Gaining Information in Combat

[Elric VIII]

There are a few things that always seem very risky without enough information. I speak of Sundering, Dispelling, and using Power Word X spells.

I started this thread to expand upon a question from the 3.5 RAW Q&A thread.

My main concerns are how to determine the following:

1) How can you tell that a weapon wielded by an opponent is nonmagical so that you may safely sunder it without eating into the party's wealth?

2) Aside from knowing the MM by heart, how does one get a reasonable idea of whether a given enemy can be affected by your Power Word spells, based on hp left?

3) How can you tell if an enemy has buffs up to dispel if he has cast them before combat?

What I'm interested in is ways to determine these things without spending too many of your precious in-combat actions.

Also, feel free to use this thread to voice similar questions, I always need new combat tricks.

[Jack_Simth]

1) and 3) Arcane Sight + Permanency.
2) Appropriate Knowledge checks: you'll need to make a really high DC, though. Alt: DM that's skilled with description.

[Zaq]

Well, Arcane Sight will handle the concerns about the weapon and the buffs, and it can even be Permanencied if you can cast it (or use a scroll of it). If your GM is nice about Permanencied spells (and allows them to come back after being Dispelled, after a suitable delay . . . a total houserule, but one that's worth asking about), it's definitely worth investing in.

As for the HP problem . . . the only RAW way I know of to get an actual number for an enemy's HP is one of the Combat Focus feats in PHB2 (Combat Awareness, specifically), but with two other fightin'-man feats as a prereq and a BAB +12 requirement, it's hard to get a character who can use both Combat Awareness and Power Word spells. Again, if your GM is willing to houserule things, you might talk about making perhaps a combined Heal/Spot check to gauge an enemy's HP, but that's not even close to RAW.

[NNescio]

There are a few things that always seem very risky without enough information. I speak of Sundering, Dispelling, and using Power Word X spells.

I started this thread to expand upon a question from the 3.5 RAW Q&A thread.

My main concerns are how to determine the following:

1) How can you tell that a weapon wielded by an opponent is nonmagical so that you may safely sunder it without eating into the party's wealth?

2) Aside from knowing the MM by heart, how does one get a reasonable idea of whether a given enemy can be affected by your Power Word spells, based on hp left?

3) How can you tell if an enemy has buffs up to dispel if he has cast them before combat?

What I'm interested in is ways to determine these things without spending too many of your precious in-combat actions.

Also, feel free to use this thread to voice similar questions, I always need new combat tricks.

1) Detect Magic. Arcane Sight. Otherwise, Spot Check and ask your DM whether magic weapons glow in his setting.

2) Spot Check. Does your enemy look beefy or fragile? Is it wounded? Ask your DM if Deathwatch (which usually can't differentiate between living creatures with more than 3 HP) gives you a circumstance bonus.

3) Spellcraft. Works as long as you can see or detect the effects of the buff spell. A Spot check may be required first. Detect Magic and Arcane Sight will also work.

[Thurbane]

1) & 3) If you're willing to blow 2 feats, Bind Vestige and Practiced Binder will allow you to bind Karsus, and have an "always on" improved version of Detect Magic up. Also, the Vatic Gaze feat can do this.
2) The Deathwatch spell will let you know if an opponent is 3hp or less, so not that useful for Power Word. From memory, there may be a usage of Sense Motive that allows you to gauge how "tough" an opponent is, but won't give you an actual HP total.

[Glimbur]

there may be a usage of Sense Motive that allows you to gauge how "tough" an opponent is, but won't give you an actual HP total.

Yep. It's in Complete Adventurer and takes a standard action unless you blow a feat on it which makes it a free action. Worse yet, it tells you CR relative to your Hit Dice, which is nice to know I guess but less helpful than telling you their HD.

[Elric VIII]

Arcane Sight seems like a good way to go, but I'm currently a Cleric. I have Time domain, so Permanency is on my list, but I can't cast Arcane Eye. Is there some spell, used in conjunction with Divine Insight that would let me use UMD as though it were trained?

[dextercorvia]

Arcane Sight seems like a good way to go, but I'm currently a Cleric. I have Time domain, so Permanency is on my list, but I can't cast Arcane Eye. Is there some spell, used in conjunction with Divine Insight that would let me use UMD as though it were trained?

There is a forgotten realm spell, but the name escapes me at the moment. It can affect skill use in a couple of ways. I'll try to find it.

Edit: It's called Wieldskill.

[Xyk]

Accurate, in-depth DM descriptions can give you a rough estimate of what sort of buffs and HP the monster has. I think that's a good way to play. That way you don't know what spells will work best. A heal/spot check is a good idea too.

[Elric VIII]

There is a forgotten realm spell, but the name escapes me at the moment. It can affect skill use in a couple of ways. I'll try to find it.

Edit: It's called Wieldskill.

That's a great spell. Can multiple modes of the spell stack(i.e. If I use it to gain proficiency can I use it to gain a skill bonus while the first casting is active)?

[Archwizard]

Personally, for #2 I would ask players to make heal and knowledge checks with a DC based on a couple things (how hurt is the monster with more hurt = lower DC, how common is the monster with less common = higher DC). I would give circumstance bonuses (or penalties) based on the time taken.

Full Round: +4 to each check
Standard: +2
Move: +0
Free: -5

Or something like that.

[dextercorvia]

That's a great spell. Can multiple modes of the spell stack(i.e. If I use it to gain proficiency can I use it to gain a skill bonus while the first casting is active)?

That is usually the case. I don't have the full text of the spell handy, but I don't imagine that it would be a problem.