Simple Q&A (By the RAW) II

[Pyredup]

Q 200! Woot!

I'm confused on how to read attacks in the Monster Manual. When it says
"Bite +4, Sting +5: Longsword + 8" does the punctuation mean that the monster can either bite and sting at once or attack with the longsword? For some monsters this means 2 claw attacks, one bite, and a tail sting all in one round.

I typically play 3.0 if it matters.

Thanks :)

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 200

The attack entry in the MM 3.0 assumes that the creature makes a full attack.
Attacks separated by a comma (",") or "and" can all be made during a full attack. If the monster can select different full attack routines they are separated by "; or".

Some monster can make several different kinds of attack during their full attack.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 199

I do not think there is any reduce spell that will work on Fey short of Polymorph Any Object used to become a Grig or other tiny Fey.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Non-RAW Comment on 199
For non-RAW solutions, you might want to check out an old thread from a few months ago: Person Prejudice. It addresses making custom spells such as reduce fey. Doesn't make a lot of sense that fey spellcasters wouldn't have made their own equivalent versions of most of those humanoid-only spells, does it?

(Note that the thread is almost three months old, which is old enough that any new posts would count as thread necromancy. New observations, if you have any, should probably use thread.)

[nyjastul69]

Q 201

A mithral chain shirt is considered light armor in regards to movement and other limitations. Can a Rogue wear this without accruing non proficiency penalties? Mithral doesn't change the actual type of armor does it?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 201

The RAW could have been more precise, but Mithral armor is treated as one category lighter for all purposes.


... Most mithral armors are one category lighter than normal for purposes of movement and other limitations. Heavy armors are treated as medium, and medium armors are treated as light, but light armors are still treated as light. ...


Is a character proficient with light armor, such as a rogue, considered to be proficient with mithral breastplate? What about a character proficient with medium armor, such as a barbarian—is he considered proficient with mithral full plate armor?

The description of mithral on page 284 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide is less precise than it could be in defining how it interacts with armor proficiency rules. The simplest answer—and the one that the Sage expects most players and DMs use—is that mithral armor is treated as one category lighter for all purposes, including proficiency. This isn’t exactly what the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide says, but it’s a reasonable interpretation of the intent of the rule (and it’s supported by a number of precedents, including the descriptions of various specific mithral armors described on page 220 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide and a variety of NPC stat blocks).
Thus, a ranger or rogue could wear a mithral breastplate without suffering a nonproficiency penalty (since it’s treated as light armor), and each could use any ability dependent on wearing light or no armor (such as evasion or the ranger’s combat style). A barbarian could wear mithral full plate armor without suffering a nonproficiency penalty (since it’s treated as medium armor), and he could use any ability dependent on wearing medium or lighter armor (such as fast movement).
The same would be true of any other special material that uses the same or similar language as mithral (such as darkleaf, on page 120 of the EBERRON Campaign Setting).



Having said that. A chain shirt is light regardless of material, but a chain mail would be treated as light instead of medium.

[Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick]

Q 202.
This is, quite possibly, the stupidest question I've ever asked.
However, given my deep and abiding inexperience at running actually monsters, as oppposed to members of published races with class levels (and perhaps given that I haven't slept in three days) here it is:

I'm looking over the 'Attack' entry for the Assassin vine, and I can understand the breakdown for the +7 bonus to attack; +5 strength, +3 BAB, and -1 size.
However, the 1d6+7, which I'd think is damage, of course, is throwing me off; 1d6 is the proper slam damage, yes, yes, but if that +7 is a bonus to damage, I don't see where it's coming from; I can see the +5 from strength again, here, but where's that other +2 coming from?

I apologize, oh-so-deeply, for my temporary brain anuerysm.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 202

A creature's sole natural weapon adds 1.5 x Str to damage.


A creature’s primary attack damage includes its full Strength modifier (1-1/2 times its Strength bonus if the attack is with the creature’s sole natural weapon) and is given first.

[Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick]

A. 202

A creature's sole natural weapon adds 1.5 x Str to damage.
I knew I was missing something, thanks.
When I start forgetting obvious things, it's time to stop homebrewing for the day... :smalleek:

Although I suppose most creatures have more than one...but ah well.
Thanks again.

[Serania]

Q. 203 How do you extrapolate encumbrencefor strength scores higher than 30? I still can't figure it out from the PHB. The minotaur barbarian I ended up playing has a 32 Str with magic items, and I can't figure out how much he can carry.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 203

Multiply the capacity of a creature with 22 STR by 4 and you have the numbers for a creature with 32 STR.
x16 if it was 42
x64 if it was 52
x256 if it was 62
etc.

Reference: Page 162 PHB.

[Douglas]

A203
For strength values beyond the end of the table, every 10 points of strength multiplies your carrying capacity by 4. To find how much you can carry, find the capacity for someone with 10 less strength and multiply that by 4. In this case, a 32 strength large character can carry 4 times what a 22 strength large character can, for a maximum light load of 173 (22 streng) * 2 (large) * 4 (+10 str) = 1384 pounds, a medium load of 346*2*4 = 2768 pounds, and a maximum load of 520*2*4 = 4160 pounds.

[Curmudgeon]

A187 Unfortunately for you, Shadowdancer is one of the few Prestige Classes with Evasion that does not automatically upgrade to Improved Evasion. A. 187 clarification

I believe you're thinking instead of Uncanny Dodge, Fax_Celestis. Uncanny Dodge normally combines with itself to become Improved Uncanny Dodge, but I don't know of any classes where Evasion combines with itself to become Improved Evasion. Certainly none of the core classes with Evasion (Rogue, Monk, Ranger, Shadowdancer, or even the Druid’s animal companion) automatically promote to Improved Evasion.

[Zherog]

There are prestige classes out there, though, that explicitly will say something to the effect of, "If the character already has evasion, she instead gains improved evasion. If she already has improved evasion, she gains no further benefit."

I'd have to look around to find one, though.

[Serania]

Thanks guys :D I didn't realize we had reached a new page, so I kept refreshing the last one T_T'

Man that was a stupid quesiton.. my PHB has been open to that page all day! I'm amazed I didn't just look over a column from the enumbrence tables.. I feel dumb.

[Fax Celestis]

Q204 Does a Spellthief's Steal Spell ability qualify him for feats and prestige classes that require "ability to cast X spell" or "ability to cast spells of X level"? I can see justification on both sides of this equation, but I'd like to know if there's a hard ruling for it.

[henebry]

Q205 I'm a bit confused by the wording of the "Poison" entry in the SRD: am I right in thinking that a poisoned character faces secondary damage regardless of whether he's succeeded on his save vs. preliminary damage? The entry almost makes it sound like characters who fail the first throw aren't at risk of secondary damage.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 204

I do not think there is any hard ruling for this.
For the hour after stealing a spell the Spellthief retains the ability to cast said spell of said level.


Non-RAW comment:
When/if this question is answered by the Sage I think the answer will be that this is not the intent behind those prerequisites.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 205

Your reading is correct.
You still have to save against secondary effects even if you make the initial saving throw.

[Fax Celestis]

To the sage it is! Up, up, and away!

[Serania]

Q. 206 Is there hard and fast rules somewhere for the amount of damage you can do with an improvised throwing weapon? With my 37 Strength I started chucking three ton rocks down a hill at people.

[NEO|Phyte]

Q. 207 Do stances count towards the manouvers known prerequisite of various manouvers and stances?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 207

Stances are considered maneuvers for the purpose of meeting prerequisites to learn new maneuvers.

(ToB page 44)

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 206

"Normal" rocks as thrown weapons:
A 40-50 pound rock (small object) does 2d6 damage.
A 60-80 pound rock (medium object) does 2d8 damage.



However, using rocks as weapons with a size and weight like you suggest would require something like the Hulking Hurler prestige class. (and higher STR for that size of rock)

Just rolling them down a hill is more akin to a rolling rock trap or similar.

The rules for that would be a bit outside the RAW, I think.

[Zherog]

A. 206

<snip>

However, using rocks as weapons like that require something like the Hulking Hurler prestige class. (and higher STR for that size of rock)

Why? Giants can throw rocks as a ranged attack without taking the hulking hurler class.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Why? Giants can throw rocks as a ranged attack without taking the hulking hurler class.

I realize that I was not clear in what I was referring to.

While everyone of the appropriate size can throw rocks as giants do, even without their rock throwing ability, it is an entirely different matter to throw rocks as weapons when their weight is 3 tonnes!

I added the weight of small and medium rocks for comparison purposes.

[Sampi]

Where do you get the small/medium rock sizes? It seems they are not really scalable according to volume.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

MM, Giant entry.

And no, it is not pretty.

[Serania]

Yea, if you just scaled up say the one for the 40-50lb rocks I'm doing something like 240d6 damage. I wonder if I can find rules for crushing damage, like however much damage a trapped room with a lowering cieling would do, figure out the weight of the cieling from that and do some math based on the speed of a rock being thrown off a cliff by someone with enough strength to benchpress two city buses.

[Zherog]

While the extrapolation you're talking about is completely reasonable from a mathematical point of view, be aware that it can produce bizarre and unwanted results when applied to D&D "math."

[Jasdoif]

Well...size-scaling the Medium rock's damage of 2d8 ends up with 8d8 at Colossal (someone check this please, all I can find offhand that lists damages high enough is Improved Natural Attack). So assuming you could actually use a Colossal rock as a weapon due to weapon size limitations, your damage would be 8d8+Str.

[martyboy74]

Complete warrior had a list for weights and damages of thrown objects. I believe it was in the section for the Hulking Hurler.

[Serania]

I was scaling up by weight as opposed to size. I'd rather hit someone with a mdeium sized chunk of lead than a collossal sized chunk of aluminum. Scaling up by weight gave me over 200d6 damage for a 6,000 pound rock, and I could easily throw something on the order of a 30,000 pound rock, though that's no longer a light load so I'd probably have to throw it down a hill or just drop it on someone.

That and I REALLY doubt that a 50lb rock qualifies as medium size.

[Winged One]

Q 208
Does a martial adept have to be in a stance even when all of their stances would put them in a disadvantageous position? For example, if a warblade 1 who only knows the Punishing Stance(+1d6 damage, -2 AC) needs the AC, can he switch out of his stance?

[Fax Celestis]

A208 A stance may be "switched off" as a swift action. One need not "switch on" another.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 208

No, you do not need to be in a stance.

[Jasdoif]

Q209
For each 200 pounds of an object’s weight, the object deals 1d6 points of damage, provided it falls at least 10 feet. Distance also comes into play, adding an additional 1d6 points of damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first (to a maximum of 20d6 points of damage).Does the 20d6 maximum refer to the increase in damage from the falling distance, or the total falling damage in any case?

[Fax Celestis]

A209 One has to look carefully as to how to calculate damage this way. A 600-lb object will deal 3d6 points for the first 10 feet, and an additional 1d6 for each 10 feet after that. An object in excess of 4000 lbs will deal more than 20d6 points of damage by itself, but will only deal up to an additional 20d6 depending on distance of travel.

[crazedloon]

Q210

If a Sorcerer gains a spell from another class which adds spells to the Sorcerers known spell list (as the sand shaper class from sandstorm does) can you trade these now known spells in for other spells as you could with a normal spell you have learned.

[Rigeld2]

A210
From my cursory reading, it looks like you can. Anyone else can feel free to overrule that with a rules cite though.

[crazedloon]

Q211

Do inappropriately sized weapon penalty for a bolt thrown with the spell launch Item apply. I.E. would a medium wiz/sorc useing this spell have a -2 to attack with a large bolt and a -8 with a colossal bolt. Also can the medium creature "wield" the colossal bolt even though the creature could not wield the weapon it is normal shot out of.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 211

Nothing in the spell description indicates that the spell can be used to launch weapons such as bolts in a way harmful to the target.

The only restrictions on objects launched is size and weight and there would be no penalty for inappropriately sized objects as long as they meet the restrictions of the spell.

Even if you allow bolts to be "shot out" with this spell a colossal bolt is not a fine object.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 210

I agree with Rigeld2.

[crazedloon]

A. 211

Nothing in the spell description indicates that the spell can be used to launch weapons such as bolts in a way harmful to the target.

The only restrictions on objects launched is size and weight and there would be no penalty for inappropriately sized objects as long as they meet the restrictions of the spell.

Even if you allow bolts to be "shot out" with this spell a colossal bolt is not a fine object.

Ooops I meant launch bolt (sorry I asked the question late at night :smalleek: )

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 211 Launch Bolt

The line "as if you had fired it from a light crossbow" suggest that it is treated like a normal attack with a light crossbow. If you could not fire the weapon normally I would interpret this to mean that you could not use this spell to fire it either.

[crazedloon]

Q211 cont.

So since a light crossbow can be shot with one hand you can shoot a large version as a medium critter with a -2 attack?

Q 212
how fast does a bag of holding empty if flipped upsidedown?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Q211 cont.

So since a light crossbow can be shot with one hand you can shoot a large version as a medium critter with a -2 attack?

That seems reasonable.


Q 212
how fast does a bag of holding empty if flipped upsidedown?


A. 212

Strictly speaking the RAW is silent on the matter, but it seems reasonable to assume that if things can fall out of a Bag of Holding when it is turned upside down they would fall out as fast as they would fall out of a normal bag.

[Maxymiuk]

Q 213

Does the penalty from the flaw Shaky apply to ranged touch attacks?

[Jasdoif]

A213

Yes. A ranged touch attack uses a ranged attack roll, and Shaky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm#shaky) applies a penalty to those.

[Fax Celestis]

...wtf is wrong with the thread?

[Zherog]

That's not a RAW question... :smalltongue:

Actually, I don't know what was wrong with the thread, but your post set things right. It seemed to have a bad post count - before your post it said there were 250 posts, but your post was number 249.

Seems fixed now.

[Jasdoif]

Lord_Silvanos and I answered 213 at about the same time. His post is no longer here, and guess vB doesn't update the thread's post count or last poster when a post is deleted.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

It took me 5 minutes to post and I double posted!

Then I used another few minutes waiting for my simu posts to be deleted....

[cupkeyk]

Q 214

Am I correct in interpretting that test of mettle, fighting challenge, call to battle, daunting challenge etc., are versions of Knight's Challenge. As such I need only purchase Ability Focus(Knight's Challenge) once to increase the DC's for all the kinds of effects I can do with my Knight's Challenge?

If I am incorrect I will have to purchase them separately?

Similarly, A bard can purchase Ability Focus(Bardsong) instead of selecting which effect of his bardsongs are boosted by the feat?


Thanks.

[Fax Celestis]

A214 Correct. They are all different uses of the same ability. In the same vein, one could take Ability Focus (Bard Song), Ability Focus (Bull Rush), etc.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

...one could take ... Ability Focus (Bull Rush)

You would not get any benefit from taking Ability Focus (Bull Rush), since it does require a saving throw from your opponent.


Benefit: Add +2 to the DC for all saving throws against the special attack on which the creature focuses.

[Fax Celestis]

Well, alright. But the point remains.

[Meat Shield]

Q215: For the Hulking Hurler PrC (CW), one ability you receive is to throw anything up to your medium load's weight. Hoe do you determine damage of an object thrown for a given weight? (I couldn't find it in the Comp. War.)

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Well, alright. But the point remains.

Certainly, just thought it needed pointing out. :smallcool:


Q215: For the Hulking Hurler PrC (CW), one ability you receive is to throw anything up to your medium load's weight. Hoe do you determine damage of an object thrown for a given weight? (I couldn't find it in the Comp. War.)

A. 215

It has already been touched upon a few posts earlier in this thread and page 159 of Complete Warrior provides additional guidance.

Damage increases by 1d6 for every additional 200 lb. beyond 400 lb.

[Meat Shield]

A. 215

It has already been touched upon a few posts earlier in this thread
Ah, apologies. I didn't read the whole thread before posting.



and page 159 of Complete Warrior provides additional guidance.

The absolute last thing in the book. No wonder I never found it. Thank you, mysterious floating bespectacled eye-tyrant!

[JellyPooga]

Q. 216 Are Githzerai Humanoid (extraplanar) or Outsiders? (If neither, the question is "What type/sub-type are Githzerai?")

[Jasdoif]

A216

Githzerai are humanoids. Like every creature, they have the extraplanar subtype whenever they're not on their home plane, which is Limbo.

[JellyPooga]

A216

Githzerai are humanoids. Like every creature, they have the extraplanar subtype whenever they're not on their home plane, which is Limbo.

Ta. :smallwink:

That means I can have a Githzerai Shadow Walker. Hooray!

[crazedloon]

Q 217

How does the fact that the monk never has an offhand attack when fighting unarmed effect TWF or MWF. Do you still get the extra attacks but with lower penalty or do you not get extra attacks? And if you fight two handed or with all your hands without the feat what penalties do you incur.

[Fax Celestis]

A217 For the purposes of TWFing, a monk is considered dual-wielding light weapons and suffers minimum penalties. Despite not actually wielding two weapons, you can TWF with your unarmed strikes (or even your unarmed strikes and a monk weapon). These function exactly as it would if you were to wield two weapons as a non-monk.

Coupling TWF/ITWF/GTWF with Flurry of Blows lets you throw out a lot of punches. Alternatively, grab Quick Draw and go into Master Thrower and Flurry with shuriken.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 217
The statement that there is no such thing as an offhand unarmed strike is a very poorly worded way of saying that an unarmed strike can come from any part of the body. Unfortunately, it's also poorly located, since it applies to unarmed strikes in general rather than just monks.

Anyway, if you chose to take an extra attack through the use of Two-Weapon Fighting using unarmed strikes, you must designate any extra attacks you gain as an off-hand attack, no matter what part of the body you use.

In simple terms, if you have a +6 BAB, you can take a left/right punch combo through the use of your normal +6/+1 iterative attack routine, and neither punch will be penalized for fighting off-hand. However, if you wish to use the Two-Weapon Fighting feat to add a second left hook to the combination, you would incur the normal TWF penalties for a combo of +4 (left)/+4 (left)/-1 (right).

You can substitute any kind of unarmed strike, such as a headbutt, knee, elbow, or kick (etc.) for any or all of those punches in the example, and nothing will change, except for the fact you may be unable to apply the benefits of any gauntlets you may be wearing.

[Fax Celestis]

Q218 If I am an evil undead cleric, can I command/rebuke/bolster myself? Worse, if I am a good undead cleric, can I turn/destroy myself?

[Ivius]

A218 I haven't seen anywhere that you can't, and can't think of a reason why you wouldn't be able to. DM's call, I guess.

Q219 Can multiple castings of Mount create several horses? I guess this aplies to any conjuration spell, really.

[Jasdoif]

A218 also

The rules specifically state that an evil undead cleric can bolster himself. The lack of a similar statement on the other uses of turning lead me to believe you cannot turn, rebuke, destroy or command yourself.

A219

In the case of Mount and similar spells, yes. Once cast, the spells don't interfere with each other.

[Mordieth]

Q220
I am confused slightly by Damage Reduction. Specifically is there any kind of hierarchy to it? I am aware that Spells, Spell-like Abilities and Energy attacks ignore DR. For example if I was fighting a werewolf with DR 5/silver and I was weilding a +1 longsword, would it bypass DR or not? If only the specific listed attack sub type can bypass the listed DR then why does a Dragon have DR of x/Magic? Isn't that redundant?

[Winged One]

A220
If you mean "does something that bypasses DR of one type bypass DR of other types by virtue of bypassing the first type," then the only cases of this I know of are Epic>Magic and Starmetal>Adamantine. DR/Epic requires an enhancement bonus of at least +6 to bypass, while DR/Magic requires an enhancement bonus of any value. Starmetal is treated as adamantine for all purposes, in addition to a few other effects.

[Douglas]

A220
In 3.5 there is no hierarchy to DR, unlike in 3.0. A +1 longsword would not ignore a werewolf's DR unless it were also silver. In the case of DR/magic, "magic" is not referring to spells or magical abilities but to a magical enhancement bonus. Normal and masterwork weapons do not penetrate a dragon's DR, but a weapon with at least a +1 magical enhancement bonus does.

[Rigeld2]

If only the specific listed attack sub type can bypass the listed DR then why does a Dragon have DR of x/Magic? Isn't that redundant?
Whats redundant about it? It stops a lot of summoned monsters from doing damage to him, plus the silly peasants throwing spears will just bounce off.

[Fax Celestis]

Whats redundant about it? It stops a lot of summoned monsters from doing damage to him, plus the silly peasants throwing spears will just bounce off.

No, no, he's thinking that DR X/Magic means "overcome by spells".

[Rigeld2]

Oh. Yeah. DR only helps vs physical attacks.


Damage Reduction

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks.

[Raool]

Q 221
Question deleted.

[Fax Celestis]

Q222 Can you learn a lower level spell (say, mage hand) in a higher level spell slot (say, as a first level spell)?

[Jasdoif]

A222

I assume you're referring to classes like the bard and sorceror, and their spells known by level.

No, you cannot. Learning mage hand in lieu of a 1st level spell would exceed your limit on 0-level spells known.

[Fax Celestis]

Q222a But could I learn it as a 1st level spell instead of a 0th?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 222 a

RAW: No.

However, it would absolutely not be unbalancing to allow it as a house rule.

[Threeshades]

Q. 223

If i have a lvl 6 Barbarian/fighter (3 Barbarian/3 Fighter), i would have a base attack bonus of 6. But would i also get the additional attack at base attack bonus 1?

[Jasdoif]

A223

Yes. Multiple attacks are listed in the base class tables for convenience, but your total BAB determines how many iterative attacks you can make.

[Threeshades]

A223

Yes. Multiple attacks are listed in the base class tables for convenience, but your total BAB determines how many iterative attacks you can make.

Q. 223a
What about monks? they get bonus attacks earlier than other classes. If they multiclass, how do they treat their bonus attacks?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 223a

Monks do not gain iterative attacks from a high BAB earlier than other classes (they actually get them later than some classes), but monks have an ability to use Flurry of Blows while observing certain restrictions.

A monk can still use this ability even when multiclassing if they abide by those restrictions.




Weapon and Armor Proficiency: ... When wearing armor, using a shield, or carrying a medium or heavy load, a monk loses her AC bonus, as well as her fast movement and flurry of blows abilities.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): When unarmored, a monk may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table: The Monk. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the monk might make before her next action. When a monk reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to –1, and at 9th level it disappears. A monk must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.


When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons (kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, and siangham). She may attack with unarmed strikes and special monk weapons interchangeably as desired. When using weapons as part of a flurry of blows, a monk applies her Strength bonus (not Str bonus x 1-1/2 or x 1/2) to her damage rolls for all successful attacks, whether she wields a weapon in one or both hands. The monk can’t use any weapon other than a special monk weapon as part of a flurry of blows.


In the case of the quarterstaff, each end counts as a separate weapon for the purpose of using the flurry of blows ability. Even though the quarterstaff requires two hands to use, a monk may still intersperse unarmed strikes with quarterstaff strikes, assuming that she has enough attacks in her flurry of blows routine to do so.


When a monk reaches 11th level, her flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack she gets from flurry of blows, she gets a second extra attack at her full base attack bonus.

[Mordieth]

Q220 extrapolation
Okay thanks for the answers on DR. Taking this one step further a DR of say 5/- is overcome by spells, spell like abilities and energy attacks per the 3.5 DMG. This means that a +1 longsword for example would NOT bypass that DR of 5/-?

How about this then?
Q224
If a weapon had a special ability such as flaming and was used against a foe who had DR of 5/-, the damage would be tallied against the DR seperately correct; Once for the flaming part (no reduction) and once fo the physical part? Or would you consider the entire attack energy damage for purposes of DR. Back on Q86 of this thread it was suggested that to overcome Hardness they should be treated as one source of damage but that was after reducing the elemental damage by half due to attacking an object. It doesn't relate exactly but it touches on my question so I thought it relevant to bring up.

[Rigeld2]

A224
From my reading, you still subtract all 5 damage, since all of it is coming from the weapon.

[Douglas]

A220 extrapolation
Correct. DR X/- is not bypassed by any weapon type or characteristic that does not explicitly state that it bypasses DR.

A224
The fire damage would be applied separately, would be unaffected by DR, and would be reduced by any fire resistance or immunity the target might have. The weapon's base damage and any damage that adds to it without specifying some other type (including enhancement bonus, strength bonus, sneak attack, weapon specialization, favored enemy, etc.) would be applied as one lump sum with DR counting once against the total.

The uncertainty in question 86 arose from the fact that hardness, unlike DR, works against both weapon damage and energy damage.

[The J Pizzel]

Q 225
There is a rule somewhere (can't remember which) that allows a Paladin a different mount than a horse. My player wants to chose a Dire Lion which is OK with me since he's level 8 and you have to be level 7 (or 8, can't remember) to get it. What I can't understand is wether or not he gets all the HD adjustments to the Lion or if it's modified since it's a Lion not a Horse. For example - when a Druid picks an exotic animal companion there's a table that shows how much lower the Druids ECL for the calculating the HD of the companion.

There was a table for the Paladin's mount for choosing a Dire Lion but I couldn't understand it. Can someone put into plain english how to calculate the Dire Lions HD based on the Paladin's HD.

[Jasdoif]

A225

The table and sample list of mounts is on pages 205 and 206 of the DMG. Dire lion requires level 8.

The table states what abilities a mount has based on when it's first available, but is otherwise identical to the table for the special mount in the paladin's class description. Basically, since you couldn't get a dire lion until 3 levels later then you normally get a special mount, your special mount gets abilities as if your paladin level was 3 lower.

[Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick]

Q 226
When binding a soulmeld to a Chakra, does the meldshaper gain the Chakra-based benefit of that soulmeld instead of, or in addition to, its unbound/normal benefit?

[Fax Celestis]

A226 In addition to.

[Jalil]

Q227
Will Enlarge Person and Righteous Might stack enlargement?

[Rigeld2]

A227
No, it cant. 12345

Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack,.

[tensai]

Q228:

The Shadow Conjuration/Evocation spells allow casting of lower-level spells as follows:

Shadow conjuration can mimic any sorcerer or wizard conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell of 3rd level or lower.

Is there anything that would prevent me from casting a spell that I have no knowledge of? For example, let's say that I want to cast phantom steed using SC, but I don't have the spell in my spellbook. Would I still be able to cast it?

Q229:
The feat Spell Mastery allows me to indepently prepare one spell per point of INT modifier. If I use fox's cunning to increase my INT (and thus my modifier) can I then add more spells to the feat?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 228
Yes you would. Shadow conjuration and shadow evocation can replicate any spell in their particular (sub)schools. You do not need to specifically know the spell you are replicating. That is what makes these spells favorites for sorcerers.

A229
No. You choose which spells Spell Mastery applies to at the time you take the feat. Temporary Intelligence increases would have no effect.

[daggaz]

Q 230

Can't find it in the SRD so, what spell(s) (and caster level) do I need to have along with Craft Magic Arms and Armor to create enhancements on both arms and armors?

[Jasdoif]

A230

It's here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicArmor.htm) for armor, here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm) for weapons. It's the same for each, though: CL is three times the enhancement bonus or the highest CL of any special abilities, whichever is highest.

[daggaz]

Q 230 cont.

Ok maybe I am blind, I have read thru those pages numerous times... I am looking for the spell and caster level for putting normal armor or weapon enhancement bonuses on (Ie: +1, +2, +3, etc..). Not for special extras..

So, what spell to make a sword +2?

What spell to make fullplate +1? And so on..

[Douglas]

A230
Armor: For an item with only an enhancement bonus, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicArmor.htm#casterLevelforArmorandShields)

Weapons: For an item with only an enhancement bonus and no other abilities, the caster level is three times the enhancement bonus. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#casterLevelforWeapons)

A +2 sword requires caster level 6. +1 full plate requires caster level 3.

No spell is required for simple enhancement bonuses. All you need for that is the feat and caster level.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A230
There is no spell required for straight enhancement bonuses. You just need a sufficient caster level.

Aside: This means the magical aura of a <x> +1 has no school associated with it. Though you may be able to describe it as "Universal."
Wow. I have never before seen that table. vv

[Douglas]

Correction to aside: Magic Items and Detect Magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#magicItemsandDetectMagic) has a table for default schools for items that don't involve spells. A +1 weapon would be evocation and +1 armor is abjuration. Most miscellaneous stuff that is not clearly offensive or protection defaults to transmutation.

[Karma Guard]

Q 231

I'm trying to work the druid variant presented here: Link (http://srd.pbemnexus.com/unearthedClasses.html), with the Aspects of Nature.

What, exactly, is the progression of aspects? Specifically, when it hits level 16 and adds a separate 'counter' for Elemental Wildshapes. Do I put the Elemental Aspects on that separate 'counter', or just add one to the total Aspects per Day usage?

A chart would be amazing.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 231

Number of Aspects per day is equal to number of Wildshapes per day, but only for the Animal Wildshape ability, not the elemental.


Instead of taking animal form, a druid with this variant form of wild shape takes on one or more aspects of nature when she uses her wild shape ability.


You can take on a number of Aspects simultaneously as indicated by this:


At 5th level, a druid may take on one aspect from those described below. At 8th level, the druid can take on up to two aspects simultaneously. At 11th level, she can take up on to three aspects simultaneously, and at 15th level the limit increases to its maximum of four simultaneous aspects.

If you meet the prerequisites for an Aspect you can activate it as a standard action for 1 min per druid level, subject to the restrictions in its description.


{table=head]Druid Level|Aspects/day|Simultaneous Aspects|Elemental Wildshape/day

1|

2|

3|

4|

5|
1
|
1

6|
2

7|
3

8||
2

9|

10|
4

11||
3

12|

13|

14|
5

15||
4

16|||
1

17|

18|
6
||
2

19|

20|||
3
[/table]

[Karma Guard]

Q 231 cont.

So a level 16 druid under this system can take on an elemental aspect once per day, and the other aspects 5 times per day? Or would it be that she could take on an aspect 6 times per day?

That's what I'm trying to figure out.

edit: clarification and redundancy.

edit 2: I think I love you, Silvanos. <3

e3: Do I...delete this? Or what? :V I am confused because now this post has no purpose.

[NEO|Phyte]

Q232
Does a Bloodstorm Blade's 4th level ability (Lightning ricochet) negate the need to expend a manouver to have a thrown weapon return (with the Returning attacks ability they gain at 1st level)?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 232

Yes, Lightning Ricochet makes no mention of expending maneuvers and it does not reference Returning Attacks.

[Maroon]

Q.233. How do (appropriately sized) reach weapons work with Tiny creatures? Most importantly, do they have reach?

[Rigeld2]

A233


Reach Weapons

Glaives (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#glaive), guisarmes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#guisarme), lances (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#lance), longspears (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#longspear), ranseurs (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#ranseur), spiked chains (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#chainSpiked), and whips (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#whip) are reach weapons. A reach weapon is a melee weapon that allows its wielder to strike at targets that aren’t adjacent to him or her. Most reach weapons double the wielder’s natural reach, meaning that a typical Small or Medium wielder of such a weapon can attack a creature 10 feet away, but not a creature in an adjacent square. A typical Large character wielding a reach weapon of the appropriate size can attack a creature 15 or 20 feet away, but not adjacent creatures or creatures up to 10 feet away.



Double 0 is....

[Meat Shield]

Q234:



Scarab of Protection

This device appears to be a silver medallion in the shape of a beetle. If it is held for 1 round, an inscription appears on its surface letting the holder know that it is a protective device.
The scarab’s possessor gains spell resistance (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellResistance) 20. The scarab can also absorb energy-draining attacks, death effects (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#deathAttacks), and negative energy effects. Upon absorbing twelve such attacks, the scarab turns to powder and is destroyed.
Am I reading this correctly? The 'twelve such attacks' refers to the energy drainings, death effects, etc only, and the spell resistance is unlimited in how many times it applies? Or is it twelve times including anytime the spell resistance is used?

[Fax Celestis]

A234 The former is correct.

[Meat Shield]

Cool! Cheap spell resistance FTW!

[Ivius]

Q235: If an elf inherits the half-dragon/celestial/fiend template, is it applied to an elf or half-elf?

[Jasdoif]

A235

If the base creature is an elf, the template is applied to an elf.

A half-dragon half-elf would be (fluff-wise) half dragon, quarter elf and quarter human, which isn't what you're looking for.

[Winged One]

Q236
Can a swordsage retry uses of their Sense Magic class feature, and therefore take 20?

[Fax Celestis]

A236 Yes, but remember that Taking 20 multiplies the time needed by 20. You can Take 20 on the check associated with the Sense Magic ability, but it's going to take you 200 minutes, or over three hours.

[Maxymiuk]

Q 237

Are the racial bonuses to skills already factored into the Skills line in MM entries for animals? For example, a weasel has +8 Move Silently, and a +4 racial bonus to Move Silently. Does that mean it gets a total of +12?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 237

Yes, the racial bonuses are included in the entries.
(A few monsters even seem to have to many bonuses of unknown origin)

Weasel:
Balance +12 (+2 agile, +2 Dexterity, +8 Racial)
Climb +10 (+2 Dexterity, +8 Racial)
Hide +11 (+1 rank?, +2 Dexterity, +8 Size)
Move silently +8 (+2 ranks?, +2 Dexterity, +4 Racial)
Spot +3 (+2 Ranks?, +1 Wisdom)

As you can see when we deconstruct the weasel's skill it has 5 ranks? and all modifiers are included in the stats as presented in the MM

[Matthew]

A. 237 Extended

Indeed, some Monster entries are incorrectly entered. Armour Check Penalties, for instance, are usually included, but sometimes are neglected.

[The J Pizzel]

Q 238
Am I figuring this correctly? The DC against a level 10 wand of lightning bolt is 14. 10 + 3 (the spell level) + 1 (because you must have at least a 13 in int. to cast lightning bolt and it is a +1 mod) = 14. If i'm not calculating this correctly, please explain how i'm supposed to.

jp

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A238

That is correct in every way.

[asqwasqw]

Q 239

For the purpose of figuring out AB, do you add a dex bonus or a strength bonus to the attack roll of a thrown weapon?

[Jasdoif]

A239

Dexterity. Throwing a weapon is a ranged attack.

[Jasdoif]

Q240

When activating a staff with Use Magic Device, do you get your Int/Wis/Cha bonus (from your actual stat, not an emulated one) on the saving throw if it's higher then the minimum needed for the spell?

[Pink]

Q241

Is there errata concerning a Scout's class skills? This is mostly concerned with, that while they have trapfinding they seem to lack Disable Devices. If there is such a thing a poke in the right direction to find it or information about corrections would be appreciated

[Jasdoif]

A241

Yes. http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a

Page 11: Scout’s Class Skills
Add Disable Device to the scout’s list of class skills.
(This addition fits with the flavor of the class.)

[Pink]

Q242

Does the Mongrelfolk racial ability 'Diffuse Blood' function for all listed races (human, halfling, elf, gnome, dwarf, orc, goblin) or only for those that the character has a more direct contact with, for example, a mongrelfolk's father looks mostly to be inherited of dwarven and human traits, while his mother is more of a halfling gnome traited mongrel, does diffuse blood then only apply for (human, dwarf, halfling, gnome)?

Hopefully that's clear enough, and thanks to Jasdoif for the last answer.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 240

Yes, the spell's DC isdetermined by your abilities and feats as if you had cast the spell normally.

[Falon]

Q243 How does Flanking work with a member of the party the feat Underfoot Combat from Races of the Wild book?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 242

You have to pick one of the races available even if the family relations are as you describe.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 243

It does not.
Your opponent is not "threatened by a creature friendly to you on the opponent’s opposite border or opposite corner" (the requirement for flanking) if that creature is in the opponent's square.

[Falon]

A. 243

It does not.
Your opponent is not "threatened by a creature friendly to you on the opponent’s opposite border or opposite corner" (the requirement for flanking) if that creature is in the opponent's square.
Q244 Is that still true if I am flying above the monster they they are underfoot?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 244

Yes, you would need to be in the ground to flank in that case.

[Sutremaine]

Q245
Spell progression halts at 20th level. Is this affected by the ECL of the character, or is it based solely on the relevant effective class level(s)?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 245

Spell progression is an aspect of class level. Neither level adjustment, levels in other classes, nor racial hit dice affect spell progression.

[Matthew]

Q 246

Okay, this might have been addressed before, but I couldn't find it. Armed and Unarmed Status recently came up in a thread and it occurred to me that I am not entirely clear on exactly how it works and interacts with how a Character Threatens, particularly with regard to Armour Spikes and Improved Unarmed Strike.
When a Character is equipped with a Two Handed Reach Weapon and Armour Spikes he threatens 5' and 10'. My question is if a Character has a Two Handed Reach Weapon and the Improved Unarmed Strike Feat, does he similarly threaten 5' and 10'?

Armed (as I understand it)
One Handed Weapon and Shield
Two Handed Weapon
Two One Handed Weapons
One Handed Weapon
Unarmed with the Improved Unarmed Strike Feat
Unarmed with Armour Spikes

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 246

Yes, you do threaten 5' and 10'.
However, it is not clear whether you can use your hands for the Unarmed strike on a AoO ("letting go" is not clearly defined as either a free-action or non-action*), but you could certainly use other appendages to make the Unarmed Strike, so you would threaten even when it is not your turn.


*: If it is a free action you cannot use a hand for an AoO, since you can only take free actions on your turn (barring a few exceptions). If it is a non action your hands can also be used for an AoO.
Regardless, you can of course use your hands during any full attack routine and combine attacks from your reach weapon with your fists.

[Matthew]

A. 246

Thanks Silvanos, that is how I thought it must work.

[Threeshades]

Q 247a
With a two-handed weapon I add my strength bonus to the damage 1 1/2 times instead of only one time. If my strength bonus is an uneven number (Str 16, has a Bonus of +3) do i round up or down, or do i actually deal half damage points?

Q 247b
Do I also get the 1 1/2 Strength bonus when using a double weapon?

Q 247c
Do I also get the bonus when using a two-handed weapon with one hand and the feat monkey grip?

[Fax Celestis]

A247a Round down.

A247b Only when wielding one half of it. If you attack with both ends, you get 1x on your primary hand and .5x on your off-hand.

A247c You can't use Monkey Grip to do that. Monkey Grip lets you use a larger weapon the same way you'd use a weapon of the same kind, so that one could THF a Large greatsword. A Large Two-Bladed Sword, Monkey Gripped, would still take up both your hands.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Simu-post: not much to see here....

A. 247a

You round down. That is the rule of thumb in D&D math.

A. 247b

Only when you use it as a two-handed weapon, not when you wield it to use both ends and TWF.

A. 247c

No, what matters is how you wield the weapon, not if it is called a two handed weapon.
Monkey grip does not change the effort it takes to wield a weapon, so it does not allow you to wield a weapon with any less effort, say a Two-Handed as a one-handed.

[Zherog]

A. 247b

Only when you use it as a two-handed weapon, not when you wield it to use both ends and TWF.


A. 247b, add'l info

Note, of course, that if you use both ends while TWF you get the same results of 1.5 your Strength (assuming all your attacks hit), because you get you Str on your "main" hand attack and half your Str on your off-hand attack.

So the net result is the same, if all attacks hit.

[Threeshades]

A247c You can't use Monkey Grip to do that. Monkey Grip lets you use a larger weapon the same way you'd use a weapon of the same kind, so that one could THF a Large greatsword. A Large Two-Bladed Sword, Monkey Gripped, would still take up both your hands.

A 247a
A 247b
Thanks for the quick answers

A 247c
I was thinking about using a middle sized Greatsword one-handed as a middle sized character.

But if i understand that right that's not possible with the 3.5 rules.

so

I should rehrase that question referring to 3.0 edition rules.

[Zherog]

Correct. The 3.5 version of Monkey Grip allows a Medium sized character (a human, for example) to use a Large sized greatsword in two hands. It does not allow him, however, to use a Medium sized greatsword one handed.

Taking Exotic Weapon Prof for the bastard sword would be the closest you could get, I believe.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 247 c follow up.

No, as Fax (and Zherog) said, that is not possible.

And even in those situations where you can wield a two handed weapon in one hand, like a lance on a mount, you still only add 1x your STR modifier to damage.
As I said in my post, what matters is how you wield the weapon, not what it is called.

[Fax Celestis]

Q248 If my BAB exceeds my caster level, and I cast righteous might, does my BAB go down?

[Winged One]

A248
Righteous might (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/righteousMight.htm) does not affect your Base Attack Bonus. You may be thinking of divine power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/divinePower.htm). Divine power sets your Base Attack Bonus to your character level, not your caster level, and it is impossible to cause your Base Attack Bonus to exceed your character level. Therefore, no, it does not.

[Fax Celestis]

A248 Divine power was what I was thinking of. I thought it said "caster level" not "character level". Sweet.

[AmberVael]

Q 249
Can a person become prone (specifically by a Hideous Laughter spell) while they are in the air? (Specifically by a Levitate spell)
The wording in the prone condition leads me to believe that you have to be on the ground to be prone, thus flying creatures can't be prone.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 249
You have to be on the ground to be prone.

[Fax Celestis]

A249 I don't know if this is an actual rule or something I invented, but I've always ruled that flying creatures who become prone stop flying and plummet at a rate of 60'/round.

[Fax Celestis]

Q250 Can you wield a shield in two hands while performing a shield bash?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A249 I don't know if this is an actual rule or something I invented, but I've always ruled that flying creatures who become prone stop flying and plummet at a rate of 60'/round.

Failing to keep your minimum forward speed will make a flying creature stall and fall to the ground at a rate of 150 feet the first round and 300 feet per round thereafter.


Minimum Forward Speed: If a flying creature fails to maintain its minimum forward speed, it must land at the end of its movement. If it is too high above the ground to land, it falls straight down, descending 150 feet in the first round of falling. If this distance brings it to the ground, it takes falling damage. If the fall doesn’t bring the creature to the ground, it must spend its next turn recovering from the stall. It must succeed on a DC 20 Reflex save to recover. Otherwise it falls another 300 feet. If it hits the ground, it takes falling damage. Otherwise, it has another chance to recover on its next turn.

The FAQ suggests that this happens as soon as a winged creature is tripped.


Being tripped makes you prone. Who can be tripped? Beholders? Gelatinous cubes? What effect does tripping have on these creatures? Can a prone character be tripped again? What about flying and swimming creatures? Many creatures have neither legs nor any relationship to the ground or gravity. How does tripping affect them?

Anything using limbs for locomotion can be tripped.
Things that don’t need limbs for locomotion can’t be tripped.
You can’t trip a snake, a beholder, or a gelatinous cube. You won’t find this in the rules, but then it really doesn’t need to be in there—the rules can leave some things to the DM’s common sense.
A creature flying with wings can be “tripped,” in which
case the creature stalls (see Tactical Aerial Movement on page 20 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You can’t make an incorporeal creature fall down. You also can’t trip a prone creature.
Creatures can’t be tripped when they’re swimming (the
water holds them up). Likewise, a burrowing creature is driving its body through a fairly solid medium that serves to hold it up.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 250

While a shield is listed as a martial one-handed weapon the description of how it is strapped on your forearm leads me to believe that you cannot do it normally, but the RAW is not explicit.


Shield, Heavy, Wooden or Steel: You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A heavy shield is so heavy that you can’t use your shield hand for anything else.
...
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon.


Can a character make a shield bash attack using the shield as a primary weapon or can it be used only as an offhand weapon?

While the rules describe a shield bash as an off-hand
weapon, that’s simply an assumption (that your primary hand is holding a weapon). There’s nothing stopping you from declaring your shield bash as your primary weapon. Of course, that means that any attack you make with your other hand becomes a secondary weapon.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Re: A 249
But from an actual status effect point of view, you would be considered Stalled rather than Prone.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Re: A 249
But from an actual status effect point of view, you would be considered Stalled rather than Prone.

Indeed, I for one was not arguing against your initial answer, but just trying to expand on the other possible implications in other situations.

[Sutremaine]

Q251

Is it possible to add abilitities and numerical enhancements to an item in the same way that they can be added to weapons and armour?

Q252

Do the properties of a magical weapon affect each other at all? Is is possible to have an unholy holy sword or a flaming flaming burst dagger?

[Fax Celestis]

A251 You mean like making a returning frying pan +1? I don't see why not. Price accordingly, though.

A252 I don't see why not, myself, though if you're interested in this, you may want to look into Enhancement Synergies, which appear in the DMG-II and the MIC.

[Sutremaine]

251

I meant stuff that's already magical (sorry that wasn't clear), like finding a Robe of the Archmagi and adding some more SR to it, or an extra ability. I know you can do those things at creation, but what about afterwards?

[Jasdoif]

A251a

Yes, you can add more abilities after creation, if your DM allows it.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#addingNewAbilities
A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do this is the same as if the item was not magical. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 sword.

If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character’s body the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.

A252 further

While there's no general rule saying that weapon effects interfere with each other, there are specific cases. You can't make a holy unholy weapon, for instance; Holy requires the creator to be good, while unholy requires the creator to be evil. As for flaming and flaming burst...flaming burst says it acts like a flaming weapon except does more on critical hits, so the two wouldn't stack.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 251

If there are different degrees of a particular item available, you should be able to upgrade them as you would a magic weapon. For example, you could upgrade bracers of armor +2 to bracers of armor +3 by paying the difference in creation costs.

If there is no liksted variation of a particular item, like your robe of the archmagi example (all robes have SR 18 exactly), you technically stray outside of RAW. It would be up to you and your DM to determine the price of a greater version of the robe of the archmagi and then calcuate the cost of upgrading it based upon that.

A 252

The holy unholy longsword would indeed be possible, as there is not explicit prohibition against it. Indeed, it would make an interesting weapon for a morally Neutral character to wield.

However, the flaming burst property states that such a weapon already functions as a flaming weapon, implying that it would overlap, not stack with the flaming property.

Aside from cases like that, though, unless there is an explicit prohibition against a particular combination, you can assume you're in the clear.

EDIT: Re: Holy and Unholy
Since you can have multiple people contribute to the creation of an item, it is possible to create a holy unholy longsword by having a Good spellcaster add the holy ability and an Evil spellcaster add the unholy ability. Since it would probably be difficult to get them to cooperate, you'd probably manage it by having one make an initial weapon, then have the other upgrade the weapon as normal.

[Fax Celestis]

A252addendum One could also look at the weapon of the Concordant Killer in the MM-IV. It has a weapon ability called "concordant" that treats the weapon as holy, unholy, anarchic, and axiomatic, whichever is most beneficial. It appears to be worth a +4 bonus.

[Matthew]

A. 250 ...continued

While a shield is listed as a martial one-handed weapon the description of how it is strapped on your forearm leads me to believe that you cannot do it normally, but the RAW is not explicit.
Interesting position. I would tend towards the opposite view. Only the Heavy Shield would benefit from being used Two Handed, and I think it reasonable to imagine that it could be used more vigourously with an 'extra' hand.

[Sutremaine]

252
So purely by RAW, would adding flaming burst to a flaming weapon give you an effect that costs +3 but functions as +2? I'm not trying to be tricky here, just seeing how the stacking and ability rules work in this case.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 252

Well, if you already have a flaming weapon, you should be able to upgrade it to a straight flaming burst. You just cannot have a flaming burst flaming weapon.

[The J Pizzel]

A 252 (addition)
Actually, a flaming burst weapon is a +3 price wise. Here's the breakdown:
+1 (any weapon with a magical enhancement must have at least a +1 enhancement), +2 (for flaming burst) = +3, which is 18,000. Now, for attack and damage purposes, you just add the +1 to attack and damage, the +2 is represented by the flaming burst ability. You don't add that to attack and damage. Now, a +2 flaming burst weapon would be a level +4 weapon, and here you would add the +2 to attack and damage. You have to make sure you differentiate between the + to attack and damage and the + for adding magical effects. The +'s for magical effects are simply for price, not for attack and damage.

Whew, hope that was clear
jp

[The J Pizzel]

Q 253
Can you Dimension Door (either by spell or Dimension Stride Boots) while entangled from a Web or Entangle spell? Regardless of whether or not the initial save is passed.
jp

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 253

Sure. Why not? (Note that casting a spell while entangled does require a Concentration check...)

[gerunding]

Q 254

Can you use Fire Riposte, from TOB, when struck by a monk's unarmed, erm, strike? I've been told that the unarmed strike is neither a melee nor a natural weapon, and therefore the Fire Riposte wouldn't work.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 254

Yes you can. Unarmed Strikes are melee weapons regardless of what you have heard.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 250 ...continued

Interesting position. I would tend towards the opposite view. Only the Heavy Shield would benefit from being used Two Handed, and I think it reasonable to imagine that it could be used more vigourously with an 'extra' hand.

The fact that it needs to be strapped on one arm, which takes time, makes it a bit messy.
However, I could easily see a specially designed shield made to benefit from the use of both hands in a bash.
I can see this going both ways if it ever makes it to the FAQ.

[Tyrael]

Q 251

Bracers of Armor:

"They surround the wearer with an invisible but tangible field of force, granting him an armor bonus of +1 to +8, just as though he were wearing armor."

Mage Armor:
"An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of a mage armor spell, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC. "

Emphasis mine. Both Mage Armor and Bracers of Armor seem to function in the same way, essentialyl providing a force field. However, the Bracers note that they protect AS THOUGH the character were wearing armor. My question is this: If a character wears Bracers of Armor, does it count as if he were wearing armor? For example, Canny Defense (INT bonus to AC) relies upon the user being unarmored. If he wears the bracers, does he lose Canny Defense?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 251

Bracers of Armor grants an armor bonus to AC, but they are not armor and does not count as armor for other purposes.

[Fax Celestis]

Q252 Is there any way to Wild Shape into a magical beast?

Q253 How does Wild Shape interact with Incarnum Soulmelds?

Q254 How does Wild Shape interact with Vow of Poverty?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 252

The Magical Beast Wild Shape epic feat.

A. 253

When your Soulmeld is bound to the Chakra it is fused with your body, so wildshaping will probably render them inactive and part of your new form.

A. 254

Not sure what you are looking for here. Why would they not "interact" completely?

[Fax Celestis]

A254/255Cont Well, I want to know, basically, if a bear (for instance) has all the same chakras as a human, and if Vow of Poverty's benefits would continue to affect a druid wildshaped into a bear form.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 254/255 Continued

There is no reason to believe that creatures do not have the same body slots as long as their shape share the same basics as a humanoid, e.g. head, arms, torso etc., unless otherwise noted.

Vow of Poverty would grant all the same benefits to your wildshaped Druid.

[Jimp]

Q255
For spells that affect a certain radius can I choose to have the spell affect less than the total area? For example, could I cast a Fireball with 5ft radius instead of 30ft?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 255

No, spells with fixed areas cannot be changed by the caster.

[cupkeyk]

a 252

the eberron campaign setting feat, beast shape lets you choose from: Chimera, Digester, Displacer beast, Gorgon, Krenshar, Unicorn, Winter wolf,
Yrthak.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 254

There is info on how chakras are distributed on creatures with unusual body shapes on page 169-170 of Magic of Incarnum. Forelimbs can substitute for shoulder, arm, and hand chakras. The tail of a snake-like body can substitute for leg chakras. However, a creature with no limbs at all (such as a snake) has no arm or hand chakras, and a creature with no discernible anatomical structure (such as an ooze) has no chakras other than the heart and soul.

Not quite sure whether bound chakras become inactive, though. On the one hand, they share certain properties with magic items, which do become inactive in wild shape. On the other, as a metaphysical class feature, they could be treated more like currently active spells, which do not become inactive unless the new shape prevents the druid from remaining a valid target for the spells.

[Jimp]

Q. 256
In the description for a Soulspark's Soul Blast ability in the Magic of Incarnum book it notes a range of 5ft. Is this the maximum range (like a spell) or the range increment (like a weapon)?

[Fax Celestis]

A256 That is a range increment.

[RMS Oceanic]

Q 257

I previously asked a question about what gets multiplied on a critical, and came up with the answer:

- Normal Damage Dice of the Weapon
- Strength Modifiers (And others, such as Int for Swashbuckler)
- Enhancement Bonus
- Extra Damage from Feats (Weapon Specialization, Melee Mastery etc.)

But not extra damage dice such as flaming, holy or sneak attack.

However, I've now came across a nice little +2 enhancement called Collision in the Magic Item Compendium. On a succesful hit, the weapon deals an additional 5 damage of its normal kind, like an extra strength modifier or something. Since this is a specific amount of damage rather than a dice, would it be multiplied on a critical hit?

Q 257a
Can you add the same special ability to an item more than once? e.g. Two flaming enhancements for 2d6 fire damage.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 257

Yes, it would.

[Fax Celestis]

A257a No, you can't stack them like that without a house rule. As far as house rules go, though, it wouldn't be gamebreaking or unspeakably evil.

[Cruiser1]

Q258: In a combat round most characters do a move action and then do a standard action (such as move 30 feet then cast a spell). Can you do the reverse on your turn, namely do a standard action and then do a move action afterward?

If so, that allows a simple yet effective blaster caster tactic. On odd number rounds, move out of a Rope Trick or whatever total cover and then cast. On even number rounds, cast then move back into your cover. You're safe from enemy spellcasters and such every other turn, but still get to cast something every one of your turns.

[Zherog]

Yes, you can take your actions in any order you like.

[Matthew]

A. 250 continued...


The fact that it needs to be strapped on one arm, which takes time, makes it a bit messy.
However, I could easily see a specially designed shield made to benefit from the use of both hands in a bash.
I can see this going both ways if it ever makes it to the FAQ.
A lot depends on what you think 'strapped' means. As far as I understand it, Shields aren't literally 'strapped on'. They may have straps, but these aren't pulled tight, they are just loops that the forearm may pass through.
It differs from Shield to shield. Cavalry Shields usually have straps, but Infantry shields often do not. The Roman Infantry Scutum has no straps, whilst the Cavalry Scutum does. The Greek Aspis actually had a bronze loop and a handle off centre from the shield, whilst the Viking Round Shield used a centre handle and sometimes a strap. The Norman Kite Shield made more use of straps, but mainly because it was also primarily a Cavalry Shield.
Now, obviously, this is far from RAW, but the fluff in the SRD isn't really RAW either and I think the general idea is Tables trump Text (is that right?). In the case of the Heavy Shield, it is listed as a One Handed Weapon on the Weapons Table and it operates by those rules.
Anyway, that's my reasoning.:smallwink:

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Pssst... Matthew, it is the other way around: Text trumps table ;-)



The straps are clearly not a straight jacket, since it only take a move action to don and remove, respectively. (And no escape artist check is required)
I was more referring to how you would wield it in combat, but that is just speculation anyway.


Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon.

So it is a martial weapon and is treated as a one-handed weapon for the purpose of penalties?
That is why I think the RAW could have been more clear.

However, the easiest, and best supported, would be to treat it as a one-handed weapon for all purposes, including the benefit from being wielded 2-handed.

[Matthew]

True, but this is clearly in the context of Off Hand Attacks


Shield Bash Attacks
You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#tableWeapons) for the damage dealt by a shield bash (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#shieldBashAttacks). Used this way, a heavy shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#attackRoll), treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its AC bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#enhancementBonus) on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.

Once we allow Heavy Shields to be used as a Primary Weapon, it's a whole different ball game. The SRD usually assumes a Shield Bash will be an Off Hand Attack, which is where such confusion can arise.

[Zherog]

and I think the general idea is Tables trump Text (is that right?).

Other way 'round - text trumps tables. This statement appears at the beginning of each errata document.

[Matthew]

That's the one. Silly me. Oh well, doesn't seem to make much difference in this case... unless we were going to argue that Heavy Shields can only be Off Hand Weapons (which the FAQ has indicated to be an unsound assumption).

[Velvet Elvis]

Q 259

Can an incorporeal creature trip another incorporeal creature? Or, for that matter, affect them in any way with regard to special attacks that require physical contact? (I'm assming incorporeality is not the same as ethereality.)

Q 260

Is it possible for an incorporeal creature to trip a corporeal creature?

Possibly relevant reference infoThe 3.5 FAQ says about incorporeal touch attacks:

"An incorporeal touch attack actually resembles a slam attack (battering the foe with a fist or other appendage), except that it passes through physical armor or shields."

This seems to imply such attacks can materially affect a corporeal target's legs/wings in the same way they can deal damage to any part of a corporeal creature's body, except that a trip attack, itself, does not involve damage being dealt.

Related remarks in the ghost template say that special attacks relying upon physical contact don't work against non-ethereal creatures. The question is whether that limitation, with regard to ghosts, has to do with being ethereal or being incorporeal.
Q 261

Some creatures have no Strength score, and ordinarily, these creatures have no "physical" special attacks. However, the telthor (template) sample creature (a wolf) as defined in Unapproachable East, still lists it as having a trip attack. I realize this is a 3.0e book, but assuming a trip attack would still be possible, how is it resolved from their perspective regarding the opposed strength check? A defender is said to be able to use their Dex modifier, but the same is not said for the attacker. Are they forced to assume a +0 modifier in all cases?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 259
No. Neither has a physical body, so neither is affected by physical contact nor is able to actually physically contact the other.

Indeed, incorporeal creatures are effectively immune to being tripped to begin with.


Being tripped makes you prone. Who can be tripped? Beholders? Gelatinous cubes? What effect does tripping have on these creatures? Can a prone character be tripped again? What about flying and swimming creatures? Many creatures have neither legs nor any relationship to the ground or gravity. How does tripping affect them?

Anything using limbs for locomotion can be tripped. Things that don’t need limbs for locomotion can’t be tripped. You can’t trip a snake, a beholder, or a gelatinous cube. You won’t find this in the rules, but then it really doesn’t need to be in there—the rules can leave some things to the DM’s common sense.

A creature flying with wings can be “tripped,” in which case the creature stalls (see Tactical Aerial Movement on page 20 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). You can’t make an incorporeal creature fall down. You also can’t trip a prone creature.

Creatures can’t be tripped when they’re swimming (the water holds them up). Likewise, a burrowing creature is driving its body through a fairly solid medium that serves to hold it up.
(emphasis mine)

See also: The Rules of the Game: All About Trip Attacks (Part Three) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060321a)

However, incorporeal creatures can apparently make special grapple and overrun attacks against each other (see The Rules of hte Game: There, Not There (Part Four) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041005a)). In such cases, the incorporeal creature substitutes Dexterity (for Grapple) and Charisma (for Overrun) modifiers for Strength modifiers.

A 260


Because an incorporeal creature cannot exert any Strength and its body (such as it is) passes through material objects, an incorporeal creature cannot use bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder, or trip attacks against corporeal creatures or objects. Some of these attack forms are possible against other incorporeal creatures (see Incorporeal Against Incorporeal in Part Four).

A 261

A creature without a Strength score, by definition, cannot exert any sort of physical force.

The sample creature likely should be to trip. It seems that the person that wrote the sample creature was somewhat sloppy and just applied the template in a word-for-word, step-by-step process without double checking how the new features would interact with the old ones. It would be the same type of mistake as trying to make an undead troll and forgetting to knock out any mention of its regeneration.

Note that creatures with a nonability automatically fail direct ability checks based upon that nonability. Creatures without Strength automatically fail Strength checks, for example. They only make substitutions where explicitly stated.

See: The SRD: Types, Subtypes, and Special Abilities (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monsterTypes.html#nonabilities)

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 260-261 Addendum

A incorporeal creature that has a Strength score, such as a manifesting Ghost, can use Ghost Touch weapons/effects to make physical attacks on the material plane, including trip.

[Pink]

Q 262

Can a Duskblade's Arcane channeling ability be used with any spell delivered by a touch attack, or only those with a range of touch? IE, can a duskblade use a ranged touch spell (Scorching Ray, Melf's Acid Arrow) with arcane channeling?

[Fax Celestis]

A262 The Arcane Channeling ability specifies "touch spell", not "ranged touch spell". While seemingly minor, this is an important distinction, as it means that the Duskblade--despite having it on his spell list--cannot channel disintegrate or ray of enfeeblement.

[Pink]

A262 The Arcane Channeling ability specifies "touch spell", not "ranged touch spell". While seemingly minor, this is an important distinction, as it means that the Duskblade--despite having it on his spell list--cannot channel disintegrate or ray of enfeeblement.

By that definition it would rule out other touch spells considered melee touch spells, as ranged and melee are terms used to describe at distance, while touch is used to describe how it effects AC calculation, IE, using touch AC. It seems to me that is they were to specify they should have used the term range of touch. However if that is the general consensus of the rule I do not wish to rock the boat.

[Fax Celestis]

I am Away From Book, so I don't have the exact wording available; however, the general concensus is indeed "touch-range spells" only.

[Raum]

A262 As Fax noted, the Arcane Channeling ability specifies "touch spell". It doesn't say touch attack. As such, it's referring to spells with a range of touch.

From the SRD:

Touch Spells in Combat

Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject, either in the same round or any time later. In the same round that you cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) the target. You may take your move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. You can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on yourself, but to touch an opponent, you must succeed on an attack roll.

[Fax Celestis]

I think the confusion arises from rays being "ranged touch attacks".

[Pink]

Indeed. Sorry to be a bit of a bother, and thank you.

[Fax Celestis]

Indeed. Sorry to be a bit of a bother, and thank you.

You're not a bother; that's what this thread is for.

[Ryuuk]

Q 263

Could you take Martial Study as your first level feat to learn a first level maneuver with non ToB classes, even though they are considered as having an Initiator level of 1/2?

[Sutremaine]

Q264
Can spells from a wand be cast into a weapon for the purposes of spell-storing and arcane channeling?

[Fax Celestis]

A264 Yes.

A263 Part of me wants to say "Yes" because I don't see any reason why not. Part of me wants to say "No" because of the "always round down" law that D&D seems to follow, but I kick that part of me and indicate the part that usually says "(minimum 1)".

[henebry]

Q264 Do creatures which are grappling take a penalty on their reflex save? I know they get no dex bonus to AC, but I don't see anything regarding the reflex save in the grappling section of the PHB.

[Jasdoif]

Q264 Do creatures which are grappling take a penalty on their reflex save? I know they get no dex bonus to AC, but I don't see anything regarding the reflex save in the grappling section of the PHB.That's actually Q265.

A265
No, they don't take a penalty on their reflex saves simply from being denied their dex bonus to AC.

[crazedloon]

Q 266

How does a Chain Devil's Dancing Chains work as far as attacking? If he has control of 4 chains each 15 ft long (lets say he does not want to elongate them) as a standard action can he have them each full attack since "These chains attack as effectively as the devil itself" and each attack a different target.

Q 267
Does an Item held when an invisibility spell cast on a character reappear when dropped

[The J Pizzel]

Q 268
If your speed is reduced to 20ft for wearing medium armor, does it reduce down to 10ft for carrying a medium load? I don't they they stack, but I'm not sure.

jp

[crazedloon]

A 268

no they do not you take both

"If your character is wearing armor, use the worse figure (from armor or from load) for each category. Do not stack the penalties."

here (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/carryingCapacity.htm#tableCarryingLoads)

[Jasdoif]

A266

A chain devil (kyton) uses its personal chains as natural weapons, not as manufactured weapons, so they don't get iterative attacks. Since dancing chains can make attacks as effectively as the kyton itself, those chains don't get iterative attacks either.

A267

Yes, as mentioned in the spell text.


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.

[crazedloon]

A266

A chain devil (kyton) uses its personal chains as natural weapons, not as manufactured weapons, so they don't get iterative attacks. Since dancing chains can make attacks as effectively as the kyton itself, those chains don't get iterative attacks either.


so if the Kyton has 4 chains it has 4 attacks correct?

does the lack of more attacks apply to the special chains for kyton found in savage species. What about the chain that can be used as a double weapon?

And one last question if the Kyton is made smaller via a spell or some other means do the chains it uses still threaten 10 feet or do the chains not threaten

[Jimp]

Q 269
When using the Massive Damage variant rule and dealing non-lethal damage, is a massive damage check still needed if the damage is high enough? If so, would a failed check make the target automatically unconscious?

[Matthew]

A 269

Massive Damage is not a Variant Rule, though there are Variants of the Core Rule. In general, the Massive Damage Threshold only applies to lethal Damage, but that is not made clear by the SRD RAW. However, it makes little sense to force Massive Damage Saves when Characters are trying not to kill their foe.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 266 Follow up and sub questions


so if the Kyton has 4 chains it has 4 attacks correct?

Yes.


does the lack of more attacks apply to the special chains for kyton found in savage species. What about the chain that can be used as a double weapon?
The Dancing Chains can only be used as in the ability description.


And one last question if the Kyton is made smaller via a spell or some other means do the chains it uses still threaten 10 feet or do the chains not threaten
A small Kyton Devil would have the same reach, but deal less damage.
An smaller than small Kyton Devil would still have the same reach with the Dancing chains, since the ability specify the reach, but less reach with its own "natural" weapons.

[crazedloon]

Thank you Silvanos you are always reliable :smallwink:

One last question

how exactly is damage for the chains (controled by dancing chains) calculated I assume that they are considered spiked chains and thus deal 2d4 can the ability be used to control larger chains which deal a step or more above that damage and what does the increase in 15' actualy do for the weapon.

Do those chains threaten squares and how many?

Thank you.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 266 Follow up and sub questions


Dancing Chains (Su): ... These chains attack as effectively as the devil itself.This line could suggest that you simply use the stats for the Devil, also with respect to reach.

[squishycube]

Q270 (Or was the "one last question" Q270?)
What is the RAW status of the 'Rules of the Game' articles?

[Matthew]

A 270

They are not RAW and they have been known to conflict with the FAQ. However, they are 99% compliant and in agreement. Barring any contradiction with the FAQ and RAW, the Rules of the Game Articles should be taken at face value.
However, some of them (I think) predate 3.5 and haven't been updated, so watch out for problems there.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 270

The RotG article series are not RAW, by definition.

However you can gain insights about intent and interpretations, since the author is Skip Williams.
contradict either the RAW or the FAQ.

EDIT: All of the articles are 3.5.



P.s. Maybe we should treat the Kyton series of questions as sub questions to 266?

(I have marked my posts as such, but will of course change that upon request)

[Jasdoif]

A266 further info

The FAQ has an almost half a page dedicated to the dancing chains ability. It didn't address the original "can they full attack" question, so I didn't bring it up then.


Is there any limit on the number of chains a kyton can control during a single day with its dancing chains ability? The monster description says the kyton can control only four chains at once, but what happens if a controlled chain is destroyed or dragged out of range? Controlling chains is a standard action, but does the number of chains the kyton controls affect that at all? Is controlling four chains still a standard action? Do the chains have face to worry about (by which I mean, do they require a certain amount of space to fight) like a Tiny animated object would? Or could four animated chains all fit in a 5-foot square? How do the chains make saving throws? Are they unattended nonmagical objects (assuming the chains were nonmagical before being animated)? Are they attended nonmagical objects or attended magical objects? Are they creatures? What happens when an energy effect, such as fire, hits the chains? Does their hardness reduce the fire’s damage?

Using the dancing chains ability to control chains is always a standard action for a kyton, no matter how many it already controls, what it decides to make them do that round, or how long the kyton has controlled them previously. For example, controlling four chains so that they attack four different foes is a standard action for a kyton. The following round, the kyton can use another standard action to control those four chains (or any other four chains in range) again. There’s no limit to the number of different chains the kyton can control in a day, but it can’t control more than four at once. Treat a kyton’s dancing chains like a spell effect. They have a location on the battlefield, but they don’t take up any space. Dancing chains can attack anything within 15 feet of their location. They attack only when the kyton uses a standard action to make them attack and do not make attacks of opportunity.

Dancing chains make saving throws as unattended magical objects. Use the kyton’s caster level to determine their save bonus; the standard kyton from the Monster Manual has a caster level of 8 (because it has 8 Hit Dice), so its dancing chains have a saving throw bonus of +6 (2 + 1/2 caster level). Hardness applies to all types of damage unless specifically stated otherwise by the effect. (Page 165 in the Player’s Handbook is sometimes misinterpreted to suggest that hardness doesn’t apply to acid and sonic damage; in fact, the phrase “apply [damage] normally after a successful hit” simply means that the damage isn’t halved or quartered, as other energy damage is.)

Although they are not creatures, the dancing chains take damage from spells as though they were (in much the same way that Evard’s black tentacles or the various Bigby’s hands do). So, the dancing chains take normal damage from cold attacks (not quarter damage as inanimate objects do) and they’re subject to damage from magic missile spells. Spells that don’t deal damage generally won’t harm the chains unless they also affect objects.

[Matthew]

A. 270

EDIT: All of the articles are 3.5.

Oh yeah, I was thinking of Game Stoppers (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/gs)

[Ionari]

Q. 271.

Does the monk's speed enhancement apply solely to normal land movement, or to any form of movement in which the monk has a natural speed? (Or does it even have to be a natural speed? Can a monk with Fly cast on him apply the speed enhancement to increase flight speed?)

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 271

The Monk gains an enhancement to speed, so it would apply to anything anything that grants a base speed.

[AmberVael]

Q 272

Does the Psionic Power Energy Wall (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/energyWall.htm) have a set height to the wall it creates?
Is there an errata about this that I (and apparently d20 SRD) have missed?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 272

It seems like neither the book or the Errata contains any information about height.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Re: A 272, non-RAW comment

I would suggest using a 20-ft. height, as that is the height of a wall of fire (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/spellsTtoZ.html#wall-of-fire), the spell upon which energy wall is based. Every other part of the power is almost a direct copy and paste from wall of fire.

Without wall of fire, though, I would probably have assumed a standard 5-ft. increment, and, therefore a height of only 5 ft.

Take your pick.

[RMS Oceanic]

Q 271

Complete Warrior describes the Elven Thinblade and Lightblade as "rapierlike". Does that mean feats like Weapon Focus for rapiers would apply to them?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Q 274

When you wild shape, you retain your own hit dice and gain the extraordinary special attacks of the creatrue whos form you take. If that creature has a special attack with a save DC based upon hit dice, do you calculate the DC based on your druid's hit dice?

For example, a viper's poison DC is 10 + 1/2 HD + Con modifier. This gives the Medium viper its DC of 11 (10 + 1/2 * (2 HD) + 0 = 11). But would an 8th-level druid wind up with a DC of 14?

Note that actual monster entries, including the snake entry (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/monstersAnimal.html#snake), usually don't refer to the fact that Hit Dice play a role in setting almost any Save DC. Instead it's part of the general rules for creating and advancing monsters. This rule is followed in the case of all vipers, however. It is easy to reverse engineer the DCs shown on the table.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A - That rapier question (Should be 273 instead of 271)

Weapon Focus (rapier) only applies to the weapons if question if the weapon description explicitly states it does. As the lightblade and thinblade descriptions to not state this as being the case, Wepon Focus (rapier) doesn not apply to either weapon.

This is no different from the fact that a falchion could be described as "scimitar-like," but you still need seperate Weapon Focus feats for each weapon.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 274

Poison is based on the racial HD of the creature and since you retain your own type a strict reading would probably not grant any increase based on HD.


Poison (Ex): ...The Fortitude save DC against a poison attack is equal to 10 + 1/2 poisoning creature’s racial HD + poisoning creature’s Con modifier

[Shhalahr Windrider]

Re: 274

In that case, since the druid has no racial hit dice for the creature into which he or she is shaping, would that mean the DC actually drops? The druid effectively has 0 HD for the purposes of determining Poison or other special attack DCs?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 274 Continued

Strict RAW, I would have to say yes.

However, Skip Williams shows no qualms using Druid HD as racial HD for this purpose in the RotG article series (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060523a).

[Myatar_Panwar]

Q 275

Can a animal companion use Ion Stones? I believe (I dont have my DMG on me) that to activate an Ion Stone you must toss it in the air above your head, and I'm guessing that myself tossing it into the air around my animal companion wouldn't count. So what if I taught it a trick that involved tossing a specific stone in the air?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 275

No throwing required, only "releasing" it and it is mostly for flavor in the first place.


Ioun Stones: ... When a character first acquires a stone, she must hold it and then release it...

However, I am sure an animal could be taught either even if it is not is not explicitly mentioned.
You could treat it as Perform if it has to be a trick.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 275

You do not have to toss an ioun (not ion) stone. Merely hold it and then release it. If you can train your animal companion to do that, I see no reason it couldn't benefit from an ioun stone.

[Threeshades]

Q 276
Magic weapons and armors require masterwork. Do they keep the masterwork bonus when upgraded to a magic weapon/armor? (I know they dont stack with enhancement bonuses, but for example a Flaming Longsword, would this still get the +1 on attack rolls from the masterwork)

[Fax Celestis]

A276 A flaming longsword would retain the +1 on attack rolls from being masterwork but for the fact that any and all magical weaponry and armor must have at least a +1 bonus before having further enchantments...and that +1 bonus overwrites the +1 to attack from masterwork.

Armor is the same way, except masterwork armor has a lower ACP than regular armor. Since this is not affected by enhancement bonuses, it retains the lower ACP despite being magical.

[The J Pizzel]

A- 276
You can't have just a "flaming longsword", it must be a (at least) "+1 flaming longsword". In which case it is a +1 to attack and damage. The +1 attack that masterwork would bestow is already included in the enhancement bonus. So, no...the +1 from masterwork does not stack with the +1 from the "+1 flaming longsword". Keep in mind that a weapon with a magical enhancement (flaming, speed, bane, etc.) must first have at least a +1 enhancement. Which is why you can't have just a "flaming longsword". If you wanted to houserule that, that would be another story.

[crazedloon]

Q 278

Can you apply metamagic effects to an Immidiate action spell if you are a spontanious caster? In particular can you apply a metamagic feat to Celerity. If you can what would the effect of a Twin spell on celerity have? would you just take 2 extra standard actions?

[squishycube]

A278
With normal metamagic feats, applying them on the fly makes casting that spell a full-round action. This means that Quicken Spell cannot be used by spontaneous casters.
There are however other metamagic feats and metamagic rods. They work different, as described at their entries (magic items for rods and Complete Arcane for example).

I don't know about celerity, as I don't own the book it's in (PHBII IIRC).

[The J Pizzel]

Q279
Hamatula Barbs (Spell Comp. pg 109) says that the targe grows barbs and deals "1d8 Slaching and Piercing Damage". Now, is that 1d8 slashing and 1d8 piercing? Or is it 1d8 half is slashing and half is piercing? I ask becuase usually if its just one roll, and half the damage is x and the other half is y, then it's written like that. Usually if its "roll the damage twice" then it's written twice (ex. the frost worms death throes ability).

jp

[crazedloon]

Q 278 cont.

Hmm mabey I did not word that right. What is the effect on a spell that is already an imidiate or swift action. The normal extension applys to standard action spells. Do they just "bump" up one action?

[Fax Celestis]

A278 Spontaneous casters can cast immediate action spells with metamagic as full-round actions--a poor trade-off if you ask me.

Twinning Celerity would net you two standard actions, but you would be stunned during one of them.

[Fax Celestis]

A279 Hamatula barbs deal Slashing and Piercing damage, meaning they overcome damage resistance of both types. It still only deals 1d8 damage. There is no "halving" of damage; only the more favorable damage type is used.

[squishycube]

A279
With weapon descriptions, this way of saying it means that the damage from the weapon is counted as slashing and piercing at the same time.
d20 SRD - Weapons (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#type)

Some weapons deal damage of multiple types. If a weapon is of two types, the damage it deals is not half one type and half another; all of it is both types. Therefore, a creature would have to be immune to both types of damage to ignore any of the damage from such a weapon.

I am not sure what happens when it is a disadvantage to you if the weapon does both damage types. For example, while fighting underwater it might be better for you to do only piercing damage (because of penalties associated with slashing damage). AFAIK there is no RAW about how this should be handled, but several sensible houserules can be thought up. One of these might include taking a penalty to attack rolls and doing only a chosen type of damage.

Addendum
Fax, while what you posted works out to the same, in my opinion it is better for the understanding of the rules not to put it that way. You do not get to choose the damage type by RAW, it is all of both, as stated in the rule I quoted. Your explanation could lead to different interpretations of the 'under water'-problem I presented above.
I by no means mean to insult you or whatever btw.

[squishycube]

Q280
I spotted something odd in the SRD and I am AFB. See below

d20 SRD - Under Water Combat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/wilderness.htm#underwaterCombat)

Condition Movement Off Balance?-4
...
None of the above normal Yes

...
4. Creatures flailing about in the water (usually because
they failed their Swim checks) have a hard time fighting
effectively. An off-balance creature loses its Dexterity
bonus to Armor Class, and opponents gain a +2 bonus
on attacks against it.
Is this a mistake? It seems strange that being off balance suddenly enables a land creature to move its full speed under water.

[The J Pizzel]

Fax, isn't there a spell like "icelance" or something to that effect, that deals "6d6, half piercing and half cold"? That's what I was wondering if Hamatula Barbs did. I understand know that it's "piercing and slashing" for DR purposes, thanks for clarifying that. But the "icelance" would be 6d6 (lets just say 20 damage) which would be 10 piercing and 10 cold, right?

[squishycube]

A279Cont.
If Icelance works anything like Flame Strike (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/flameStrike.htm), yes.

Note
Damage type for weapons is used for more than just DR. In underwater combat it is also used, and that is just one example.