War weaver questions

[Zhepna]

Hi,

1) I play 3.5 and I saw on a forum that the spell heroics can be used with war Weaver to give a feat to all members of the party.

When I read war Weaver :
Only spells with the "harmless" designation in their saving throw entry or ones requiring willing targets can be cast into an eldritch tapestry.

I don't see willing target or harmless in the spell description and I was wondering if I could do it. Maybe it doesn't have to be specified on the spell description for the consent.


Heroics
(Spell Compendium, p. 113)

Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2, Spellthief 2,
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Your heart swells with martial vigor and you feel like marching off to war. Upon touching your intended subject the desire to do battle wanes, but you see a hint of the lust for glory in the recipient's eyes.

The heroics spell temporarily grants the subject a feat from the fighter's bonus feat list. For the duration of the heroics spell, the subject can use the feat as if it were one of those the creature had selected. All prerequisites for the feat must be met by the target of this spell.

Material Component: A bit of a weapon or armor that has been used in combat by a fighter of at least 15th level.

2) When I give Jaws of the Moray to all members of the party, is it considered as a grapple as soon as the first player attack and it? I'm a new player and I'm not sure if the grapple worth it versus giving them a full second attack with Snake's Swiftness with their normal weapons.

The rest of the post is the spells descriptions.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Jaws of the Moray
(Stormwrack, p. 117)

Transmutation
Level: Druid 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2, Spellthief 2,
Components: V, S,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)



This spell grants the subject a bite attack, which deals damage as indicated below. As a primary attack, it adds the creature's Strength modifier to damage. It can also be used as a secondary natural attack in conjunction with a manufactured weapon. Such secondary attacks do not interfere with the primary attack as attacking with an off-hand weapon would do, but the subject takes the usual —5 penalty (or —2 with the Multiattack feat) for the bite attack when used as a secondary natural attack.

If the subject hits with its bite attack, it attaches itself to the foe and deals automatic bite damage each round it remains attached. It does not need to make a grapple check, and it does not provoke attacks of opportunity. An attached attacker loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. It cannot use other weapons while attached, but each attack upon from the grappled foe requires a successful grapple check. Others can attack an attached creature with a weapon or grapple. To remove the attached creature through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against it.

A creature with a natural bite attack can use its own bite damage, if greater, but still gains the ability to attach itself.


Size

Damage

Fine 1d2
Diminutive 1d3
Tiny 1d4
Small 1d6
Medium 1d8
Large 2d6
Huge 2d8
Gargantuan 4d6
Colossal 4d8

Snake's Swiftness
(Spell Compendium, p. 193)

Transmutation
Level: Druid 1, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2, Spellthief 2,
Components: V, S, M, DF,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One allied creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)


You toss the scales into the air, and they vanish in a sparkling mist as you indicate your target. Without hesitating, that creature draws and fires an arrow into the fray.

The subject can immediately make one melee or ranged attack. Taking this action doesn't affect the subject's normal place in the initiative order. This is a single attack and follows the standard rules for attacking.

This spell does not allow the subject to make more than one additional attack in a round. If the subject has already made an additional attack, due to a prior casting of this spell, from the haste spell, or from any other source, this spell fails.

Arcane Material Component: A few scales from a snake.

[Blue Wizard]

One thing I have found with every group I have ever played with: no matter how intense their desire to play exactly by RAW, they always end up fudging things with house rules, just because of situations like this.

With a single exception (that being one that can get a hippo to bite you), I do not know of a single feat that could harm the user, or at least not without his express permission, like fatiguing himself to get a benefit or something.

So, by any sane or rational rules judgement, I do not see anyone deeming the spell Heroics to be anything but harmless. I personally do not know of any DMs that would ban a War Weaver using it - and I've played War Weavers in my groups.

That said, your mileage may vary.

[Khedrac]

I agree with Blue Wizard on the use of Heroics.

As for Jaws of the Moray - take a look at Weasels in the Monster Manual/SRD:

Attach (Ex): If a weasel hits with a bite attack, it uses its powerful jaws to latch onto the opponent’s body and automatically deals bite damage each round it remains attached. An attached weasel loses its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class and has an AC of 12. An attached weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove an attached weasel through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.The attacked (bitten) target is not grappled by the attached attacker (and I would treat all party members separately because while they are affected by the same spell, they are not all biting the same opponent). The bitten target only becomes grapped if they choose to grapple the attacker to remove them.

As for additional attack stacking, the rules are a mess. Strict RAW would mean that haste, rapid shot, etc. won't stack - and probably would not stack with two weapon fighting (which is obviously nonsense). I would allow Snake's Swiftness to stack with Jars of the Moray because they are different types of additional attack - SS is gain a 2nd attack with one existing attack, JotM is gain another method of attacking.

[Malak'ai]

Agreeing with both of the above. No problem with Heroics being used in the Eldritch Tapestry. As for the others, maybe discuss them with your DM.

Also, you might want to be careful about posting spells and things out in full unless they are on SRD as they are still considered copywrited material.

[PrismCat21]

I've always been uneasy about the Weasel's Attach ability

An attached weasel can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself.

That has always seemed to me to imply that the weasel is in fact grappling the victim, though not directly stated.

[SirNMN]

I've always been uneasy about the Weasel's Attach ability


That has always seemed to me to imply that the weasel is in fact grappling the victim, though not directly stated.

It seems that way to me too. Since they have to be grappled to remove them they just get an auto hit rather than needing to roll to hit like the constrict ability