate the maneuver while "hanging" in midair.Q 450 extension

Suppose that for whatever reason, movement rate is extremely high, and that the Jump checks will never reach your base speed for whatever reason irrelevant to the question. Now, a swift action like Sudden Leap can be initiated whenever one is allowed to use a free action (but is of course limited to one swift action per turn). According to the SRD, you can take a free action during another action. Shouldn't it be then possible to use Sudden Leap any time during the jump, but before the distance rolled has been reached?

As an example, suppose a Jump check allows one to cover 5 feet in height as a move action. Could you then initiate Sudden Leap while you've reached 4 feet (or any other arbitrary number before 5)? And would the remaining movement from the normal jump then be resumed after the distance cleared by the Sudden Leap?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-23, 02:47 PM

A 450 extension

As an example, suppose a Jump check allows one to cover 5 feet in height as a move action. Could you then initiate Sudden Leap while you've reached 4 feet (or any other arbitrary number before 5)?
Some parts of answering questions regarding the rules involve knowing when you've got to look outside Wizards of the Coast sources.

The rules don't specifically say so, but one would presume that you have to jump from something (a floor or a wall, for example).
Indeed, the skill used (Jump) requires that. From Dictionary.com:

jump
–verb (used without object)

1. to spring clear of the ground or other support by a sudden muscular effort; leap: to jump into the air; to jump out a window. The Duke got it right. You must be able to use the Jump skill, and being in mid-air (without ground or other support to Jump from) makes that impossible.

OMG PONIES

2010-12-23, 02:53 PM

A 450 extension

Some parts of answering questions regarding the rules involve knowing when you've got to look outside Wizards of the Coast sources.

Q451: I agree, but is it then still RAW?

Defiant

2010-12-23, 03:03 PM

Q451: I agree, but is it then still RAW?

Yes. The writing and meaning of the words in the writing is part of Rules As Written.

OMG PONIES

2010-12-23, 03:55 PM

Re: Q451. Ah, but the interpretation inherent in reading falls squarely under RAI, no? :smallwink: Sorry, sorry, carry on.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-23, 04:07 PM

A 449 No.

The key to understanding most D&D spells is to read the descriptions and then stop; don't make any assumptions beyond what's contained in the actual text. Freedom of Movement does the following for you:

lets you ignore movement constraints imposed by magic
allows escape from grapples
permits movement and attack underwater without the usual impediments
That's all the spell does. It doesn't let you walk through walls, trees, boulders, or other obstructions. FoM doesn't make steep surfaces less steep, or slippery surfaces less slippery. Ice is (for the most part*) just another nonmagical movement hindrance. With Freedom of Movement you would move normally on ice: i.e., you would need to make the normal Balance checks to avoid slipping.

* Freedom of Movement would let you move and attack under (not above) ice (frozen water) freely. That is contained in the spell description. (But just as solid water is still water, other materials aren't covered by FoM. You'd still struggle with all the normal impediments if you fell into lava or a giant vat of milk, because Freedom of Movement only gives a benefit under water.)

mucco

2010-12-23, 08:12 PM

Q 452
Does a creature notice or sense when a magical effect ends on him/her/itself? If a creature were to cast repeated Dispel Magic as a Spell-Like Ability, would his opponents just see him meditating and not notice the effects?

Defiant

2010-12-23, 09:56 PM

Re: Q451. Ah, but the interpretation inherent in reading falls squarely under RAI, no? :smallwink: Sorry, sorry, carry on.

Not exactly. If a skill says "this allows you to use a magic device...", you can't say that the skill means you eat the magic device - this is because you use the dictionary definition of use.

Likewise, a skill that is written that "you use this skill to jump" does not include non-dictionary uses of "jump". In English, pushing your feet downwards and moving your body upwards while in midair, does not constitute a jump.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-24, 01:49 AM

A 452 Generally, no.

If an opponent succeeded on a saving throw to resist a spell-like ability they would be aware of this success. Failing a saving throw, or having none as in the case of Dispel Magic, provides no information. A Spellcraft check might allow detecting a magical effect, but that requires noticing verbal or somatic components of a spell; a SLA has neither.

Permanent spells, either Detect Magic or Arcane Sight, would give an opponent observer a very good chance of noticing those SLAs. Either the observer would see/detect the SLAs in process, or a very easy Spot check would reveal that the observer no longer had those permanent spells providing visual information.

ffone

2010-12-24, 02:27 AM

Q453

A creature begins a movement action, provoking an AoO on its first 'step'. The AoO is a successful trip, so now the creature is prone and hasn't actually moved (since AoOs occur before the triggering event, in this case the erstwhile first 5' of movement). Does that 'preempted' movement still count against the actions the character can make for the turn? (A move action, or a full-round action of it was a charge or run.)

Curmudgeon

2010-12-24, 02:33 AM

A 453

The attack of opportunity, by pre-empting the movement, has resulted in no action (other than involuntarily falling prone) being taken by the creature. It can use a move action to stand up if it wishes, and would still have a standard action available if it had taken no other actions before being tripped.

Coidzor

2010-12-24, 01:32 PM

Q 454:

What is the correct order of operations for the effects of an arrow that has a magical effect (that say, forces a Save or does ability damage) and also has a poison applied to it?

Say a spellstoring arrow with lesser shivering touch and a poison. Does shivering touch or the poison get applied first?

Defiant

2010-12-24, 03:07 PM

454 Correction/Partial

An arrow cannot have spell-storing on it.

Claudius Maximus

2010-12-24, 03:07 PM

Q 455

Does the Hammer psionic power apply to any unarmed strikes or natural attacks made during its duration?

Lateral

2010-12-24, 04:02 PM

A 455 By RAW, no. However, I'm not exactly clear on what happens if you attack them with, say, an Unavoidable Strike unarmed strike, because it is "a successful touch attack".

Q 456 What happens if (the above).

Ossian

2010-12-25, 07:23 AM

Q 457

When playing a Duskblade, can you take your spells ONLY from the d.blade spell loist on page 98? I am confused because I see a bunch of d.blade builds with Wizard's / Sorceror's spells (esp. the touch ones).

A related question is: if the D.blade is a spontaneous spellcaster, the list of spells known and slots per day are one and the same ? (p.21, table 1-3) or there is another list like for other spontaneous spellcasters? Can't find it!

Gnaritas

2010-12-25, 07:31 AM

A 457

Spells Known:
...
from the duskblade spell list.
....
from the duskblade spell list.

So yeah, they take spells from the duskblade spell list.

I think there are some prestige classes that allow more spells to be added to the Duskblade spell list, since you already found some example builds, just look at what feats or classes they took to figure out why they would have access to more spells. See next post.

You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time

This means you are a spontaneous caster.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-25, 07:35 AM

A 457 [correction] No.

You've confusing the new Duskblade-only spells with the Duskblade Spell List; see page 24 of Player's Handbook II. The page 98 reference is misleading if you haven't taken the time to read the Errata:
Page 19 – Duskblade Class Features: Spells [Substitution]
The first paragraph of the “Spells” class feature should read: “A duskblade casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the duskblade spell list on page 24. Duskblade spells unique to this book appear on a spell list Page 98.

Lateral

2010-12-25, 04:38 PM

Q 458 What are the specifics of the Insectoid template, and what book is it in?

Vistella

2010-12-25, 04:40 PM

Q459
question about phantom stag (a better phantom steed if you dont know the spell)
if you ride it in battle, do you have to make ride checks and if yes, at what DC?
im asking because the spell says It has no saddle, bridle, or bit, but it is exceptionally alert to the nudges and balance changes of its rider. and with my bad english you can read into it that you dont have to make checks cause the stag is just so damn uber

thoughts?

ok, found the ruling for that myself^^
well, maybe not: do i still have to do the control mount in battle ride check? imo not because its a magical animal

Curmudgeon

2010-12-25, 05:01 PM

A 458

The Insectile Creature template is in Savage Species on pages 121-122.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-25, 05:09 PM

A 459

Absent specific statements overriding normal rules (which the latest Phantom Stag in Spell Compendium does not have), you must make Ride (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/ride.htm) checks to control any mount beyond the basic operations (mount, dismount, noncombat riding at a walking pace).

Claudius Maximus

2010-12-25, 08:47 PM

Q 460

Does water count as an "object" for ethereal-material shunting purposes?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-25, 09:06 PM

A 460 No.

D&D doesn't treat fluids (liquids or gasses) outside of containers as objects, nor finely divided solids (dust, flour, spices, & c.).

Jack_Simth

2010-12-26, 12:07 AM

Q461 If I'm using Clairvoyant Sense (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/clairvoyantSense.htm) to scout out an area, and someone in the area is under a Personal Mind Blank (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/mindBlankPersonal.htm), can a Spot check be used to note there is someone about as though they were an Invisible (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#invisibility) creature?

Gnaritas

2010-12-26, 04:33 AM

A461
No, the spell does not state the creature is invisible, but simply not detected.

Xyk

2010-12-26, 11:04 PM

Q462

As a first level swordsage, with my discipline focus (weapon focus) in Shadow Hand weapons, do I get proficiency with spiked chains, sianghams, and sai? Or just the +1 attack bonus from weapon focus while still keeping the -4 from nonproficiency? Or do I just not get any bonus from exotic weapons with which I am nonproficient?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-26, 11:25 PM

A 462

You get just the benefits stated in the rules: proficiency with simple and martial weapons, and effective Weapon Focus in your chosen discipline's weapons. Neither of these grants Exotic Weapon Proficiency with any weapon, nor any change to the Weapon Focus feat:
Prerequisites: Proficiency with selected weapon, base attack bonus +1. Until you satisfy the stated requirement you will receive no bonus to attack using exotic weapons through your Discipline Focus class feature.

Kolgoth

2010-12-27, 11:00 AM

Q 463 While using a lance on a mount in two hands and utilizing power attack your damage without a charge is: 1d8 (STR +3) (Power Attack -5 to hit +10 damage) so 1d8+13.

The best way I think to phrase the question is simply to put it out like so:

Charging on the back of a mount: Damage would be 2d8+26?

Charging on the back of a mount and critically hitting: 2d8+26 + 2d8+26 +2d8+26?

Or would it be: 1d18+13 + 1d18+13 +1d8+13 +1d8+13?

Also if you have a Flaming Enchant on your blade for +1d6 damage how would that incorperate?

mucco

2010-12-27, 12:24 PM

OMG PONIES

2010-12-27, 01:43 PM

A 463

When two or more multipliers apply to any abstract value (such as a modifier or a die roll), however, combine them into a single multiple, with each extra multiple adding 1 less than its value to the first multiple. Thus, a double (x2) and a double (x2) applied to the same number results in a triple (x3, because 2+1=3).

Your provided base damage would be 1d8 (weapon) + 3* STR + 10 (Power Attack) = 1d8+13. When charging, this is doubled for 2d8+26, as you thought. However, when charging AND critting, it is quadrupled (the x2 and x3 modifiers fall under the above rule) for 4d8+52 damage [or, as you put it, (1d8+13)+(1d8+13)+(1d8+13)+(1d8+13)].

Lastly, bonus dice (like the +1d6 for flaming) are never multiplied, so your base damage would be 1d8+1d6 fire+14, your charging damage would be 2d8+1d6 fire+28, and your charging/critting damage would be 4d8+1d6 fire+56. The change in base damage factors in that you need at least a +1 weapon before you add the flaming property.

*Don't forget though, wielding a weapon in two hands gives you 1.5x your STR modifier to damage. If your STR mod is a +3, your base damage is actually 1d8+14, and base damage with a +1 flaming lance would be 1d8+15.

Runestar

2010-12-27, 06:34 PM

Here I am again :smallbiggrin: thank you Curmudgeon for the replies!

Q464
If Fell Shot (or Psionic Shot or other similar feats) is used with Manyshot, does it apply to one arrow only, or to all arrows, seen as they use the same attack roll?

Psionic shot would apply to only one of the arrows.

Fell shot should benefit all the arrows, since as you say, they all use the same attack roll.

GeminiVeil

2010-12-28, 01:58 PM

Q465
If I throw caltrops down on the square in front of me, does this count as difficult terrain? It says you have the option of moving at half speed with no trouble, but it also allows you to move at full speed and possibly get nailed by one.

Claudius Maximus

2010-12-28, 02:17 PM

Q 466

Is there any actual rule forbidding one from poisoning a given weapon more than once? It seems ridiculous to me to slop 30 poisons on a dagger but I'm having trouble finding a citation that forbids it.

Gnaritas

2010-12-28, 02:48 PM

A465

While a square with caltrops in it has some similarities with difficult terrain, it is not defined as such and therefor is not.

ShriekingDrake

2010-12-28, 04:00 PM

Q467: Is there a feat that will enable a monk to improve his BAB to that of a fighter?

Stegyre

2010-12-28, 04:02 PM

A 462
Until you satisfy the stated requirement you will receive no bonus to attack using exotic weapons through your Discipline Focus class feature.

Potential dispute: This is probably just yet another case of very badly written RAW (vbwRAW), but by this logic, no Swordsage gains the 1st level benefit of his Discipline Focus at 1st level, as Swordsage is a 3/4 BAB class, and yet another prerequisite for Weapon Focus is "BAB +1."

Only a multi-classing SS would get this class ability at 1st SS level, which again would be strange by RAI, as base classes never seem to presume multi-classing.

So, short RAW answer would be, "No one knows, because RAW is internally inconsistent."

IMO, both Crum's (-4) and the OP's (-4+1) solutions are reasonable resolutions. I'm somewhat more inclined to Crum's, as I don't see Discipline Focus as intended to circumvent exotic weapon proficiency requirements.

Lateral

2010-12-28, 04:09 PM

Q 468 If you use the psionics-magic transparency rules, are Crystal Golems (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/psionKiller.htm) immune to spells that allow spell resistance, and does their dispel psionics dispel magic also (because of transparency)?

Gnaritas

2010-12-28, 04:12 PM

A468

Yes

Spell resistance is effective against powers, using the same mechanics. Likewise, power resistance is effective against spells, using the same mechanics as spell resistance. If a creature has one kind of resistance, it is assumed to have the other. (The effects have similar ends despite having been brought about by different means.)

All spells that dispel magic have equal effect against powers of the same level using the same mechanics, and vice versa.

Defiant

2010-12-28, 04:27 PM

A467

As far as I know, no feats exist to improve BAB. Spells yes, but not feats.

OMG PONIES

2010-12-28, 06:04 PM

A 466 Yes.

A poisoned weapon or object retains its venom until the weapon scores a hit or the object is touched (unless the poison is wiped off before a target comes in contact with it). Any poison smeared on an object or exposed to the elements in any way remains potent until it is touched or used.

You touch the weapon or object to apply poison 1. Next round, you can use another standard action (or swift action, with the Master of Poisons feat) to apply poison 2, but since you are touching the weapon or object, poison 1 is not retained.

ffone

2010-12-28, 08:28 PM

Q469

Combat has already started and everyone has acted at least once (no one is flat-footed). Roger the rogue flees, going around a corner and out of sight from everyone else. Oliver the orc follows him, and on Roger's next turn he attacks Oliver. Does this count as a sneak attack? Would it count as a sneak attack if Roger made a hide check which beat Olivier's spot, and-or Roger was just around the corner and readied an action to attack any foe who followed him?

OMG PONIES

2010-12-28, 09:01 PM

A469 No, yes, and no, in that order.

Ravens_cry

2010-12-29, 05:06 PM

Q470
How do undead interact with Fortitude partial effects? I know they are immune to fortitude save requiring effects that don't effect objects, but does this make a difference?

Keld Denar

2010-12-29, 05:16 PM

Ravens_cry

2010-12-29, 05:25 PM

A 470

Do you have specific examples? I mean, its pretty clear, if it can't hurt objects, it doesn't do much. If you cast Finger of Death on a skeleton, it would just point back and yell "Be-yotch", cause you wasted your turn. It wouldn't die, and it wouldn't take the damage on a successful save, since it wouldn't roll the save in the first place. Nothing would happen.

I wasn't asking what is pretty clear. It is pretty clear that drowning someone doesn't heal them, that undead don't gain temporary hit points on a Strongly Aligned Positive Energy plane. I was asking from a rules perspective, the Holy RAW.
What started this line of thinking was the Eternity of Torture spell mentioned in the "Nasty Mean Bad Spells' thread.

Keld Denar

2010-12-29, 05:35 PM

Eh, its pretty simple. The spells that affect objects are pretty upfront about it. Polymorph Any Object can affect undead (other than liches, which are explicitly immune) because it can turn a pebble into a man, and a man into a pebble. Disintegrate, likewise, can be used to carve up large sections of inanimate material. If you cast Eternity of Torture on a vampire, all that it would make it do is feel slightly compulsed to go to Hot Topic and buy studded faux leather apparel and t-shirts about bands nobody actually listens to, which is about the same result as you'd get for casting Eternity of Torture on a table.

Claudius Maximus

2010-12-29, 05:44 PM

ffone

2010-12-29, 06:02 PM

Q471

When a character is riding a Broom of Flying, do they need to use their own actions to fly around (like with a Fly or Overland Flight spell on the character), or not (like a mount)?

Same question for a Carpet of Flying.

Also, when it says they have a 'speed of 40 feet', does that mean they can travel 40' per round, or 80' per round (like a creature taking a double move)?

Also, is any action required to 'mount' a broom or carpet or flying?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicitems/wondrousitems.htm

ffone

2010-12-29, 06:09 PM

Keld Denar is correct by RAW too. The skeleton is immune to the entire effect because it can not affect objects in any way.

Now, if you were to look at an effect like Orb of Acid things are much less clear. RAI seems obvious that the skeleton takes the damage but doesn't have to save against the sickening effect, but I suppose it could be argued that since Orb of Acid is an "effect that requires a fortitude save" and the skeleton is immune to those, it is immune to the damage as well. The problem comes in where the damage works on objects but the sickening does not. The question then is whether Orb of Acid is one "effect" or if it has several separate effects.

I would say separate effects.

As a related example, a metamagic effect to add a Fort-or-whatever onto other spells presumably wouldn't negate all the base damage. Also, the rogue special attacks like Staggering Strike (Fort save or staggered after a sneak attack) don't let such creatures avoid all the damage (immunity to crits and thus sneak attacks is a separate ability of undead/constructs, and let's say the rogue is overcoming it with various available spells or magic items).

For example if Finger of Death said "you take X damage. Also, make a Fort save or die" (very similar effects on living creatures b/c HP damage won't matter if they are dead) then it would affect undead - although that would clash with its flavor. It might even be deliberate writing on the authors' part, so that Orc of Acid damage affects undead/constucts and FoD doesn't.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-29, 09:27 PM

A 471

A Broom of Flying bears the user as a rider, so most of the usual rules for flying mounts apply. It's a move action to mount or dismount (without a high Ride check). The Broom flies on its owner's initiative. The speed is per move action. Normal riding requires only as much concentration as walking, but the owner can also use a standard action to command the Broom to travel to some destination, or to summon it (within 300 yards).

Most of this applies to a Carpet of Flying as well. There are differences in capacity, and an explicit statement that once activated the owner controls the Carpet via spoken directions rather than Ride checks ─ but again, normal riding requires only as much concentration as walking.

Forged Fury

2010-12-29, 10:17 PM

Q472

Probably somewhere obvious, but I can't seem to find it. If a character has two psionic classes that calculate bonus power points off the same Ability, are they added twice for power point reserve calculations? For instance, Psion & Lurk both gain bonus power points from a high intelligence. Is the total Power Point Reserve Calculation = PP from Psion + PP from Lurk + Int Psion Level PP Bonus + Int Lurk Level PP Bonus?

Runestar

2010-12-30, 12:05 AM

ffone

2010-12-30, 03:03 AM

ffone

2010-12-30, 03:05 AM

Q473

What's the overhead reach (for attacking - aka the threatened squares definition of 'reach' - not for grabbing stuff to climb up) of a Medium character with a regular melee weapon? Does being mounted increase it?

ffone

2010-12-30, 03:16 AM

Q474

Do the AC bonuses from multiple sources of cover stack? In particular, regular cover (like a low wall) and soft cover from a creature in between a ranged attacker and attackee?

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 03:39 AM

Re: A 471

So does the rider of a broom need to use a standard action every time they wish to 'redirect' the broom (say, fly to point A, spot something and then decide to play to point B) or is that just to command the broom to travel alone and to 'call it over'?
It's the latter. Normal riding requires only as much concentration as walking, which the character can do without making any checks or requiring standard actions.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 03:43 AM

A 473

D&D uses the same rules for attacking above as for attacking horizontally: you threaten within your natural reach. For a Medium character that normally includes squares (cubes) immediately overhead (between 5' and 10' above ground level).

Being mounted does not change your reach, but you count as occupying all squares (cubes) of your mount's area so you can thereby attack into more squares.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 03:46 AM

A 474 No.

While you never directly stack AC bonuses from cover, your DM could instead decide that the total effect of multiple sources of cover merits an improved cover AC bonus.
Varying Degrees of Cover

In some cases, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves can be doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with this improved cover effectively gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies. Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on Hide checks.

Gnaritas

2010-12-30, 05:12 AM

Kaww

2010-12-30, 06:29 AM

A 473 Clarification

PHB pg. 77 has vertical reach by size, I presume for tall creatures. You may add weapon's reach to that statistic and get the vertical reach with the given weapon. If mounted use reach for mount's size category as if it were tall (since you increase it's height).

This last bit is not RAW.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 08:56 AM

Re: A 473

Being mounted should also put you higher and thus being able to reach higher (let's say also 15' above ground).
While that seems reasonable, it's not the way the RAW ends up working.
A horse (not a pony) is a Large creature and thus takes up a space 10 feet (2 squares) across. For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.From Monster Manual on page 6:
Space/Reach

This line describes how much space the creature takes up on the battle grid and thereby needs to fight effectively, as well as how close it has to be to threaten an opponent. The number before the slash is the creature’s space, or how many feet one side of the creature occupies. The number after the slash is the creature’s natural reach. And from page 301:
A creature’s Space/Reach entry depends on its size, as shown on Table 7–1: Creature Sizes (page 314). A creature’s space is always a square area, no matter what the creature’s shape or anatomy is like. For example, an ogre and a horse have the same space figure (10 feet), because they’re both Large creatures.

Tall creatures (bipeds, usually) have a longer reach than long creatures. For example, a horse has a reach of 5 feet, but an ogre has a reach of 10 feet because it is taller. So to put this all together, you as a mounted combatant share your horse (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm#warhorseHeavy)'s space. That's 4 5' squares (cubes). A horse is not a tall creature, so it only occupies one stack of 5' cubes, not two. Because you share that space you gain additional horizontal reach, but no additional vertical reach.

KillianHawkeye

2010-12-30, 10:52 AM

Re: 473

A horse is not a tall creature, so it only occupies one stack of 5' cubes, not two. Because you share that space you gain additional horizontal reach, but no additional vertical reach.

Technically, being "tall" or not does not affect the creature's space, only its reach. There is nothing in RAW that says a horse "only occupies one stack of 5' cubes." That is merely your interpretion of what it means to be not-tall.

Gnaritas

2010-12-30, 11:03 AM

Re: 473
Technically, being "tall" or not does not affect the creature's space, only its reach. There is nothing in RAW that says a horse "only occupies one stack of 5' cubes." That is merely your interpretion of what it means to be not-tall.

I was also wondering how you came up with that from those quotes...

Also, if you are only 5ft high....why would you get the +1 bonus from being on higher ground while mounted?

Finally, it is not unlogical to assume the "sharing of space" is only considered for a 2-dimensional board. Especially since it is (from your quote, the part you did not bold) "For simplicity".

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 11:44 AM

Re: A 473
There is nothing in RAW that says a horse "only occupies one stack of 5' cubes." That is merely your interpretion of what it means to be not-tall. No, it's not merely my interpretation. Horses are creatures for which we have resources other than D&D books to provide height information. From the Wikipedia entry for Horse (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse):

The size of horses varies by breed, but also is influenced by nutrition. Light riding horses usually range in height from 14 to 16 hands (56 to 64 inches, 142 to 163 cm) and can weigh from 380 to 550 kilograms (840 to 1,200 lb). Larger riding horses usually start at about 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) and often are as tall as 17 hands (68 inches, 173 cm), weighing from 500 to 600 kilograms (1,100 to 1,300 lb). Heavy or draft horses are usually at least 16 to 18 hands (64 to 72 inches, 163 to 183 cm) high and can weigh from about 700 to 1,000 kilograms (1,500 to 2,200 lb). So we've established the actual values for a horse's height. Referring to the Big and Little Creatures In Combat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/movementpositionanddistance.htm#bigandLittleCreatu resInCombat) table, the entry for a Medium creature lists height in the 4'-8' range. The "Height or Length" header includes this note:
Biped's height, quadruped's body length (nose to base of tail) The height of a horse is no more than for a Medium creature; only the length of a quadruped takes up a 10' space.

Gnaritas

2010-12-30, 11:50 AM

You still haven't explained why a mounted warrior would get +1 because of higher ground. This in itself should proof that the rider indeed is at the square above a normal medium creature.

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 12:12 PM

You still haven't explained why a mounted warrior would get +1 because of higher ground. This in itself should proof that the rider indeed is at the square above a normal medium creature.
You do realize that explaining rules inconsistencies isn't actually part of answering questions by the RAW, don't you?

It's obvious that being on top of another creature should provide some sort of a height advantage. It's equally obvious that the rules limit this to the "on higher ground" bonus you noted.
For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat. This isn't intended to model reality; it's explicitly listed as a simplification. But regardless of how this came about, that's the RAW.

Gnaritas

2010-12-30, 01:10 PM

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050222a

Note that a large creature (tall) is still only noted as 5ft high, strange.
But anyway:

As noted in Part One, a mounted character measures reach for melee attacks from any part of the space the rider shares with the mount. If you want to limit how far down a mounted character can reach, just assume the rider sits atop the mount, then compare the rider's reach with a foe's height (or the height of anything else the rider wants to reach).

This surely states that a rider does not in fact attack from any square that the mount is in when attacking vertically and that the rider is in fact located on top of the mount (but still sharing the mount's squares horizontally).

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 01:18 PM

This surely states that a rider does not in fact attack from any square that the mount is in when attacking vertically and that the rider is in fact located on top of the mount (but still sharing the mount's squares horizontally).
Those Rules of the Game articles are, despite the name, not simply the D&D rules, but also Skip Williams's house rules mixed in. "If you want to limit how far down a mounted character can reach ..." means "If you want to introduce my house rule into your game ..."

Zherog

2010-12-30, 01:27 PM

Could we move the conversation to a new thread at this point?

Gnaritas

2010-12-30, 01:34 PM

Ok then, my final try to convince you.

Space is used in the rules in a 2-dimensional way:

Space/Reach
This line describes how much space the creature takes up on the battle grid and thereby needs to fight effectively, as well as how close it has to be to threaten an opponent. The number before the slash is the creature’s space, or how many feet one side of the creature occupies.

This space had nothing to do with their height, their height is not even noted in the Space entry. So why would "sharing space" not mean the space that is noted here, the 10ft square that the horse takes on the battlefield, which does not include height?

Any creature with a space larger than 5 feet (1 square) determines cover against melee attacks slightly differently than smaller creatures do.

Again, space is measured in squares, not cubics.

There are tons of other examples to give, where space is 2-dimensional.

If this does not help, i can just say i disagree with your interpretations of the rules in this case (which i hardly have ever before).

Curmudgeon

2010-12-30, 01:36 PM

Could we move the conversation to a new thread at this point?
An excellent suggestion, if anyone has issues still unaddressed.

ffone

2010-12-31, 03:59 AM

Gnaritas

2010-12-31, 04:37 AM

Q475

For non-crit multipliers such as a mounted lance charge, do you roll damage one and then double it, or roll it twice and add?

Also, do crit multipliers stack 'additively' with other multipliers ("two doublings are a tripling..") or do the multiply? For example would a crit with a mounted lance charge deal 6x the average amount of damage or 4x?

A475

Multiplying Damage

Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage (with all modifiers) multiple times and total the results. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage.

This answers both your questions.

So you always roll more, not multiply.

As for your second question, i think you know how multiplying in D&D works, so the answer is 4.

Lateral

2010-12-31, 12:47 PM

Q 476 If an Aquatic Human PC takes, say, the Slow trait or the Slowpoke flaw, does it affect his swim speed?

OMG PONIES

2010-12-31, 01:20 PM

A476: The trait would leave your swim speed unaffected, since it specifies your base land speed. Also, the Slow flaw from Unearthed Arcana would not change your swim speed for the same reason. However, I am unfamiliar with the Slowpoke flaw.

Laharal

2011-01-01, 03:15 PM

Q 477

Tomorrow my PCs will venture into a wildnerness terrain with some boulders scattered on the terrain.
I decided that said boulders with provide standard cover (like a low wall the boulders could be as tall as a human waist) .. However.. I'm pretty sure the group's orc will try to toss it around even though it's big... any idea of how heavy the thing could be?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-01, 03:42 PM

A 477

A granite sphere 3' across will be about 2400 lbs. Most likely your party Orc will not be able to use one as a weapon.
Improvised Weapons

Sometimes objects not crafted to be weapons nonetheless see use in combat. Because such objects are not designed for this use, any creature that uses one in combat is considered to be nonproficient with it and takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls made with that object. To determine the size category and appropriate damage for an improvised weapon, compare its relative size and damage potential to the weapon list to find a reasonable match. An improvised weapon scores a threat on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a critical hit. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet.

The measure of how much effort it takes to use a weapon (whether the weapon is designated as a light, one-handed, or two-handed weapon for a particular wielder) is altered by one step for each size category of difference between the wielder’s size and the size of the creature for which the weapon was designed. If a weapon’s designation would be changed to something other than light, one-handed, or two-handed by this alteration, the creature can’t wield the weapon at all. There are no D&D weapons even close to 2400 lbs., and since that would be at least 1 size increment above the largest weapon appropriate for an Orc the creature can't wield the boulder as a weapon.

To throw such boulders around the character would need something like the Hulking Hurler (Complete Warrior, pages 40-42) Really Throw Anything class ability, and a a Strength of at least 41.

cd4

2011-01-01, 03:45 PM

Q478

Is there a spell that is mind affecting, illusion and causes fear?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-01, 03:57 PM

A 478 Yes.

There are many spells that fit this description. Examples include Phantasmal Killler (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/phantasmalkiller.htm) and Weird (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/weird.htm). Also Apparition, a Wu Jen spell in Complete Arcane; Dream Casting in Spell Compendium; Manifestation of the Deity in Complete Scoundrel; and Roar of the Waves (Stormwrack). Dragon # 333 has several such spells in the article Visions of Fear (pages 71-73).

Laharal

2011-01-01, 07:50 PM

Q 479

For flavour and actual gameplay, I'm looking for a way to have a place cursed/evil/tainted/whatever feels evil. The catch is that this crypt wasn't visited for decades and the Pc's will be the first to enter the place since a dark ritual took place.
I looked at the desecrate spell and the spell duration doesn't fit my time frame (only lasts for some hours and not on the permanency spell list). Is there anything that might look like that in a ''flavour'' way? A way to make it a permanent spell?

If you have a non-official answer to that please consider dropping it here:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178165

Curmudgeon

2011-01-01, 08:11 PM

A 479

The core spell you might be thinking of is Unhallow (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/unhallow.htm), though the affixed spell has a duration of only 1 year. The Despoil spell (Book of Vile Darkness, page 92) is an instantaneous duration spell which causes plants to die and the area to be unable to support plant growth ever again.

Greenish

2011-01-01, 08:31 PM

Q 480

How does Spectral Dagger (MIC) interact with Sneak Attack or martial maneuvers?

[Edit]: Or Shadow Blade (assuming it counts as dagger) or the Hit and Run fighter's dex to damage?

Laharal

2011-01-01, 08:52 PM

Q 479.5
If I get it right, only the spell effect vanishes after a year: the site is still under the other effects right?

KillianHawkeye

2011-01-01, 10:37 PM

A 479.5 That's right.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-02, 05:32 AM

A 480

A Spectral Dagger deals no normal damage, but produces a spell effect (Chill Touch), which is a weaponlike spell. By the rules for sneak attack and weaponlike spells (Complete Arcane, page 86), you would meet the requirements to include sneak attack, which would add extra negative energy damage.

As for martial maneuvers, the interactions would need to be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. Many (most?) martial maneuvers could not be used with a Spectral Dagger because they cause additional damage, and the Dagger itself deals no damage to be added to. Example:
In addition to dealing normal melee damage with your attack ...
There is no possible interaction of a Spectral Dagger with the Shadow Blade feat, for the same reason:

... you can add your Dexterity modifier as a bonus on melee damage for attacks made with the weapon.

Frozen_Feet

2011-01-02, 02:22 PM

Q 481

There's a rules variant called "Medium" Save progression; how does it go from levels 1 to 20 and where does it come from?

GeminiVeil

2011-01-02, 03:29 PM

Q482
A few posts ago, I asked if Caltrops by RAW count as difficult terrain, and was told no. The definition in the PHB for difficult terrain states "An area containing one or more features (such as rubble or undergrowth) that costs 2 squares instead of 1 to move through."
Caltrops says "A creature moving half speed or slower can pick it's way through a bed of caltrops with no trouble"
Now, forgetting all the things that make this silly, by RAW, isn't that difficult terrain? Or is there somewhere that states more conclusivly that caltrops are not difficult terrain?

Greenish

2011-01-02, 03:42 PM

GeminiVeil

2011-01-02, 03:48 PM

A482

The presence of caltrops doesn't force you to use two squares of movement per square. You can move at your normal speed, so it's not difficult terrain.

Q482 continued
But the text does not say that you are FORCED to move 2 instead of 1, just that any square that has a feature which costs 2 movement instead of 1. Choosing to or not is not identified in either the definition in the back of the book, nor in the 'terrain and obstacles' section on page 148.

Plus, I'm actually asking specifically for WHEN you use the option of moving at half speed. I know that the part about moving at full speed would be a definate no, but by the rules, it just seems that when you DO move at 1/2 speed, it would count as difficult terrain.

Greenish

2011-01-02, 04:02 PM

Q482 continued
But the text does not say that you are FORCED to move 2 instead of 1, just that any square that has a feature which costs 2 movement instead of 1.But caltrops do not make their square cost two squares of movement to cross.

GeminiVeil

2011-01-02, 04:56 PM

I think halving your move speed, and each square costing 2 instead of 1, are used interchangeably.
At this point, though, I think I've taken this too long in this thread, so I will start a new one. Thank you.

Claudius Maximus

2011-01-02, 05:42 PM

Q 483

Are there any non-unique, non-devil evil outsiders that have Wall of Ice as a spell-like ability? Especially at-will.

Runestar

2011-01-02, 06:01 PM

Q 483

Are there any non-unique, non-devil evil outsiders that have Wall of Ice as a spell-like ability? Especially at-will.

Core, I only know of the xecical from the ELH. :smalltongue:

cd4

2011-01-03, 09:40 AM

Q484

Can I use the varient Druid that gives up Wildshape with a level of Monk/Monk's belt and gain Wis to AC twice?

Psyren

2011-01-03, 09:49 AM

Q484

Can I use the varient Druid that gives up Wildshape with a level of Monk/Monk's belt and gain Wis to AC twice?

A484: No, because bonuses of the same type do not stack. Both the Druid ACF (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#druid) and the Monk's Belt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicitems/wondrousitems.htm#beltMonks) give you the specific Wis to AC feature a monk gets.

Bonus to Armor Class when unarmored (as monk, including Wisdom bonus to AC)

This AC bonus functions just like the monk’s AC bonus.

EDIT @ Runestar: ELH is in the SRD but is technically not core

Essence_of_War

2011-01-03, 10:05 AM

Q 485

How does Magic Immunity work? In particular, how does it interact with instantaneous conjuration (creation) effects like the "Orb" spells?

Gnoman

2011-01-03, 10:17 AM

Q486: Two of the PCs in my campaign were planeshifted by a Prismatic Spray last night. Is there a rule for randomly determining where they went, and did they go to the same plane?

Gnaritas

2011-01-03, 10:22 AM

A485

Because what is created magically by a Conjuration(creation) spell is considered "non-magical" afterwards, magic-immunity will not prevent it from doing what it does (do damage in this case).

Psyren

2011-01-03, 10:26 AM

A 485 Magic immunity is treated like unbeatable spell resistance. (See "Subject immune to the spell." (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050503a)) This means that any effect that ignores spell resistance also ignores magic immunity - including orbs. (Thus, you can orb golems to death.) You must however still use the correct element.

A 486 Yes, use the "Random Planar Destinations" on page 151 of the DMG.

Zherog

2011-01-03, 10:32 AM

Q 481

There's a rules variant called "Medium" Save progression; how does it go from levels 1 to 20 and where does it come from?

A 481

To the best of my knowledge, "medium" save progression has existed from the time d20 was created, but the only place I know of where WotC actually used it was in d20 Modern. Looking at the d20M SRD, the first ten levels progress as follows:

{table]Level|Bonus
1|1
2|2
3|2
4|2
5|3
6|3
7|4
8|4
9|4
10|5[/table]

Perhaps somebody wiser than me can devise the formula used to generate those numbers.

Defiant

2011-01-03, 11:38 AM

I have been working at it for the past 15 minutes and I still can't figure it out. Here's my notes so far.

Good save progression formula: 2+L/2
Poor save progression formula: L/3

Good save progression sequence: 2.5 + 0.5 every additional level
Poor save progression sequence: 0.33 + 0.33 every additional level

Chen

2011-01-03, 11:39 AM

Q487

The ToB Maneuver "Greater Insightful Strike" deals damage equal to a concentration check time two. Would the rule for doubling damage apply to this i.e., the concentration check D20 is rolled twice or would you simply make one concentration check and double the whole result?

Greenish

2011-01-03, 11:48 AM

A487

You roll concentration checks twice and add the results, since nothing indicates it would work differently from standard multiplication rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#multiplyingDamage).

Shhalahr Windrider

2011-01-03, 11:59 AM

Re: 481

I have been working at it for the past 15 minutes and I still can't figure it out. Here's my notes so far.

Good save progression formula: 2+L/2
Poor save progression formula: L/3

Good save progression sequence: 2.5 + 0.5 every additional level
Poor save progression sequence: 0.33 + 0.33 every additional level
Those are indeed the progressions for Good and Poor saves.

A few years ago, there was actually a discussion on this topic. Two different formulas were suggested:
(6/5 + (2/5)*level)
.4*level + 1.2

Honestly, though, I think they might have just come up with a pattern for these particular saves rather than any specific formula. After you hit epic level, the formulas no longer matter. So as long as the pattern keeps you in between Good and Poor saves, you’re golden. (Unless you really have a thing for fractional progressions.)

ffone

2011-01-03, 02:42 PM

Q488

Can spontaneous casters benefit from a Quicken Metamagic Rod or Circlet of Rapid Casting (or is it useless to them in the way Quicken Spell the feat is)?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-03, 03:59 PM

A 488
applying a metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell automatically increases the casting time to a full-round action. While you could use a Metamagic Rod of Quicken, you wouldn't get quick casting out of it; the Rod just gives you a limited use of the feat]. A Circlet of Rapid Casting, however, is specifically designed to work with casters who have slots (i.e., are spontaneous) as well as those who prepare spells; it speeds up a 1 standard action spell to a swift action.

KillianHawkeye

2011-01-03, 06:40 PM

Two different formulas were suggested:
(6/5 + (2/5)*level)
.4*level + 1.2

Those are actually the same formula. One is using fractions while the other is in decimal. (6/5 = 1.2, 2/5 = 0.4)

bokodasu

2011-01-04, 09:09 AM

Q489

Are there any rules about casting electric spells underwater, other than the normal underwater casting rules?

Runestar

2011-01-04, 09:27 AM

Q489

Are there any rules about casting electric spells underwater, other than the normal underwater casting rules?

Apparently nothing, since even stormwrack mentions how underwater sorcs choose electrical spells.

Stegyre

2011-01-04, 01:21 PM

Apparently nothing, since even stormwrack mentions how underwater sorcs choose electrical spells.
I'm vaguely surprised by this. I have a dim recollection that in either OD&D or AD&D, the rule was that fireball could not be cast under water but that lightning used underwater essentially became a burst (like a fireball) instead of its usual line.

Gnoman

2011-01-04, 02:01 PM

Q 490: My party cleric wants to enchant his mirror images with the "Nimbus of Light" spell (he argues that he can do this because the personal range would encompass them) send them after a vampire to surround him (he argues he can do this as long as they stay in a clump due to the "5 feet from another figment" clause) and destroy him with the light from the nimbus (because the spell description calls it sunlight." Please lsit for me all the reasons that he is wrong according to RAW.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-04, 02:37 PM

A 490

Mirror Image creates figments. Figments are not valid targets for Nimbus of Light.
Mirror Image does not include any description allowing you to command the figments as to their actions or location relative to you; instead, they mimic your actions, and stay near you and within 5' of you or each other. Spells do only what they're specified to do. So the Cleric can neither add capabilities not included, nor override built-in limits (such as "The figments stay near you").
Mirror Image will duplicate the appearance of magical effects, including Nimbus of Light on the Mirror Image spellcaster, but not anything other than sensory effects. Each figment will appear as bright as a lantern, but this illumination can cause no harm because such capability is not provided for in the Mirror Image description.
Only actual sunlight, or an effect specified as having the same properties, will harm vampires. Some sunlight-type spells even include a reminder to that effect.
Despite its name, this spell is not the equivalent of daylight for the purposes of creatures that are damaged or destroyed by bright light.
The only way that Nimbus of Light can cause harm is with the specified ranged touch attack. Your Cleric's plan didn't specify use of this attack, so no damage is possible.
Also, there's the issue of how the Cleric is casting Mirror Image, but the Spell domain and Anyspell spell would solve that.

Gnoman

2011-01-04, 03:24 PM

Thank you. Now I can just copy paste that and shut him up.

Keld Denar

2011-01-04, 03:33 PM

I'm vaguely surprised by this. I have a dim recollection that in either OD&D or AD&D, the rule was that fireball could not be cast under water but that lightning used underwater essentially became a burst (like a fireball) instead of its usual line.

This was in the AD&D 2e DMG, under environmental hazards or something. I don't know if it was in 1e or older versions or not.

Lateral

2011-01-04, 04:00 PM

Q 491 How much damage does a Medium Sharrash deal?

Keld Denar

2011-01-04, 04:11 PM

A 491 The damage printed is a misprint. Take the damage from the small sized sharresh and size it up compared to this table (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm). I don't have my copy of the ECS on me, but it's pretty easy.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-04, 04:48 PM

A 491

The correct answer is 1d10, threat range 19-20/x2.
Page 120: Weapons Table
The Talenta sharrash should have a critical threat range of 19–20/x2, not 19–20/x4. There is no change in the listed damage ─ just the threat range.

cd4

2011-01-04, 05:52 PM

Q492

Using the SRD I found that the Epic Class Legendary Dreadnaught requires BAB 23 however from reading the Epic rules you don't gain any BAB after level 20 so the max BAB you can have is 20 and you can never qualify for this class. How can you qualify for this class?

Q493

If I use Power Attack or Combat Expertise to reduce my BAB below 6, 11 or 16 do I lose any of my iterative attacks?

Defiant

2011-01-04, 05:59 PM

A492
Your BAB does increase as you gain epic levels. However, you cannot gain any more iterative attacks.

So if your BAB was +14/+9/+4 at level 20, then increasing your BAB to +15 at level 21 does not give you an additional iterative attack - you still have only 3.

(answered better and more accurately below)

A493

No.

Zherog

2011-01-04, 05:59 PM

A 492

Looks like you missed this little piece of the rules for epic BAB:

Epic Attack Bonus: Similarly, the character’s base attack bonus does not increase after character level reaches 20th. However, the character does receive a cumulative +1 epic bonus on all attacks at every odd-numbered level beyond 20th, as shown on Table: Epic Save and Epic Attack Bonuses. Any time a feat, prestige class, or other rule refers to your base attack bonus (except for gaining additional attacks), use the sum of your base attack bonus and epic attack bonus.

A 493

The answer is no, but I can't provide you a rules quote to validate the answer.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-04, 06:30 PM

A 493

Your question stems from a misreading of the feats.
Benefit: When you use the attack action or the full attack action in melee, you can take a penalty of as much as -5 on your attack roll and add the same number (+5 or less) as a dodge bonus to your Armor Class. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. Your Base Attack Bonus never changes; you merely have a penalty to your attacks. The number of iterative attacks is always dependent on your (unchanging) BAB. Similarly, Power Attack applies a penalty to attacks but also does not change your BAB.

Douglas

2011-01-04, 07:01 PM

A493 further note

For the same reason as Curmudgeon explained, there is also no limit on combining the two feats. If you have +5 BAB, you can Power Attack for -5 and use Combat Expertise for -5 at the same time, for a combined -10 penalty on attacks in exchange for +5 damage and +5 AC. Each feat's penalty is capped by your BAB, but the caps are separate.

Runestar

2011-01-04, 08:11 PM

A 492

Looks like you missed this little piece of the rules for epic BAB:

A 493

The answer is no, but I can't provide you a rules quote to validate the answer.
It's essentially a very convoluted way of saying "Bab stops granting extra attacks after lv21". :smallannoyed:

Adrayll

2011-01-04, 10:06 PM

Q494 Does damage type DR affect magic?
Ie: Does creature with DR 5/Slashing reduce the damage taken from an eldritch blast (untyped magic), or a magic missile (magical force) by 5?

Q495 Does DR affect elemental damage?
Ie: Someone with DR 5/Magic walks through a fire. Do they reduce the damage taken?

Tavar

2011-01-04, 10:15 PM

A 494/495
Here's a relevant quote.

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below.

abadguy

2011-01-05, 02:06 AM

Q496
By RAW, how does a caster control or command his summoned creatures? Via speech? Mental?

ffone

2011-01-05, 03:27 AM

Q497

Does a Blur spell satisfy the 'cover or concealment' requirement for Hide? Would a character with Blur and Hide in Plain Sight be able to make a Hide check as part of a movement?

ffone

2011-01-05, 03:43 AM

Q498

How long does it take to 'activate' a Crystal Ball (SRD Wondrous items)? One standard action, the casting time of Scrying (1 hour), or something else?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-05, 04:56 AM

A 496

You can direct summoned creatures with any form of communication you have.
If you can communicate with the creature, you can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. If you share a common language, you can use speech to communicate with the creatures. If you have a form of telepathy, you can direct the creatures mentally. Lacking either of those you would need to either attack or be attacked to let the summoned creatures identify your enemies.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-05, 05:07 AM

A 497 Yes, and yes.

The spell description is unambiguous; it grants concealment, thus meeting one of the two requirements to use the Hide skill. Any form of Hide in Plain Sight that's active in the ambient conditions (natural terrain for the Ranger version; not in daylight-bright illumination for the Dark Creature template version) will satisfy the other Hide requirement.

Curmudgeon

2011-01-05, 05:16 AM

A 498 One standard action.
Unless stated otherwise, activating a use-activated magic item is either a standard action or not an action at all and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless the use involves performing an action that provokes an attack of opportunity in itself. If the use of the item takes time before a magical effect occurs, then use activation is a standard action. If the item’s activation is subsumed in its use and takes no extra time use activation is not an action at all.
A character can use the device to see over virtually any distance or into other planes of existence, as with the spell scrying (Will DC 16 negates). You can use the Crystal Ball as with the spell Scrying. Since Scrying normally takes time before any magical effect occurs (the 1 hour casting time), use activation is therefore a standard action. After that you follow the normal rules for Spot and Listen skills, subject to the 10' distance limitations of Scrying.

Altair_the_Vexed

2011-01-05, 08:17 AM

Q499 Non-lethal damage
When you've taken more non-lethal damage as you have hit points, you are knocked unconscious. Is that the only drawback?
(I seem to remember that additional damage was treated as real, thus giving a risk of killing a person with excessive non-lethal damage. Am I mis-remembering?)

Shhalahr Windrider

2011-01-05, 09:02 AM

A 499
Unconsciousness is the only effect of having nonlethal damage greater than your hit points. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/injuryandDeath.htm#nonlethalDamage) Of course, one must remember that unconscious (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#unconscious) character is also helpless (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#helpless) and considered willing for most effects that require willing targets (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#targetorTargets).

On a related note, one must also remember that a character whose nonlethal damage exactly equals his or her hit points is not unconcious, but merely staggered (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#staggered)

Gnaritas

2011-01-05, 09:25 AM

A499 supplement
And as for your question regarding being unconscious because of non-lethal damage it becoming lethal.

I do not think it is a general rule for non-lethal damage, but is specifically for cold-hazards:

Cold and exposure deal nonlethal damage to the victim. This nonlethal damage cannot be recovered until the character gets out of the cold and warms up again. Once a character is rendered unconscious through the accumulation of nonlethal damage, the cold and exposure begins to deal lethal damage at the same rate.

cd4

2011-01-05, 02:26 PM

Q500

With Stormguard Warrior, if my opponents generate an AoO and I have used up all for this turn can I still refrain from using an AoO and get the bonus from Channel the Storm?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-05, 03:33 PM

A 500 No.
Channel the Storm: To use this option, you must choose to refrain from making one or more available attacks of opportunity against a single opponent Once you've exhausted all the attacks of opportunity available to you for the round, you no longer qualify for the Channel the Storm option of the Stormguard Warrior feat.

Keld Denar

2011-01-05, 03:38 PM

A 500 No. You have to have at least one AoO remaining in order to forgo an AoO for Channeling the Storm. You can't give up what you don't have.

cd4

2011-01-05, 05:35 PM

Q501

Does a suit of full plate take up the body, guantlet, helmet and feet slots or just some of those?

Curmudgeon

2011-01-05, 05:40 PM

A 501
Full Plate

The suit includes gauntlets, heavy leather boots, a visored helmet, and a thick layer of padding that is worn underneath the armor. While the suit includes items that fill all these areas of the body, they do not occupy all the corresponding magic item slots; armor uses only the armor slot. As the armor bonus is tied to the armor body slot you can replace the gauntlets (Hands slot), helmet (Head slot), and boots (Feet slot) without changing the armor's protection.

Xiander

2011-01-05, 06:00 PM

q 502
Where can i find the rules for gestalting?

Keld Denar

2011-01-05, 06:05 PM

A 502 In Unearthed Arcana, or the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltcharacters.htm).

Gnaritas

2011-01-05, 06:05 PM

q 502
Where can i find the rules for gestalting?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltcharacters.htm

Did you even try finding it?

Zherog

2011-01-05, 06:20 PM

A 502 In Unearthed Arcana, or the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltcharacters.htm).

A 502 pedantic nitpick

The rules for Gestalting are not in the official SRD, which is a series of RTF files released by WotC. They do appear on d20srd.org, because the folks who run that site opted to add them because almost everything in UA is declared as Open Game Content.

Xiander

2011-01-05, 06:22 PM

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltcharacters.htm

Did you even try finding it?

Not very hard i admit, never thought it would be that easy. Thank you. :smallsmile:

Defiant

2011-01-05, 06:37 PM

A 502 pedantic nitpick

The rules for Gestalting are not in the official SRD, which is a series of RTF files released by WotC. They do appear on d20srd.org, because the folks who run that site opted to add them because almost everything in UA is declared as Open Game Content.

A 502 ultra-pedantic counter-attack

1. A copy of something is still referred to by the original name. If I make a copy of the United States Constitution and show you a particular paragraph, you can't come back around and point out that what I have is not the official constitution and merely a copy. It would make no sense.

2. What you quoted was a statement that the relevant information is in the SRD. A link was provided to the d20srd.org website, which is a representation of the SRD, and thus proper usage of hyperlinking.

Amador

2011-01-05, 06:59 PM

Q 503

Is there any definitive difference between non-dimensional and extra-dimensional spaces?

Keld Denar

2011-01-05, 07:06 PM

A 503 Mechanically, neither term is defined in a concrete manor. Relevant thread is relevant. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182150)

EDIT: Hmmm, it seems thats your own thread. Well, yea...

Zherog

2011-01-05, 09:29 PM

A 502 ultra-pedantic counter-attack

1. A copy of something is still referred to by the original name. If I make a copy of the United States Constitution and show you a particular paragraph, you can't come back around and point out that what I have is not the official constitution and merely a copy. It would make no sense.

This only applies if you make a copy of the constitution and then tack on the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation, then refer to the entire document as the Constitution.

2. What you quoted was a statement that the relevant information is in the SRD. A link was provided to the d20srd.org website, which is a representation of the SRD, and thus proper usage of hyperlinking.

Sure, it was proper usage of hyperlinking - the code was correct and so the link itself worked. That doesn't change the fact that the information was incorrect. None of the material from Unearthed Arcana is in the SRD.

edit: To be clear, I perfectly understand why people say the rules are in the SRD. 99% of the time, I let the reference go. But this thread strives to give precisely correct information, and so I offered the correction -- even though it's (admittedly) pedantic.

Defiant

2011-01-05, 10:05 PM

I won't start breaking down the quotes to engage in the epitome of pedantry, so I'll get straight to the point. (by the way, all of this is done in a half-hearted sense)

edit: To be clear, I perfectly understand why people say the rules are in the SRD. 99% of the time, I let the reference go. But this thread strives to give precisely correct information, and so I offered the correction -- even though it's (admittedly) pedantic.

You need to ask yourself:

Does d20srd.org include the SRD?
Does d20srd.org represent the SRD?

The d20srd.org has everything in the SRD, just a different format. If I give you a paper document including everything in the SRD, I could properly refer to it as "this is the SRD", even though the "official" SRD is on the WoTC website.

None of the material from Unearthed Arcana is in the SRD.

Point taken. I retract my argument as upon rereading, I understand yours.

Zherog

2011-01-05, 10:12 PM

The d20srd.org has everything in the SRD, just a different format. If I give you a paper document including everything in the SRD, I could properly refer to it as "this is the SRD", even though the "official" SRD is on the WoTC website.

Sure. But my point is that you can't give me a paper copy of the SRD and a paper copy of Unearthed Arcana and tell me that UA is the SRD; it's not. (and there's other differences between the site and the official SRD, too.)

However, on that note I think the discussion has gone long enough. I'd be more than happy to keep going back and forth in any other thread. For this specific thread, though, I'm going to not respond with more pedantic pedantry. ;)

edit: redacted the first paragraph, given your edit.

ffone

2011-01-06, 04:38 AM

Q504

Can a character 'open' (move past/through) a door - aka 'get it out of the way' by dealing sufficient HP damage to it, or do they have to use the Str check break DC?

Serpentine

2011-01-06, 05:16 AM

A504 Yes. According to the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm), in the case of a good wooden door you could either succeed on a DC 18 Strength check or deal 15 damage overcoming hardness 5. edit, in case you mean just bashing through it in one blow rather than hacking your way through: It is possible to do it with one blow, but it's more likely to take several attempts and in such a case the Strength check would probably be more appropriate.

Q505a Detect thoughts has a duration of "concentration, up to 1 min/level". Does this mean that someone casting Detect Thoughts cannot do anything except concentrate on it, or are they able to take other actions?
b The Rakshasa has continuous Detect thoughts which can be suppressed at will. Is it able to take other actions while still benefitting from Detect thoughts? Does it automatically get the benefits of the first and second round of Detect thoughts as soon as a creature comes into range, does it automatically effect them after they've been in range for 1 or 2 rounds, or does the Rakshasa have to deliberately direct its Detect thoughts ability at them for 2 rounds? Is concentration required at all for the Rakshasa to use its Detect thoughts ability?

Yora

2011-01-06, 06:39 AM

A505a:

The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you’re maintaining one, causing the spell to end.

You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Sometimes a spell lasts for a short time after you cease concentrating.
So you can take move actions and free actions, but not cast quickened spells or take any other standard actions.

A505b: I don't think the rules are clear on this. I would say he can perform a standard action at any time and immediately gaining the effect of the 1st round of concentrating on the spell. The difference to making it an at will ability is, that concentrating on the spell does not provoke an attack of opportunity, while activiating a spell-like ability does. Also, it's a supernatural ability, which I believe have fewer restrictions than Spell-like abilities when it comes to anti-magic and dispelling.

Serpentine

2011-01-06, 07:17 AM

If I could get a more precise answer on that I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, I guess I'll just wing it, based on bits and pieces I'm picking up in other texts...

Q506 Does activating a magic item - wand, scroll, potion, rod, staff, etc - count as "cast(ing) a spell or us(ing) a... spell-like ability"?

(if it helps, I'm making a Rakshasa Sorcerer/Mindspy/Mindbender, and trying to work out just what he can and can not do)

Curmudgeon

2011-01-06, 07:59 AM

A 506

Activating magic items is never a spell-like ability unless the item's description specifically says so (and I don't know of any such cases). Activating most magic items doesn't count as casting a spell. However, scroll activation is completing a spell and thus counts as spellcasting. The situation for wands and staves (spell trigger items) is less clear because of a couple of different treatments in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Specifically, anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.)

Activation:Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. So using a spell trigger item could be:

casting a spell
not casting a spell
casting a spell, but only if you could already cast that spell without the wand or staff Activating other types of magic items isn't casting a spell.