Simple Q&A D&D 3.5 (by RAW) XIX

[Curmudgeon]

A 747

Yes, that's correct; you use the Craft rules. Generally speaking, the game assumes most PCs are out adventuring rather than spending long periods in a shop to create items.

A 748 No.
Ability Focus [General]

Choose one of the creature’s special attacks.

Prerequisite: Special attack. The Spells class ability is not listed as a special attack, and does not qualify for this feat.

[dextercorvia]

Q 750

What is the spells class ability listed as in general? I found cleric spells listed as a special attack in at least one Monster Manual (3, IIRC). This was a creature with the cleric class, not natural spellcasting.

[Curmudgeon]

A 750

Spells is generally an untyped class feature.

[kardar233]

Q751:

The Shapechange spell states that you can take the form of "any single nonunique creature (of any type) from Fine to Colossal size". However, it also cites Polymorph, which in turn references Alter Self, which states that you cannot take the form of a templated creature. Does Shapechange's text override its text from Alter Self, allowing you to Shapechange into a templated creature?

[Qwertystop]

New Thread needed.

[Curmudgeon]

A 751 No.

The restriction to non-templated creatures is inherited. (And adding a template makes a creature special anyway, so the "nonunique" qualifier of Shapechange is relevant.)

[kardar233]

Q751 cont'd:

Wouldn't Shapechange's acceptable forms text "any non-unique form etc." be part of the "as Polymorph, except" clause, in turn overruling the Alter Self prohibition against templates? Assuming a definition of "unique" as "existing as the only one or as the sole example", you could argue that certain combinations of creatures and templates don't exist or are unique, which would preclude Shapechanging into them, but that would mean adjudication on a case-by-case basis.

[Surzt and Gurzt]

Q 752

Does Force Damage ignore all damage reduction, if not, is there one type of Damage reduction that it doesn't ignore?

[kardar233]

A752:

As Force damage is Energy Damage, it ignores Damage Reduction and instead has to deal with Energy Resistance. However, very few things have Energy Resistance or Immunity against Force.

[Curmudgeon]

A 751 cont'd

No. The Shapechange exception overrides the HD limit and type limits of Polymorph. There would be no reason to reference Polymorph at all if the exception overrode all the Alter Self and Polymorph restrictions. I stand by my original answer.

A 752 No.

If the force damage is from weapons and/or natural attacks, damage reduction applies. I know of no forms of damage reduction that have special behavior versus force attacks.


A752:

As Force damage is Energy Damage, it ignores Damage Reduction ... This is incorrect. "Force" is not a D&D energy type. See the definition (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_energydamage&alpha=E):
energy damage

Damage caused by one of five types of energy (not counting positive and negative energy): acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic.

[dextercorvia]

Q 753

What sort of action is it to retrieve a dropped item? Does it provoke AoO?

Move and Yes

[Ceratos]

Q 754

Is Druid class considered Shapeshifter for purposes of Ranger's Favored Enemy class skill? Or considered a shapeshifter in general? (Reference would be appreciated.)

[sonofzeal]

A754
No. Thought it meets the definition, Wildshape does not change your type. Neither does Alter Self or Polymorph.

From Alternate Form:


The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. I

[DrDeth]

Q755
The spell says the area is:

10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you

Centered on your center or centered on your square?
So, if a giant casts it, it's pretty much the giant, and not even the space beyond it, of the medium creature fighting the giant.
OTOH, if it centered on his spaces, it gets it's entire reach?

[DrDeth]

Q755
The spell says the area is:

10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you

Centered on your center or centered on your square?
So, if a giant casts it, it's pretty much the giant, and not even the space beyond it, of the medium creature fighting the giant.
OTOH, if it centered on his spaces, it gets it's entire reach?

[paurpg]

Q756 Can a character carry 2 or 3 loaded light crossbows so that he can just draw them and drop them and not have to reload?

Q757 Can a character climb up a corner?

Q758 Does the unarmed swordsage lose proficiency with melee weapons as well as proficency with light armor?

Q759 Does the unarmed variant swordsage have proficiency with spiked chain if he gets the shadow hands discipline weapon focus (which includes the spiked chain)?

[Heliomance]

Savage Species is pre-3.5 material, and that type pyramid is not used in any way in 3.5 D&D.

Dispute:
Everything 3.0 is legal in 3.5 unless explicitly updated. Thus the type pyramid is a valid rule.

[Curmudgeon]

Dispute:
Everything 3.0 is legal in 3.5 unless explicitly updated. Thus the type pyramid is a valid rule.
The highlighted statement is not true. There are two actual D&D rules that pertain to this matter. The first one is contained on page 4 of the 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide:
This is an upgrade of the d20 System, not a new edition of the game. This revision is compatible with all existing products, and those products can be used with the revision with only minor adjustments.
The next is contained in many official 3.5 errata files:
Errata Rule: Primary Sources

When you find a disagreement between two D&D® rules sources, unless an official errata file says otherwise, the primary source is correct. One example of a primary/secondary source is text taking precedence over a table entry. An individual spell description takes precedence when the short description in the beginning of the spells chapter disagrees.

Another example of primary vs. secondary sources involves book and topic precedence. The Player's Handbook, for example, gives all the rules for playing the game, for playing PC races, and for using base class descriptions. If you find something on one of those topics from the Dungeon Master's Guide or the Monster Manual that disagrees with the Player's Handbook, you should assume the Player's Handbook is the primary source. The Dungeon Master's Guide is the primary source for topics such as magic item descriptions, special material construction rules, and so on. The Monster Manual is the primary source for monster descriptions, templates, and supernatural, extraordinary, and spell-like abilities.
One obvious minor adjustment for incorporating an existing pre-3.5 product into a 3.5 game is to omit those older rules which don't have any 3.5 core support. And certainly when the 3.5 core books came out after Savage Species with no type hierarchy, that type pyramid creates a disagreement with those non-hierarchical types in the primary source books. The above rule stipulates how to resolve such disagreements. In the end, as the DMG directs, it's up to each individual DM to specifiy the minor adjustments required to use existing products which lack official 3.5 updates.

A 755 Neither.

Spells never originate from the centers of squares.
Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection. When a spell originates at a character, pick one of the grid intersections that character touches as the spell origin point. If the character moves, the spell moves with the same orientation ─ e.g., if it starts at the northeast corner of the character's square, it stays at the northeast corner of the character's square as they move.

A 756 Yes.

A 757 Yes.

The details for how to do this are contained within the Climb skill description on page 69 of Player's Handbook. Complete Scoundrel also has the Corner Perch skill trick; see page 85.

A 758 No.
To create a monklike character with a tremendous array of fantastic moves and strikes, give the swordsage the monk’s unarmed strike progression and remove his light armor proficiency. This Adaptation note stipulates only the listed changes. Because the Swordsage's AC Bonus class feature requires light armor, most DMs treat that proficiency removal and the "monklike" direction as also substituting the Monk AC Bonus (unarmored) requirement.

A 758 No.

You gain only what is specified in the rules. Since Weapon Focus (like every feat) only provides its listed benefit when you maintain all the prerequisites, you would receive no benefit until you gained Exotic Weapon Proficiency (spiked chain).

[Jon_Dahl]

Q760 A

If the subject is confused and must the attack nearest creature (roll of 71-00), what sort of methods of attacking are permitted?

Q760 B

Referring to Q760 A, I'd say that turning undead is not allowed. It's a special attack, centered on yourself and affects an area. It's not a targeted attack, specifically against that designated creature.

Q760C

If you haven't identified a monster as an undead creature (failed knowledge (religion)) check), would it be RAW if the subject used anything that affects undead creatures if he was confused?

[Curmudgeon]

A 760 A

Any attack methods which work for the listed target (so you can't try to use a reach-only weapon against an adjacent target) and are consistent with the confused state are permitted. If you're confused enough to attack an ally you're also not thinking clearly enough to use a weapon in a non-optimal manner and deal nonlethal damage, for instance. Because the confused state doesn't go into any greater detail, your individual DM may provide restrictions or an arbitrary (confused :smallwink:) schedule for your attack forms.

A 760 B

Again, that's not limited in the RAW (there's no requirement that the attack be targeted), so preventing you from attempting to turn undead would be a restriction added by your individual DM. Even though it may affect other creatures, it's still an attack and would satisfy the requirement for the appropriate confused action percentage roll.

A 760 C

As above, ask your DM. However, making a Knowledge check doesn't require an action, and thus the rules which stipulate what actions you can take while confused do not prevent you from identifying undead.

[SleepyShadow]

Q 761

I have heard a lot about the Seduction AFC for the Swashbuckler, but I cannot for the life of me find it. Does anyone know what source it is from?

[kardar233]

Q761:

That would be the Dead Levels Part II (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20070227x) web enhancement.