Simple RAW for 3.5: 38 pages, and I still don't know how to play D&D

[LibraryOgre]

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Q.1. Are there any Large +0 LA races?
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Q.3. What effect would Dispel Magic have on a golem or similar construct?
Q.4. Is there a feat that allows me to get a familiar?

Please start over with the numbering. When this one reached 50 pages, please report it so that we can start a new one. Thanks.

[Nihilarian]

Q1
One of the 5 ways to enter Warshaper is
"Polymorph as a spell-like ability (astral deva, planetar, solar, couatl, marilith, bronze dragon, gold dragon, silver dragon, efreeti, leonal guardinal, night hag, ogre mage, pixie)."

Most of these creatures don't have polymorph as a spell like ability. The monsters with change shape are covered elsewhere but how do the dragons (who have alternate form) and leonal (which doesn't seem to have any kind of shapeshifting) qualify for warshaper?

[Vaern]

Q1
One of the 5 ways to enter Warshaper is
"Polymorph as a spell-like ability (astral deva, planetar, solar, couatl, marilith, bronze dragon, gold dragon, silver dragon, efreeti, leonal guardinal, night hag, ogre mage, pixie)."

Most of these creatures don't have polymorph as a spell like ability. The monsters with change shape are covered elsewhere but how do the dragons (who have alternate form) and leonal (which doesn't seem to have any kind of shapeshifting) qualify for warshaper?

A1

None of these creatures qualify for the warshaper class due to having polymorph as a spell-like ability except for the planetar*. The dragons, leonal, marilith, and pixie do not qualify at all. All of the others qualify by nature of having the change shape ability.

A) The listed dragons did get polymorph self 3/day as a spell-like ability in 3.0. It's very likely that these dragons' listings are simply an oversight that slipped through the cracks, as Complete Warrior came out just a couple months after the 3.5 update was released which replaced the dragons' polymorph SLA with their alternate form supernatural ability. There was a time when they could have qualified for the class via SLA, but they no longer meet that requirement.

B) Every other creature on the list except the dragons did have polymorph as an SLA in their 3.5 Monster Manual descriptions. The errata removed polymorph SLAs from a lot of creatures including (but not limited to) the astral deva, astral deva*, solar, couatl, marilith, efreeti, leonal, night hag, ogre mage, and pixie. The SRD shows information consistent with the errata, so if you're checking these creatures' descriptions using resources readily available online you won't see polymorph on any of these creatures. It's worth noting that even the one creature that still has polymorph probably shouldn't, but seems to have slipped through the cracks due to an apparent error in the errata*.
Most of the creatures that had polymorph taken away were given the change shape supernatural ability to replace it with, and therefore still qualify for warshaper despite losing the SLA. The leonal, maralith, and pixie simply did not get anything in exchange for losing polymorph and therefore no longer qualify for the class.



Angel, Astral Deva
Monster Manual, page 11
Remove “polymorph (self only)” from spell-like abilities.
Add the following entry:
Change Shape (Su): An astral deva can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.


Angel, Astral Deva
Monster Manual, page 11
Remove “polymorph (self only)” from spell-like abilities.
Change Shape (Su): A planetar can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.

[St Fan]

Q 2


A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and day.

Can a sorcerer or wizard who had summoned a familiar, and afterward gotten it killed, take the Obtain Familiar feat on their next level and gain a new familiar before a year and a day has gone by?

[Vaern]

A2

No. The obtain familiar feat allows you to summon a familiar in the same way as a sorcerer or wizard, and refers directly to the rules regarding familiars in the PHB. Having multiple classes that allow you to summon a familiar does not entitle you to summon multiple familiars or to summon familiars more frequently. If multiple classes would grant you a familiar they simply stack to determine how powerful your familiar is. The only benefit a sorcerer or wizard gains from the obtain familiar feat is that it uses your levels from all arcane caster classes to determine your familiar's strength, which can be useful if you plan on either multiclassing into another arcane base class that doesn't gain a familiar of its own, or taking an arcane prestige class that does not advance your familiar (which is most prestige classes).

[St Fan]

A2
The only benefit a sorcerer or wizard gains from the obtain familiar feat is that it uses your levels from all arcane caster classes to determine your familiar's strength, which can be useful if you plan on either multiclassing into another arcane base class that doesn't gain a familiar of its own, or taking an arcane prestige class that does not advance your familiar (which is most prestige classes).

Well, it isn't its only benefit: it also allows the replacement of the summon familiar class feature by another, more interesting ACF, and still have a familiar. Thanks for the answer anyway, that's what I thought was more likely.

[Shinoskay]

I have the option to start with child of shadow (move ten feet and you are considered concealed as shadows wreath you) and nimbus light.

nimbus light is 15 feet of light (5 normal and 10 shadowy).

Assuming direct line of sight, if its night and im in the woods, and have the numbus active, could something from 50 feet away see me?

(still night time) If I am moving and using Child of shadow, giving me concealment, how close would they need to be before they get to try to see me?

[Troacctid]

I have the option to start with child of shadow (move ten feet and you are considered concealed as shadows wreath you) and nimbus light.

nimbus light is 15 feet of light (5 normal and 10 shadowy).

Assuming direct line of sight, if its night and im in the woods, and have the numbus active, could something from 50 feet away see me?
It depends on how dense the woods are (DMG 87). In a sparse forest, the maximum visibility is 3d6 x 10 feet (which gives a 98.15% chance that you will be visible from 50 feet away); in a medium forest, 2d8 x 10 (a 90.63% chance); and in a dense forest, 2d6 x 10 (83.33% chance). If you are in an area of undergrowth, you will also have concealment.

Since you are illuminated, you will not be concealed by darkness. Observers outside of a light source's illumination radius can still see into the illuminated area normally (RC 79). However, you may still be concealed by undergrowth, in which case you can make Hide checks to avoid detection. The observer will have a -1 penalty on Spot checks per 10 feet of distance (total of -5), and if you are in heavy undergrowth, you'll have a +5 bonus to Hide.

On a dark night, a light is automatically visible at a distance equal to ten times its illumination radius, or twenty times if the observer succeeds on a DC 20 Spot check (RC 79). In dim light, these distances are halved. This means it's possible the observer will see your light without being able to see you, and consequentially may mistake you for Saruman the White.


(still night time) If I am moving and using Child of shadow, giving me concealment, how close would they need to be before they get to try to see me?
The answer is exactly the same, except that if they are able to see you, they will have a 20% miss chance against you. Your concealment will also be redundant with any concealment provided by undergrowth.

[St Fan]

Remember to number your questions, guys.

Q 4

For a feat such as Obtain Familiar or Master Spellthief, which are dependent on "your levels in all classes that allow you to cast arcane spells" or "levels of any class that grants arcane spellcasting", how do you calculate this with prestige classes?

If a prestige class does not give full spellcaster progression at every level, are only the levels giving "+1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class" counted for the above feats, or are every level of the prestige class?

Likewise, if the prestige class can progress either arcane or divine spellcasting, are only the "+1 level of existing spellcasting class" allocated to an arcane class counted for the above, and not those allocated to a divine caster class?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 4 A prestige class advancing other classes is not a spellcasting class by itself, nor does it grant arcane spellcasting. The only levels that count are levels that increase your effective level in arcane spellcasting classes (obviously if you chose instead to improve a divine class and the feat only counts the level in an arcane class, the prestige class levels do not count.)

[St Fan]

Q 4 B

Thanks for the answer. However, it makes me wonder about the special case of the Ultimate Magus.

This prestige class can, for most of its levels, advance the spellcasting of two arcane classes (one with spontaneous casting, the other with casting from a spellbook).

For such an Ultimate Magus level advancing both, does it count as two levels of advancement for feats such as Obtain Familiar or Master Spellthief?

[Troacctid]

A 4 A prestige class advancing other classes is not a spellcasting class by itself, nor does it grant arcane spellcasting. The only levels that count are levels that increase your effective level in arcane spellcasting classes (obviously if you chose instead to improve a divine class and the feat only counts the level in an arcane class, the prestige class levels do not count.)
This is incorrect—the feat checks whether the class allows you to cast arcane spells, yes or no. If yes, all of the levels in that class count. If no, none of the levels in that class count. It doesn't check your effective level of casting in that class—only your actual class level—nor does it check each level individually and only count the levels that improve your casting.

[LarzRolfe]

I'm having a bit of an argument with my DM over attacks of opportunity in 3.5e.

Q5: How does one actually provoke an attack of opportunity? Using the table below imagine each number is a square on your usual grid map. NPC1 is in square #5. Player1 is in square #4. Player1 uses their movement to move from square #4 to square #1, then square #2, then square #3, then square #6. Does Player1 provoke an Attack of Opportunity from NPC1 when he goes from each square to the next and thus has provoked an AoO 4 times? Because he's "moved out of a threatened square" 4 times? Or does he provoke no AoO's from NPC1 because he did not move out of the area that the threatened squares defines?



1
2
3


4
5
6


7
8
9



The argument we're having kinda goes like this

In favor:

PHB pg 4 states "The game assumes the use of miniatures and a battle grid and the rules are written from this perspective"
PHB pg 133 states "A battle grid...consists of a grid of 1-inch squares. Each of these squares represents a 5-foot square in the game world"
PHB pg 137 defines a "Threatened square" as "...all squares into which you can make an attack, even when it is not your action."
PHB pg 137 states "Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from the threatening opponent."


Against:

PHB pg 137 states "Sometimes, however, a combatant in a melee lets her guard down. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity."
DnD works off the reality in that you're focusing on your opponent
DnD assumes facing into it's mechanics to maintain that realism, thus assuming you're facing your opponent, and that to try and move away would be to face away and thus turn your back to your opponent, thus "dropping your guard" and provoking an attack of opportunity.
you can move around your opponent without turning your back to them/losing focus on them, thus moving within their threatened range does not provoke an attack of opportunity.


I'm in favor that it's each square, I think the rules are pretty cut and dry about that. I don't think the DM's interpretation is logically wrong, but I don't think the rules support it.

[Khedrac]

Moving out of a threatened square provokes, so yes, moving without tumbling (or taking 5' step equivalents) will provoke.

However, the rules also state that you only provoke one per action which means that the movement as a whoel only provokes once not once per square.

[St Fan]

Q 6


If you trip an opponent in melee combat, you immediately get a melee attack against that opponent as if you hadn’t used your attack for the trip attempt.

For a character with Improved Trip, can he first succeed in a trip attack barehanded, and then draw a weapon (as a free action with Quick Draw) to make the follow-up attack? (Eventually with Iaijustu Focus...)

[Vaern]

A6

Yes, you can use a free action to draw a new weapon between attacks with quick draw. The rules clearly say that you can use free actions while taking another action and, in fact, characters using ranged weapons routinely use free actions between attacks to draw fresh ammo for their weapons.

[LarzRolfe]

Moving out of a threatened square provokes, so yes, moving without tumbling (or taking 5' step equivalents) will provoke.

However, the rules also state that you only provoke one per action which means that the movement as a whole only provokes once not once per square.

Are you sure? The line I think you're referring to is "Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving..." but then it still elaborates that "Moving: Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from the threatening opponent." I can see how that can be interpreted as the action prep's the AoO and the moving out of the square triggers it, but it could just as reasonably be interpreted that the Move action causes it, and then each instance of moving out of a threatened square provokes an AoO.

[Vaern]

I don't know if the SRD mentions it and I'm pretty sure it's not specified in the PHB or DMG, but the Rules Compendium does go out of its way to clarify:



Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from any opponent who threatens that square. Two methods of movement allow you to avoid such an attack: 5-foot step and withdraw.
Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn't count as more than one opportunity for that opponent.

[Morphic tide]

Q 7: As Targetteer Fighter, from Dragon #310, specifies that one "must making a Full Attack" for Arrow Storm and Sniper specifies "When using the Full Attack option", while Rapid Shot specifies "You must use the full attack action to use this feat", can all three be done simultaneously for +3 attacks at -7 while trading attacks for +1 threat range each? It's obvious that the RAI is for Arrow Storm to upgrade Rapid Shot and be separate from Sniper, but they're choices as part of the same action rather than new actions, so it seems RAW-plausible.

[LarzRolfe]

I don't know if the SRD mentions it and I'm pretty sure it's not specified in the PHB or DMG, but the Rules Compendium does go out of its way to clarify:

Doesn't get more cut and dry than that! Thank you!

[remetagross]

Q8: Say I'm a 20th-level PC with 2 temporary HDs from Inspire Greatness. I then cast Simulacrum on myself. Does the Simulacrum have 10 or 11 HDs ?

(tangential question: if the answer is "11 HDs" and you know a way to bump Inspire Greatness' temporary HDs in addition to Song of the Heart and Words of Creation, shoot.)

[Duke of Urrel]

Q8: Say I'm a 20th-level PC with 2 temporary HDs from Inspire Greatness. I then cast Simulacrum on myself. Does the Simulacrum have 10 or 11 HDs ?

(tangential question: if the answer is "11 HDs" and you know a way to bump Inspire Greatness' temporary HDs in addition to Song of the Heart and Words of Creation, shoot.)

A 8

This should work (your simulacrum should get 11 HD), but ask your dungeon master anyway.


My first thought was that this pushed the effect of Inspire Greatness too far, but my second thought was that the bonus Hit Dice bestowed by Inspire Greatness ability should give you not only better protection against harmful spells but also better benefits from helpful ones. The sentence "The bonus Hit Dice count as regular Hit Dice for determining the effect of spells that are Hit Dice dependant" should work both ways.

The reason why I say you should ask your dungeon master is that the Simulacrum spell does take a long time to cast: 12 hours. Your dungeon master may say that a bard cannot possibly perform for that long. Or maybe not; after all, bards are magical characters, and if a spellcaster can cast a spell for 12 hours, then surely a bard can perform for that long if required.


So ask your dungeon master, but I would say: Yes, I think it should work.

[Shinoskay]

It depends on how dense the woods are (DMG 87). In a sparse forest, the maximum visibility is 3d6 x 10 feet (which gives a 98.15% chance that you will be visible from 50 feet away); in a medium forest, 2d8 x 10 (a 90.63% chance); and in a dense forest, 2d6 x 10 (83.33% chance). If you are in an area of undergrowth, you will also have concealment.

Since you are illuminated, you will not be concealed by darkness. Observers outside of a light source's illumination radius can still see into the illuminated area normally (RC 79). However, you may still be concealed by undergrowth, in which case you can make Hide checks to avoid detection. The observer will have a -1 penalty on Spot checks per 10 feet of distance (total of -5), and if you are in heavy undergrowth, you'll have a +5 bonus to Hide.

On a dark night, a light is automatically visible at a distance equal to ten times its illumination radius, or twenty times if the observer succeeds on a DC 20 Spot check (RC 79). In dim light, these distances are halved. This means it's possible the observer will see your light without being able to see you, and consequentially may mistake you for Saruman the White.


The answer is exactly the same, except that if they are able to see you, they will have a 20% miss chance against you. Your concealment will also be redundant with any concealment provided by undergrowth.

This covers my question exceptionally well. thank you. What is RC 79?

New question;
Q 9
Changelings Racial Emulation gnome... could a changeling use racial emulation to emulate a gnome and qualify for shadowcaster prestige class?


This is incorrect—the feat checks whether the class allows you to cast arcane spells, yes or no. If yes, all of the levels in that class count. If no, none of the levels in that class count. It doesn't check your effective level of casting in that class—only your actual class level—nor does it check each level individually and only count the levels that improve your casting.

I have to disagree

A 4 B


Source https://dndtools.net/classes/ultimate-magus/
+1 level of lower-level existing arcane casting class
+1 level of existing prepared arcane casting class and +1 level of existing spontaneous arcane casting class

It adds a level, a whole level, to the qualifying class, meaning if you are a level 4 sorcerer/level 1 wizard and you take 1 level of ultimate magus... you become a level 4 sorcerer/level 2 wizard/level 1 ultimate magus.

This means anything checking your ACTUAL levels will see at least 6 spell caster class levels.

[Troacctid]

This covers my question exceptionally well. thank you. What is RC 79?
Rules Compendium, page 79.


New question;
Q 9
Changelings Racial Emulation gnome... could a changeling use racial emulation to emulate a gnome and qualify for shadowcaster prestige class?
Changelings are Medium, and their Minor Change Shape ability only allows them to alter their height up to 1 foot. Your ability to emulate a Small humanoid is therefore limited by your base height. Assuming you do, an effect that requires "Gnome" as a prerequisite is satisfied by the gnome subtype, which Racial Emulation allows you to copy. What you could not qualify for is an effect that requires a specific subrace of gnome, such as the Svirfneblin Figment Master feat from Races of Faerun.


I have to disagree

A 4 B


It adds a level, a whole level, to the qualifying class, meaning if you are a level 4 sorcerer/level 1 wizard and you take 1 level of ultimate magus... you become a level 4 sorcerer/level 2 wizard/level 1 ultimate magus.

This means anything checking your ACTUAL levels will see at least 6 spell caster class levels.
Ultimate magus contains the following clause:

At each level except 1st, 4th, and 7th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in both a prepared arcane casting class and a spontaneous arcane casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.
...which explicitly limits its advancement to spells per day, caster level, spells known, and that's it. It does not increase your effective level for any other purpose.

[Shinoskay]

Rules Compendium, page 79.



Ultimate magus contains the following clause:


At each level except 1st, 4th, and 7th, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in both a prepared arcane casting class and a spontaneous arcane casting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of those classes would have gained.

...which explicitly limits its advancement to spells per day, caster level, spells known, and that's it. It does not increase your effective level for any other purpose.

And that matches standard prestige class language, I concede.

[St Fan]

Q 10
The Capstone of the Elemental Savant prestige class, "Elemental Perfection", mentions this:


An elemental savant gains the speed and movement modes, natural attacks, special attacks, and special qualities of a Medium elemental of the type appropriate to her elemental specialty, as noted in the Monster Manual,

Does this include all the feats normally possessed by a Medium elemental of the appropriate type? Or at least the bonus feats?

[Troacctid]

Q 10
The Capstone of the Elemental Savant prestige class, "Elemental Perfection", mentions this:



Does this include all the feats normally possessed by a Medium elemental of the appropriate type? Or at least the bonus feats?
No. It includes the abilities listed under the Speed, Attack/Full Attack, Special Attacks and Special Qualities lines.

[Shinoskay]

Q 11

assuming all prestige pre requisites are filled, would it be possible to gestalt a wizard alongside a prestigeclass that improves wizard casting?

IE

Class Class
Class Class
class Class
wizard ranger
Wizard arcane prestige (basically wizard)

[Chronos]

A 11:
Assuming your table is using the gestalt rules, yes, you could do that, but there wouldn't be much point. When both sides of your gestalt progress the same thing, you just use the faster progression. I guess if your prestige class missed any casting levels, you'd cover over those? And you'd still get full familiar progression, and bonus item creation/metamagic feats every five levels?

[Shinoskay]

A 11:
Assuming your table is using the gestalt rules, yes, you could do that, but there wouldn't be much point. When both sides of your gestalt progress the same thing, you just use the faster progression. I guess if your prestige class missed any casting levels, you'd cover over those? And you'd still get full familiar progression, and bonus item creation/metamagic feats every five levels?

Q 11 b (a clarification in hopes for additional answer to clarify the previous answer)

Well, in this case, I have full wizard on one side and full ranger on the other. The main reason for wanting prestige is to speed through the prestige for certain features while also aiming for other wizard features on the other side of the gestalt.

[St Fan]

Q 11 b (a clarification in hopes for additional answer to clarify the previous answer)

Well, in this case, I have full wizard on one side and full ranger on the other. The main reason for wanting prestige is to speed through the prestige for certain features while also aiming for other wizard features on the other side of the gestalt.

A 11
As with the first response, this is possible, but anything redundant between the wizard level and the prestige class level won't stack up.
Especially not the spellcasting progression, even if the prestige class gives a "+1 level of existing arcane casting class".
A proper progression with a Gestalt character usually tries to avoid those wasteful redundancy.

[Bobur]

Q 12
Yuan Ti: produce acid? What action does it take to activate this and make the body acidic?
It says it becomes useless almost immediately, so is it only useful when already in a grapple or does that mean it stays for 1 round /trying a touch/grapple during that round or when being hit by a natural attack?
This ability confuses me as to how to use it.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 12 The default activation action for SLAs is a standard action, except for SLAs reproducing spells with a shorter casting time. Thus, Produce Acid is a standard action. SLAs can be used while grappling (casting an SLA is like casting a spell with no component, and requires a Concentration check) and Produce Acid then deals 5d6 acid, which is higher than its bite attack and does not require attack rolls. Another use case is simply to cast it before combat and to have it active for the first attack of a fight.

[Jon_Dahl]

Q 13

You are in the Astral Plane and you enter a color pool that takes you to the Abyss. To which layer will you end up in? What determines the layer?

[Shinoskay]

Q 13

You are in the Astral Plane and you enter a color pool that takes you to the Abyss. To which layer will you end up in? What determines the layer?

A 13
A quick google search shows me that since AD&D it has been written that the astral plane borders the first layer of each outer plane.

the abyss is listed as an outer plane. there by you would enter the first layer of the abyss when using a method that naturally moves you through the astral planes border to an outer plane per AD&D (dunno if this carried over).

*edit
and actually, I found this wiki link here
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Astral_Plane
that suggests not only are they two way but they can be somewhat randomly linked to different places and parts of the plane the pool goes to. You can find out where your particular pools goes to, however, by concentrating into it to see.

[Vaern]

Q 14

A character uses the Combat Rhythm portion of the Stormguard Warrior (https://dnd.arkalseif.info/feats/tome-of-battle-the-book-of-nine-swords--88/stormguard-warrior--2787/index.html) feat, making three successful touch attacks against an opponent and dealing no damage but granting a +15 bonus to all melee damage rolls against that target on the following turn.
Oh his next turn he casts Red Fester (https://dndtools.net/spells/book-of-vile-darkness--37/red-fester--216/), succeeding on a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 strength damage and 1d4 charisma damage to the same opponent.

Since Red Fester is delivered via a melee touch attack, will the strength and charisma damage it deals be considered melee damage for the purpose of benefiting from the +15 bonus to melee damage rolls granted by Combat Rhythm?

[St Fan]

Q 14

A character uses the Combat Rhythm portion of the Stormguard Warrior (https://dnd.arkalseif.info/feats/tome-of-battle-the-book-of-nine-swords--88/stormguard-warrior--2787/index.html) feat, making three successful touch attacks against an opponent and dealing no damage but granting a +15 bonus to all melee damage rolls against that target on the following turn.
Oh his next turn he casts Red Fester (https://dndtools.net/spells/book-of-vile-darkness--37/red-fester--216/), succeeding on a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 strength damage and 1d4 charisma damage to the same opponent.

Since Red Fester is delivered via a melee touch attack, will the strength and charisma damage it deals be considered melee damage for the purpose of benefiting from the +15 bonus to melee damage rolls granted by Combat Rhythm?

A 14
If I'm not mistaken, from the Rules Compendium, the rules for weaponlike spells specifies that, for ability damage, only critical hits can increase them beyond what the spell normally inflict.

At best, this bonus to melee damage can be treated like precision damage, which for a weaponlike spell delivering ability damage means that the additional damage is treated as negative energy hit points damage, not further ability damage.

(By the by, your first link doesn't work, and anyway I believe you're not supposed to link to D&D tools at all since it isn't an official site.)

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 14 additional Actually, Rules Compendium says that no feat, except for a select few from Core listed on p.132, can modify weaponlike spells in any way. Even then, the one feat in the list that should increase damage (Point-Blank Shot) only works for hit point damage and not ability damage (though ability damage ranged touch spells still gain the +1 to hit) and Weapon Specialization cannot be chosen at all, despite being a "combat-enhancing feat" from Core.
I personally think it is perfectly reasonable to add other feats from outside Core to this list, but then this isn't RAW anymore, and I believe it is quite clear that, RAI, it shouldn't be possible to increase ability score damage on weaponlike spells.

[St Fan]

Q 15



Exploit Adjustment [General]

Your skill at finding and exploiting opportunities is such that you can find openings in even the smallest movements.
Prerequisite: Int 13, Canny Opportunist, Combat Expertise.
Benefit: You may make an attack of opportunity against any opponent who moves from one square adjacent to you to
another square adjacent to you.
Normal: Taking a 5-foot step does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Special: A fighter may select Exploit Adjustment as one of his fighter bonus feats.


This feat is clearly aimed at countering five-foot steps... however, as written, does it also...

A) ... allow one to make an attack of opportunity against an opponent using Spring Attack, even if you're the targeted defender of the feat?

B) If you have both Exploit Adjustment and Combat Reflexes, can you make several attacks of opportunity against someone moving over several squares adjacent to you, unlike normal circumstances precluding the same move from provoking more than one AoO?

[glass]

Q 15This feat is clearly aimed at countering five-foot steps... however, as written, does it also...

A) ... allow one to make an attack of opportunity against an opponent using Spring Attack, even if you're the targeted defender of the feat?A15A: AFAICT, yes. With the caveat that it only works if the squares the target moves to and from are both adjacent to you, which is probably somewhat unlikely with Spring Attack.


B) If you have both Exploit Adjustment and Combat Reflexes, can you make several attacks of opportunity against someone moving over several squares adjacent to you, unlike normal circumstances precluding the same move from provoking more than one AoO?A15B: No, there is nothing in the feat that overrides the once-per rule for movement AoOs.

[Shinoskay]

Q 15



This feat is clearly aimed at countering five-foot steps... however, as written, does it also...

A) ... allow one to make an attack of opportunity against an opponent using Spring Attack, even if you're the targeted defender of the feat?

B) If you have both Exploit Adjustment and Combat Reflexes, can you make several attacks of opportunity against someone moving over several squares adjacent to you, unlike normal circumstances precluding the same move from provoking more than one AoO?

A 15


from one square adjacent to you to another square adjacent to you.

you make an attack of opportunity against someone anytime that line of text occurs.
there is no stipulation, there is no limitation within the text.

So long as you have an attack of opportunity left, and they do that act, you may use one as that text has now been appended into the provoking attack of opportunity mechanics for you. it is now a specific rule to the general, for you.

to be clear, it is clearly adding to when you are allowed to use trigger an attack of opportunity, and it clearly says 'an enemy' does the action.

this includes if they use spring attack, or move from one adjacent square to the next more than once. the only time it wouldnt is if they use something that says they cannot be targeted by attacks of opportunity while using it (like tumble).

the same as for if someone decided to shoot multiple arrows while standing next to someone with multiple attacks of opportunity. each shot is a triggering action as a rule.

however, if they spring attack you and then step away to a square that is not adjacent, then the feat does not permit you the specific rule... and you revert back to the general rule for attacks of opportunity.

It seems I am incorrect, I did not know about a rule compodium rule that adds a once per reason per person stipulation to all attack of opportunity situations; https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/59612/can-a-single-opportunity-provoke-multiple-attacks-of-opportunity-from-the-same (Rules Compendium (page 19)


Some abilities allow you to make more than one attack of opportunity per round. Most such abilities, unless they say otherwise, don’t let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity. If the same opponent provokes two attacks of opportunity from you, however, you could make two separate attacks of opportunity. Each provoking act represents a different opportunity.

[loky1109]

Q16
If I have only 1 skill point per level, could I get skill trick by two level ups?

[Vaern]

A 16

No. The rules for acquiring skills say that you must spend all of your skill points and that you can not save them for later. A character who only gains one skill point per level can not save up the two skill points necessary to learn a skill trick.

[St Fan]

A 16

No. The rules for acquiring skills say that you must spend all of your skill points and that you can not save them for later. A character who only gains one skill point per level can not save up the two skill points necessary to learn a skill trick.

A 16 addition
Vaern is correct. I just want to add you can circumvent the problem with the retraining rules from Player's Handbook II, which allow to pick up to 4 skill ranks already spent and redistribute them; this can be used to gain a skill trick. But that's the only way skill points can be "saved for later".
(Also, retraining is done right at the level change, meaning you must fit the prerequisites already, before anything is gained from the new level.)

Edit: And there's also the Open Minded feat, which can grant 5 skill ranks in one go. Of which 2 can be used for a skill trick. (The rule that only one trick can be gained at a given level probably still apply, though.)

[St Fan]

Q 17

A character from a race with a high Level Adjustment (let's say, a firbolg) is turned into a race with LA +0 (let's say human) by some powerful magic (probably polymorph any object).

Said character then go adventuring for several years under this lower from, gaining XP and several class levels in the process.

Then the race-changing magic is dispelled, and she turn back into her true form with full Level Adjustment.

How does that impact her current class level and XP total?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 17 There are multiple instances of characters jumping ECL in the rules (Emancipated Spawn, application of a template, or application of incarnate Construct or Shaper of Form when having already some LA). In none of these cases is there any mention of levels being gained or lost, and it is even explicitly stated that all levels are conserved
in Emancipated Spawn. So, it seems pretty clear that you keep all your levels, but it is very unclear what happens to your XP. Does it stay the same (nothing says it should change, so I guess it is the RAW answer, but then you should immediately gain several levels when reducing your ECL, which seems contrary to the intent), do you gain just enough XP to reach your new level (like the Deck of Many Things does), are you set at the midpoint of your new level (what happens generally when you lose a level from negative level or from death) ? Unclear ! Ask your DM.

[Shinoskay]

Q 18

In a gestalt

would a level 10 wizard gestalted with ranger who has does Improved Spellcasting (Ex) and sword of the arcane order stack?

Would the caster level be 10/10? 10/20? or something else?

[Morphic tide]

A 18: Improved Spellcasting sets your Ranger caster level to 1/2 Ranger level+2+Arcane caster levels, while Sword of the Arcane Order adds your Ranger class level to your Wizard CL. So the answer seems to be Wizard CL 20/Ranger CL 27, as you have 10 levels of Wizard for "base" CL 10, 10 levels of Ranger for "base" CL 7, then add your Ranger class level to Wizard for CL 20, followed by adding this CL 20 to Ranger CL 7.

[glass]

A18 dispute. The gestalt rules could be more precise, but IMNSHO it is pretty clear that you don't get to stack both sides of the progression on anything. No counting Ranger levels for Wizard or Wizard levels for Ranger, unless they are genuinely different levels.

But ask your GM.

[Pinkie Pyro]

Q 19

one of the wizard specialist alternate class feature for the 'high conjurer' is the following:


Spontaneous Summoning (Ex): Conjurers using this variant can "lose" a prepared spell to cast any summon monster spell of a lower level. For example, a conjurer who has prepared greater invisibility (a 4th-level spell) may lose that spell to cast summon monster I, summon monster II, or summon monster III.

A conjurer using this variant does not gain additional spells per day for being a specialist wizard.

Would having this feature allow you to use 'summon monster' spells without having them in your spellbook as a wizard?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 19

Would having [the extraordinary alternative class feature Spontaneous Summoning] allow you to use 'summon monster' spells without having them in your spellbook as a wizard?

A 19

No, it wouldn't.

By default, if you are a wizard and you know a spell, the reason is that you have at one time copied it into your spellbook. Even the Read Magic spell, which every wizard can prepare without referring to their spellbook, appears in the wizard's spellbook, because: "A wizard begins play with a spellbook containing all 0-level wizard spells... (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#wizard)"

Since Spontaneous Summoning does not change this general rule, every Summon Monster spell that this alternative class feature enables you to cast spontaneously instead of a prepared spell must still appear in your spellbook.

(This is an easy requirement to satisfy, because as a wizard, you get two new spells written in your spellbook for free (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#wizard) every time you advance a level.)

[Troacctid]

Q 19

one of the wizard specialist alternate class feature for the 'high conjurer' is the following:



Would having this feature allow you to use 'summon monster' spells without having them in your spellbook as a wizard?
There is no such class as "High Conjurer" in this edition (at least, not in 1st party material). However, the ability you're quoting appears to work the same way as the Specialist Wizard Variants (UA).

Assuming you are using the UA variant, yes, it will allow you to cast Summon Monster spells spontaneously even if you don't have them in your spellbook; this is an exception to the usual rules for wizard casting. Note though that you will not be able to prepare the spells the normal way unless you learn them properly! The exception applies only to the spontaneous casting ability.

[Morphic tide]

Q 20
Deeply mad wording abuse:


After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.

Does this mean you technically conclude a Standard Action "Attack" before you begin taking the Full-Round Action "Full Attack"? Because if that is the case, then Spring Attack, and thus Rapid Blitz, being tied to the "attack action" is technically valid to do as the first attack within a Full Attack before you actually declare it a "Full Attack" with the movement restrictions, assuming that never saw errata despite Bounding Assault/Rapid Blitz.

This is incredibly obviously not intended, given the strange BAB+Iterative+Rapid Blitz baseline of +18/+13/+8/+13/+8/+3, but it does seem to be a defensible interpretation of the excerpt's wording.

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 20

Does this mean you technically conclude a Standard Action "Attack" before you begin taking the Full-Round Action "Full Attack"?

A 20

No, it doesn't.


The text you quoted allows you to change your mind in the middle of a full attack action, so that instead of making two or more attacks before your turn ends, you make only one attack (which counts as a standard action) and then take a move action. (If you already took a five-foot step before you attacked, you have to use your move action for something other than moving.) But the feats that you mentioned don't involve full attack actions.

Whether you use the Spring Attack feat, the Bounding Assault feat, or the Rapid Blitz feat, you always take one standard action and one move action. You always attack with your standard action and move with your move action.

When you use the Spring Attack feat, you split your move action in two, so that you move both before and after you attack, and you provoke no attack of opportunity from your chosen opponent. (Your total movement allowance is still the same as one standard move.)

When you use the Bounding Assault feat, you can make two attacks with your standard attack action, and you can use these attacks to attack either two opponents once or one opponent twice. Thus, if you choose, you can move, attack Opponent #1, move again without provoking an attack of opportunity from Opponent #1, attack Opponent #2 (adding your BAB -5), and move again (within your movement limit). Or if you choose, you can move, attack one opponent twice (the second time at BAB -5), and move again without provoking an attack of opportunity from this opponent.

The Rapid Blitz feat works just like the Bounding Assault feat, except that you can make three attacks with your standard attack action, and you can divide these attacks among up to three opponents. The attacks add your BAB, your BAB -5, and your BAB -10, respectively. You don't provoke any attacks of opportunity when you move away from these three opponents.

[Morphic tide]

A 20

No, it doesn't.


The text you quoted allows you to change your mind in the middle of a full attack action, so that instead of making two or more attacks before your turn ends, you make only one attack (which counts as a standard action) and then take a move action. (If you already took a five-foot step before you attacked, you have to use your move action for something other than moving.) But the feats that you mentioned don't involve full attack actions.
A 20 dispute: You make your first attack, then only after that you decide if you're making a "Full Attack". Your proposed contradiction requires the decision point be placed differently from the plain text. My own interpretation to close it is that you make that first attack with an indeterminate action, such that if you've concluded a Rapid Blitz's "Attack" action you no longer have a Standard Action to follow through into a "Full Attack", but it does appear a semantically-valid albeit very strange parsing of what is written as far as the SRD is concerned.


Whether you use the Spring Attack feat, the Bounding Assault feat, or the Rapid Blitz feat, you always take one standard action and one move action. You always attack with your standard action and move with your move action.

When you use the Spring Attack feat, you split your move action in two, so that you move both before and after you attack, and you provoke no attack of opportunity from your chosen opponent. (Your total movement allowance is still the same as one standard move.)

When you use the Bounding Assault feat, you can make two attacks with your standard attack action, and you can use these attacks to attack either two opponents once or one opponent twice. Thus, if you choose, you can move, attack Opponent #1, move again without provoking an attack of opportunity from Opponent #1, attack Opponent #2 (adding your BAB -5), and move again (within your movement limit). Or if you choose, you can move, attack one opponent twice (the second time at BAB -5), and move again without provoking an attack of opportunity from this opponent.

The Rapid Blitz feat works just like the Bounding Assault feat, except that you can make three attacks with your standard attack action, and you can divide these attacks among up to three opponents. The attacks add your BAB, your BAB -5, and your BAB -10, respectively. You don't provoke any attacks of opportunity when you move away from these three opponents.
A 20 dispute contintued: Absolutely nothing about what was written down mandates this, actually. Spring Attack just says you move "up to your speed" split before and after your "attack action", with no reference in any way to the "Move" action in specific or Move Actions as a whole. It is perfectly valid to read that movement as strictly modifying the Attack action. Unless you have a rules or errata citation to show otherwise, this is vastly more grounded than many widely-accepted RAW abuses, no matter how much Rapid Blitz indicates it should be otherwise.

[Duke of Urrel]

A 20 dispute: You make your first attack, then only after that you decide if you're making a "Full Attack". Your proposed contradiction requires the decision point be placed differently from the plain text. My own interpretation to close it is that you make that first attack with an indeterminate action, such that if you've concluded a Rapid Blitz's "Attack" action you no longer have a Standard Action to follow through into a "Full Attack", but it does appear a semantically-valid albeit very strange parsing of what is written as far as the SRD is concerned.


A 20 dispute contintued: Absolutely nothing about what was written down mandates this, actually. Spring Attack just says you move "up to your speed" split before and after your "attack action", with no reference in any way to the "Move" action in specific or Move Actions as a whole. It is perfectly valid to read that movement as strictly modifying the Attack action. Unless you have a rules or errata citation to show otherwise, this is vastly more grounded than many widely-accepted RAW abuses, no matter how much Rapid Blitz indicates it should be otherwise.

A 20 Discussion

Do we really understand each other?

The text that we are discussing appears on page 143 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK v. 3.5 under its own heading.


Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack: After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out. If you’ve already taken a 5-foot step, you can’t use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.

At this point, the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK has already discussed standard actions (pages 139 to 142) and move actions (pages 142 to 143). The heading "Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack" indicates that you can sometimes choose to make an attack as a standard action instead of a full attack as a full-round action. You can never choose to take both an attack and a full attack in one round. You must always decide between these two options.

The necessary background to interpreting this text is the awareness that you have the following options:

Take one full-round action (such as a full attack action including all your iterative attacks).
Take one standard action (such as a single attack) and then one move action (for example "moving your speed" or some other action, such as opening a door).
Take one move action and then one standard action.
Take two different move actions consecutively.
Take one five-foot step and then a full-round action (in which case you do not have the option of taking a move action after you make a single attack).

As I interpret the passage quoted above, all that the writers of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK are trying to tell us is that you don't have to decide whether your character is taking a standard-action attack or a full-round-action attack until after you have made one attack and know its outcome. For example, suppose you can make two iterative attacks as a full attack action. Suppose you already have an enemy within reach of your longsword: an orc. And suppose you use the first of your iterative attacks to try to hit the orc with your longsword.

Option 1: If this attack fails, you may choose to make your second attack against the orc, because you don't want to move on until the orc has dropped. If you do this, your turn is taken up by one full attack action.
Option 2: If your first attack succeeds and the orc drops, you may choose not to take your second attack. Instead, you may choose to move, so that you are in a better position when your next turn begins. If you do this, your turn is taken up by one standard-action attack followed by one move action.

All that the writers mean to tell us is this: if you are a character capable of making two or more iterative attacks in a full attack action, you don't have to commit to choosing either a standard-action attack or a full-round-action attack until after your first attack is complete. But you do have to commit to one or the other after your first attack is complete; you can never choose both.

Neither the text quoted above, nor any text written anywhere else in the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK, changes this.

Now, the Spring Attack feat (which appears in the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK II v. 3.5) does change something. It enables you to split your move, so that you move part of your speed before you attack and then move the rest of your speed after you attack. This does not lengthen your move; you are still limited to the distance that we call your "speed," which is the distance that you can normally move when you take a move action. Thus, if your speed is 30 feet, you can move 15 feet, attack an orc, and then move another 15 feet, but no farther. You also provoke no attack of opportunity from the orc when you move away from him.

The Bounding Assault feat works just like the Spring Attack feat, but it allows you to take two attacks (the first at your BAB, the second at your BAB -5) and divide them between two opponents, and you provoke no attack of opportunity when you move away from either one of them. Your standard action now includes two iterative attacks instead of one (nice!), but your move is the same as with the Spring Attack feat.

The Rapid Blitz feat works just like the Bounding Assault feat, but it allows you to take three attacks (the first at your BAB, the second at your BAB -5, and the third at your BAB -10) and divide them among three opponents, and you provoke no attack of opportunity when you move away from any one of them. Your standard action now includes three iterative attacks instead of one or two (really nice!), but your move is still the same as with the Spring Attack feat.

There is no "mandate" to interpret the rules in this manner, but I know of no other way to make sense of them. I suppose you could say that when you use one of these feats (Spring Attack, Bounding Assault, or Rapid Blitz), both your move and your attacks can be counted together as one full-round action, but there is no "mandate" for this, either. It makes more sense to do this with the Charge attack, which is explicitly classified as a full-round action, because the move included in the charge is unusual (you move "twice your speed") and restricted (you can move only in an unobstructed straight line). This is not true of the move that you make when you use the Spring Attack, Bounding Assault, or Rapid Blitz feat. This is just a standard move that you take to "move your speed," as usual.

I don't intend to "mandate" anything here. I only intend to make sense of the rules. If others can accomplish this better than I can, I warmly invite them to do just that.

[Beni-Kujaku]

This seems outside the realm of "simple RAW". If you want to keep discussing this‚ please create a new thread.

[St Fan]

Q 21

With the Great Throw feat, on a successful trip attack "you deal your normal unarmed strike damage to the opponent".

Since Improved Unarmed Strike normally allows to choose between nonlethal and normal damage, can a Great Throw attack be used for nonlethal damage?

[Chronos]

A 21:

Yes, if you have Improved Unarmed Strike, you could choose either.

[Yora]

Q22: Does the designation of certain spell-like abilities as Psionics in the Monster Manual have any mechanical implications or consequences? Is there anything about them that works different from other spell-like abilities?

[loky1109]

Q22: Does the designation of certain spell-like abilities as Psionics in the Monster Manual have any mechanical implications or consequences? Is there anything about them that works different from other spell-like abilities?

A22: creatures with such abilities could take and use psionic feats.

[Chronos]

A 22 continued:
And in general they'd all have the [Psionic] subtype. Being able to take psionic feats is the most significant implication of that subtype, but there are a few others.

[Vaern]

A 22

Within the context of just the core rules, there is no difference between how Psionics (Sp) and a regular spell-like ability works. The Monster Manual defines the Psionics (Sp) ability as being a spell-like ability that a creature produces with the power of its mind. It is marked as a spell-like ability and defined as being a spell-like ability, so it functions just like any other spell-like ability.
The only noteworthy difference in the Monster Manual's definitions of the two is that a normal spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used while psionic abilities are usually usable at will. Clearly, though, these aren't hard rules and there are plenty of exceptions on both sides, with playable psionic races having limited use of psionics and at will SLAs actually being fairly common.

With the inclusion of Expanded Psionics Handbook, creatures with spell-like abilities that are identified as "Psionics (Sp)" are considered to have psi-like abilities, and manifest those abilities as though they were psi-like abilities (which function just like a spell-like ability, but with psionic-equivalent keywords that mean basically the same thing). As mentioned previously, being considered to have psi-like abilities grants the [Psionic] subtype and allow the creature to take psionic feats.
Expanded Psionics Handbook also contains "psionic" versions of all such core monsters. I haven't looked too closely at them, but it looks like they've just have their Psionics (Sp) abilities replaced with equivalent psi-like abilities and swaps spell resistance for power resistance and at surface level what I've seen looks to be a functionally identical reskin for the sake of adopting proper psionics terminology. If EPH is in play and there are no significant differences that I'm overlooking, you might as well just convert all of your core psionic creatures to their EPH versions to simplify interactions with psionic rules.

[Shinoskay]

Q 23

Can you combine augment crystals just like you could any other magic items?

[Yora]

Q24: When you demoralize an oponent with Intimidate, the target becomes shaken for one round. When does the effect end?
At the end of the target's next turn?
At the start of your next turn?
At the end of your next turn?
At the start of the target's turn in the next round?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 23

Can you combine augment crystals just like you could any other magic items?


A 23

Yes, you can.

The SRD says so (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm#addingNewAbilities).


Adding New Abilities
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.

An augment crystal is not a magic item with no restrictions. It is restricted, because you can attach only one augment crystal to one and the same item at the same time. This means that every special ability that you add to an augment crystal must multiply its price (in both money and XP) by 1.5.

[Khedrac]

A24: At the start of your next turn.

[Oxylepy]

Q 25 Can you take a feat whose benefit applies it to another feat and postpone applying the feat until a higher level? EG As a first level wizard could I take Magical Artisan and wait until I have Craft Staff to apply it to that feat, or would I be forced to apply it to an item creation feat I have at level 1?

[Yora]

A25: To learn a feat on level advancement, you have to meet all the prerequisites. For a feat to affect another feat, you muat have this other feat. This implicity makes the other feat a prerequisite of the first feat. (Even though it might not be listed as a prerequisite.)

For example, the monster feat "Ability Focus" does list the prerequisite "special ability". You can't take that feat that applies to a specific special ability if you do not have that special ability yet. (You might gain it later through an acquired template.)
Feats should be treated the same way.

Another argument would be that a feat says "Pick one item creation feat" as part of applying the feat. You don't actually have the feat until you have made the selection. There are no rules to force a player to actually learn a feat at a later point after stating the intention to so. The character might even never meet the prerequisites to do so.
The game does not have any provisions for leaving the choices of level advancement until later.

[Morphic tide]

Q 26: Barely-qualified Lich casts XP costs to go down two levels. Casts Haunt Shift on their now 9 HD self, aiming for something that isn't their Phylactery. When destroyed under Impermanent Home or an Exorcism, do they reform phyiscally by their Phylactery, or diffusely by the haunted location?

[Oxylepy]

A26 "You cannot spend so much XP that you lose a level, so you cannot cast the spell unless you have enough XP to spare." (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#components)

Additionally, the rules for Impermanent Home say "Unless it is a ghost, lich, or some other sort of undead that is resistant to destruction, the haunting presence is also permanently eradicated" suggesting that it would use the special case (Lich's Phylactery) to resist destruction.

[ciopo]

Q27
Can a bard make use of the "cast without verbal components" of a ring of silent spells?
Or other general (effects) that allows a caster to bypass the verbal component of a spell, if we are to enlarge the question

[Oxylepy]

A27 Silent Spell explicitly states that bard spells cannot be enchanced with the feat, while the ring allows you to cast as though using the Silent Spell feat. To get around this by RAW you'd need a means of removing verbal components without interacting with/referencing the feat Silent Spell. Eg Dark Scholar's Book of the Stilled Tongue.

[Shinoskay]

Q 28

Can Energy Transformation Field cast miracle? and assuming yes, how are the details and choices of the spell determined?

I know it says DURATION and caster level effects are determined as if you cast it... but what about things like "casting miracle to create heriocs spell" could the person who triggered the miracle choose the spell heriocs? could they then choose the feat heriocs gives?

[Troacctid]

Q 28

Can Energy Transformation Field cast miracle? and assuming yes, how are the details and choices of the spell determined?

I know it says DURATION and caster level effects are determined as if you cast it... but what about things like "casting miracle to create heriocs spell" could the person who triggered the miracle choose the spell heriocs? could they then choose the feat heriocs gives?
Normally, the deity makes all choices for miracle spells. All the caster gets to do is ask nicely for a particular effect; it's up to the deity to decide how to respond, or whether to respond at all.

It's unclear in RAW whether a spell with a "See text" XP cost is eligible for energy transformation field. Assuming the DM rules that it is eligible, then a miracle generated by the field would have no request associated with it. It would be the equivalent of sending the deity an email with a blank subject line and no body text. The deity could then choose to intervene in whatever manner they feel is appropriate, within the limitations of the spell. You'd have even less control over the outcome than usual. And since the field is the one casting the spell, not you, there's no guarantee that the blank request will even be sent to the deity you intended.

[Shinoskay]

Normally, the deity makes all choices for miracle spells. All the caster gets to do is ask nicely for a particular effect; it's up to the deity to decide how to respond, or whether to respond at all.

It's unclear in RAW whether a spell with a "See text" XP cost is eligible for energy transformation field. Assuming the DM rules that it is eligible, then a miracle generated by the field would have no request associated with it. It would be the equivalent of sending the deity an email with a blank subject line and no body text. The deity could then choose to intervene in whatever manner they feel is appropriate, within the limitations of the spell. You'd have even less control over the outcome than usual. And since the field is the one casting the spell, not you, there's no guarantee that the blank request will even be sent to the deity you intended.

that certainly helps
Q 28 .5
So, what happens when a shadowcraft mage uses shadow stuffs to cast miracle/wish? Is it still up to the diety?

[Oxylepy]

that certainly helps
Q 28 .5
So, what happens when a shadowcraft mage uses shadow stuffs to cast miracle/wish? Is it still up to the diety?

A28.5 It's still going to mimic those spells and the limits are part of the spell description for each. Notably Miracle is up to the deity, and Wish is open to perversion.

[St Fan]

Q 29



Allied Defense

You are good at protecting nearby allies.

Prerequisite:
Combat Expertise

Benefit:
Whenever you use combat expertise to gain a bonus to Armor Class, any adjacent ally gains the same bonus.

Normal:
Combat expertise normally only grants the bonus to you.


A) If a character has some increase to the dodge bonus granted by Combat Expertise (such as the Cautious trait, the Invisible Eye martial art bonus ability, or fighting with a broadblade shortsword...), does this increase also count for the adjacent allies protected by Allied Defense?

B) Combat Expertise gives dodge bonuses, dodge bonuses stack, so if two characters adjacent to each other are both using Allied Defense, their respective Combat Expertise bonuses are added to each other, correct?

[Chronos]

A 29A:

That would depend on the precise wording of the feature that improved Combat Expertise. If it says "When you use Combat Expertise, the dodge bonus granted by that feat is increased by 1", then that would be shared. If it says "When you use Combat Expertise, this feature grants an additional +1 dodge bonus to armor class", then that would be a separate bonus from the one granted by Combat Expertise, and would not be shared.

A 29B:
Yes, as dodge bonuses, they would stack. A group of characters who all have these feats could get quite an impressive armor class this way.

[Khedrac]

A 29B Partial Dispute:

A 29B:
Yes, as dodge bonuses, they would stack. A group of characters who all have these feats could get quite an impressive armor class this way.

Bonuses from the same source do not stack, and since the bonuses are all coming from the feat Combat Expertise (via the feat Allied Defense) I would claim that they have the same source and only the largest applies.

The specifics of what exactly counts as the "source" are not well defined so this becomes DM's call - expect table variation, and in this case I would expect it to get modified in play after the DM sees how well (or not) their ruling is working.
Consider a double line of combatants - except the the solders at the ends, each front-line fighter is having their AC boosted by three allies behind them as well as (potentially) the front line boosts. If they are all first level warriors they can either get getting +3 AC for no penalty to hit or +6 AC for -1 to hit!

[Silly Name]

Q 30

Is there any rule/consensus on how immunity to critical damage/precision damage interacts with rider effects on critical hits?

For example, let's sya I have the Quell the Profane feat from Book of Exalted Deeds, which says:


Whenever you deal a critical hit to an evil creature using a melee weapon with which you are proficient, your opponent must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level-your Cha modifier) or take 1d4+1 points of temporary Strength damage.

(emphasis mine). I am fighting an evil undead, such as a vampire, and I roll a Nat 20 when attacking him with my longsword. Normally, I would "just" auto-hit because the vampire is immune to critical hit, and so wouldn't bother to confirm the threat. But since I have this feat, do I roll for confirmation to see if the vampire has to save against my Quell the Profane power, or does he get to ignore it because he's immune to critical hits, and this immunity extends to rider effects?

[Khedrac]

A 30 in general with rider effects, such as a weapon with the burst special ability you would roll to see if the hit would be a critical to determine if the rider kicks in even if the target is immune to critical hits.

In your specific example the effect fails twice - undead are immune to any effect requiring fortitude save unless if also affects objects, and undead are immune to ability damage.

[St Fan]

Q 31

How do you resolve a class feature that contradicts itself in the same paragraph?



Spiritual Connection
You learn to speak with the spirits of the wild places. Although this ability does not automatically make such spirits well disposed toward you, it does provide several benefits.

Level: 1st.

Replaces: This benefit replaces the wild empathy class feature.

Benefit: You can use speak with animals and speak with plants, as the spells (caster level equals your ranger level). You can use any combination of these effects up to three times per day. These are spell-like abilities with caster level equal to your character level.


I underlined the relevant part for emphasis. Does this ability depend on your ranger level, or your character level?

[Silly Name]

A 31

No hard and fast rule, other than "check if erratas for that book exist and fix the contradiction". For your specific example, your table will have to choose whether to key the CL for those SLAs off character level or ranger level.

[Yora]

A31: You look up if there is an errata. Which there is. :smallsmile:


Page 50 – Spiritual Connection - Benefit [Addition]
Add “These are spell-like abilities with caster level equal to your character level.”

This is the officially released correction of the error made in the printed book.

[Bobur]

Q32:
In the cover rules it says: For reach weapons use the ranged attack rules to determine cover.

Does that mean that an attack with a reach weapon also suffers from the "attacking into melee" -4 penalty?
I think technically not, but if an ally stands in the way he can still create a soft cover for basically the same result?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q32:
In the cover rules it says: For reach weapons use the ranged attack rules to determine cover.

Does that mean that an attack with a reach weapon also suffers from the "attacking into melee" -4 penalty?
I think technically not, but if an ally stands in the way he can still create a soft cover for basically the same result?

A 32

One thing we know for sure: You cannot overshoot with a reach weapon.

So if you attack into a mêlée with a reach weapon and the only ally engaged in mêlée with your target is farther away from you than your target, you cannot possibly hit your ally instead of your target. No matter how clumsy you are, you cannot overshoot with a reach weapon.

You can overshoot with an actual ranged or thrown weapon. This is made clear by the illustration on page 158 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK entitled "Missing with a Thrown Weapon." This illustration shows that a thrown weapon that misses its target may be off target in any one of eight different directions. So the -4 penalty for shooting or throwing into a mêlée (page 140 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK) should apply whenever an ally of yours is engaged with your target from any one of eight different directions. Your ally may be in front of, next to, or even behind your target; in any case, your target is engaged in mêlée with an ally, so that your ranged attack must add the -4 penalty.

In contrast, when you miss your target with a reach weapon, you cannot mistakenly hit an ally who is farther away than your target. You can only hit an ally who is closer to you than your target or in some cases next to your target (from your perspective).

Cover is explained on pages 150 and 151 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK. Your target has soft cover (page 151) only if an ally impedes your attack just as an object would, following the rules for obstacles. But an object cannot possibly provide cover if it stands behind or merely next to your target.

This proves that the -4 penalty for shooting or throwing into a mêlée applies in a broader set of cases than the -4 Armor Class bonus for soft cover.

This much is clear. But it raises a question that I have never considered before. We may even want to discuss it in another thread, but I feel that I might as well ask it here first.


Q 33

If a target both has soft cover and is engaged in mêlée, then does your target enjoy both the +4 Armor Class bonus and the -4 penalty that you must add to your attack with either a ranged weapon or a reach weapon?

I think the answer is yes, but I what do the rest of you think?

[glass]

Q32:
In the cover rules it says: For reach weapons use the ranged attack rules to determine cover.

Does that mean that an attack with a reach weapon also suffers from the "attacking into melee" -4 penalty?
I think technically not, but if an ally stands in the way he can still create a soft cover for basically the same result?A32 Cover is a completely separate thing from the penalty for ranged attacks into melee, and would not be invoked by that rule.

An ally providing cover is not "the same result," because cover is a bonus to AC not a penalty to hit, and because for an actual ranged attack both would apply.

ETA:

Q 33

If a target both has soft cover and is engaged in mêlée, then does your target enjoy both the +4 Armor Class bonus and the -4 penalty that you must add to your attack with either a ranged weapon or a reach weapon?A33 With a ranged attack, yes. With a reach weapon, no (just the cover).

[loky1109]

You can overshoot with an actual ranged or thrown weapon. This is made clear by the illustration on page 158 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK entitled "Missing with a Thrown Weapon." This illustration shows that a thrown weapon that misses its target may be off target in any one of eight different directions. So the -4 penalty for shooting or throwing into a mêlée (page 140 of the PLAYER'S HANDBOOK) should apply whenever an ally of yours is engaged with your target from any one of eight different directions. Your ally may be in front of, next to, or even behind your target; in any case, your target is engaged in mêlée with an ally, so that your ranged attack must add the -4 penalty.

A32, objection
You are wrong. First of all, while it isn't clear from illustration itself, but this is illustration of missing with splash weapons only.
Secondly, even if this illustration is applicable to actual ranged or thrown weapon, actual ranged or thrown weapon doesn't make a damage when it lands in the square or grid intersection.
So no, if your target has total cover with invisible hippo between you and him, and you aim into him with a bow you just miss and have zero chances to hit a hippo.

[St Fan]

Q 34

A character, upon reaching... let's say level 6, picks the Item Familiar feat with the general feat gained at 6th level.

She invest life energy and gains a 10% bonus to her XP.

Unfortunately, the item familiar is stolen from her and she cannot recover it before 6 days has gone by.
Thus, she loses not only the XP bonus, but also 1200 of her existing XP (200 XP/level).
This is enough to reduce her level to 5 (yes, item familiar loss can explicitly lower your level, unlike XP paid to cast a spell or craft an item).
With this reduced level, she also lose the level 6 feat, and thus lose Item Familiar as a feat, further breaking the link.

A) Since she does not have the Item Familiar feat at this step, even recovering the original item will not grant her back the lost XP, right?

B) If she regains level 6 the hard way, by leveling up with enough XP, and takes again the Item Familiar feat, she'll have anew the 10% bonus of invest life energy, but even if the item is the same, she never regains the 1200 XP, since the link to the item had to be recreated from the ground up...

[YellowJohn]

Q35
A) Does a Sublime Chord consider Sorcerer/Bard spells of 3rd level or below to be on their spell list? For example: can a sublime chord use a wand of the Sorcerer 2 spell 'Wings of Cover'?
B) If a spell is L4+ for a Sorcerer but level 3- for a bard, can a Sublime Chord learn it?

[Yora]

A35-a: A bard/sorcerer/sublime chord has three separate spellcasting abilities and three separate spell lists. To be able to use a wand, a spell has to be on the spell list of any of your classes. As a sorcerer, all sorcerer spells are on your sorcerer spell list.
A 1st level sorcerer could use the wand, so a bard/sorcerer/sublime chord can still use it.

A35-b: No. A sublime chord uses the bard spell level for spells that are on both the bard and sorcerer spell lists. And a sublime chord has no 3rd level spell slots.

[Dromuthra]

Q36
A) For a Dragon character (specifically a Wyrmling Tome Dragon (casts as Sorc 3)/Sorcerer 2), can they take the Domain Access alternate class feature that appears at Sorcerer 5? I'm don't think so, even if they cast as a 5th level Sorcerer, but I'd like a spot-check.
B) For another Dragon character, could a Spellhoarding Wyrmling Tome Dragon (casts as Wiz 3)/Wizard 1 pick up various level 1 Wizard Alternate Class Features on its most recent level, even though it casts as a Wizard 4? This should be the same ruling as above, I think (unless I'm misunderstanding something, hence my question).

[Yora]

A36-a: The Monster Manual says about spellcasting "A spellcasting creature is not actually a member of a class unless
its entry says so, and it does not gain any class abilities."
If an ability requires being a "5th level sorcerer", it does not qualify. If it requires "ability to cast spells as a 5th level sorcerer" it does qualify.

A36-b: When it gets the 1st level in the wizard class, it gets the class features of a 1st level wizard, and can replace them with an alternative class feature for that class. Class features from class levels are seperate from the spellcasting ability.

This situation is very much like a spellcaster taking a prestige class that improves their spellcasting level.

[H_H_F_F]

A35-a: A bard/sorcerer/sublime chord has three separate spellcasting abilities and three separate spell lists. To be able to use a wand, a spell has to be on the spell list of any of your classes. As a sorcerer, all sorcerer spells are on your sorcerer spell list.
A 1st level sorcerer could use the wand, so a bard/sorcerer/sublime chord can still use it.

A35-a clarification/contention

The question didn't refer to a bard/sorcerer/sublime chord, and is presumably about a sublime chord that isn't a sorcerer.

The answer is still yes. RAW, the Sublime Chord uses the sorcerer and bard lists as their class list. Not having spell slots to take Wings of Cover in doesn't inhibit a Sublime Chord any more than it does a first level sorcerer.

[St Fan]

Q 36

The Complete Adventurer introduces a new use for the Balance skill:



Resist Trip: If you have 10 or more ranks in Balance, you can make a Balance check in place of a Strength or Dexterity check to avoid being tripped by an opponent. You take a –10 penalty on your Balance check. If you succeed on this check, you are not tripped. When you succeed on a Balance check to resist being tripped, you may not attempt to trip your opponent.


Does a character with the Stability racial trait, such as a dwarf, still gets a +4 bonus to the above Balance check?



Stability: A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground (but not when climbing, flying, riding, or otherwise not standing firmly on the ground).

[St Fan]

Q 37



Belt, Monk’s
This simple rope belt, when wrapped around a character’s waist, confers great ability in unarmed combat. The wearer’s AC and unarmed damage is treated as a monk of five levels higher. If donned by a character with the Stunning Fist feat, the belt lets her make one additional stunning attack per day. If the character is not a monk, she gains the AC and unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk. This AC bonus functions just like the monk’s AC bonus.


A) A non-monk gains the unarmed damage of a 5th-level monk (so, 1d8 hp for a medium humanoid). However, he gains no other unarmed strike advantage of a monk, right? Not even the Improved Unarmed Strike feat...

B) A non-monk gains the AC bonus of a 5th-level monk. That means, Wisdom modifier +1 (and not just +1 for level 5), correct?

C) If a non-monk has a monk's belt and the Kung Fu Genius feat (which can be taken before having any level of monk), can the AC bonus granted by the belt be switched to the Intelligence modifier?

[Awrysight]

Q 38
If a characther with four arms, like a Thri-kreen, wields two Two-Handed weapons, each in two hands;
a) Do both weapons get the normal benefits from THW, like the extra Power Attack damage?
b) Does this qualify for two-weapon fighting as if it was a normal character with two weapons?

[Yora]

A 36
Stability gives a +4 bonus to ability checks to resist being bull rushed or tripped.

The Balance skill use says you make a Balance skill check instead of a Strength or Dexterity (ability) check.

Ability checks are separate from skill checks. The bonus does not apply to the Balance skill check.

[Yora]

A37: Yes, to all.

a) It only talks about AC and unarmed damage. It does not mention monks' Unarmed Strike ability, of which the unarmed damage increase is only one effect among many.

b) "AC bonus" is the name of one of the monk's abilities. The ability grants the character's Wisdom bonus plus a fixed modifier (+1 at 5th level) to the character's armor class.

c.) Since "AC bonus" is the name of a monk's class ability, and this ability normally relies on Wisdom, a character with Kung Fu Master adds the Intelligence bonus instead of the Wisdom bonus to AC.

[Yora]

A38-b: The Multiweapon Fighting feat in the Monster Manual specifies that "A creature without this feat takes a –6 penalty on attacks made with its primary hand and a –10 penalty on attacks made with its off hands. (It has one primary hand, and all the others are off hands.)"

It also says "This feat replaces the Two-Weapon Fighting feat for creatures with more than two arms."

A creature with four would never use Two-Weapon fighting but always Multiweapon fighting (even if it only uses two hands to hold weapons and attack with).

You could have two two-handed weapons, both held with two hands each.
One weapon would be held in your main hand and an off hand. Just like all two-handed creatures would, and as such be a main hand attack.
The other weapon would be held in two off-hands, and as such be considered an off-hand attack.

Without Multiweapon Fighting, the penalties would be -6 for the first weapon and -10 for the second weapon.
With the feat, the penalties would be -4 for the first weapon and -4 for the second weapon.

A38-a: Power Attack only talks about "two hands". It does not distinguish between main hands and off hands. So by the letter of the rule, you would get the double bonus to both your two-handed weapons.
Though I am not certain that there are no other rules in some other sources that would override that. This answer is based entirely on what I find in the PHB and MM.

[St Fan]

Q 39



Carmendine Monk [General]

You have learned that study is just as important as insight to finding enlightenment.

Prerequisite:
INT 13, member of Zealots of the Written Word monk order (see page 105),

Benefit:
You can use your Intelligence bonus instead of your Wisdom bonus for determining your monk AC bonus and for determining the save DC against your stunning fist and quivering palm attacks. You can study your thesis notes for 1 hour to treat your monk level as two higher for determining one of the following monk abilities: unarmed damage, AC bonus, or unarmored speed bonus. This benefit lasts for 24 hours, at which point you can study your notes again to gain the same or a different effect. You can't study your notes more than once in any 24-hour period.


A feat can no longer be used if you lose one of its prerequisites.
"Member of Zealots of the Written Word monk order" (or whatever equivalent organization fitting the campaign) is a prerequisite for this feat.

Does that mean that a character that has been cast out of the order, or abandoned it, would no longer be able to get the advantages of Carmendine Monk?

[Yora]

A39: Correct. While it is possible that the writer of the feat meant that you can only learn the feat while being a member of the order, since membership is listed in the Prerequisites, the rules say that you lose its benefits when you stop being a member in the order.

[Yora]

Q40: Air Walk says "A strong wind (21+ mph) can push the subject along or hold it back. At the end of its turn each round, the wind blows the air walker 5 feet for each 5 miles per hour of wind speed."

So a 20 mph wind will not push a creature at all, but a 21 mph wind will push a creature 20 feet at the end of each turn?

Q41: What exactly does Antiplant Shell do? It "keeps all creatures within the shell protected from attacks by plant creatures or animated plants." Is this meant like the third effect of Protection from Evil?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 34

A character, upon reaching... let's say level 6, picks the Item Familiar feat with the general feat gained at 6th level.

She invests life energy and gains a 10% bonus to her XP.

Unfortunately, the item familiar is stolen from her and she cannot recover it before 6 days have gone by.
Thus, she loses not only the XP bonus, but also 1200 of her existing XP (200 XP/level).
This is enough to reduce her level to 5 (yes, item familiar loss can explicitly lower your level, unlike XP paid to cast a spell or craft an item).
With this reduced level, she also lose the level 6 feat, and thus lose Item Familiar as a feat, further breaking the link.

A) Since she does not have the Item Familiar feat at this step, even recovering the original item will not grant her back the lost XP, right?

B) If she regains level 6 the hard way, by leveling up with enough XP, and takes again the Item Familiar feat, she'll have anew the 10% bonus of invest life energy, but even if the item is the same, she never regains the 1200 XP, since the link to the item had to be recreated from the ground up...


A 34 A

Incorrect. When you recover an item familiar, your lost XPs are restored.


If you ever lose the chosen item (have it removed from your possession for a continuous period of more than one day per level) or if the item is destroyed, you automatically lose 200 XP per level […]. If you recover the item, you regain these XP.

This rule appears on page 170 of UNEARTHED ARCANA v. 3.5 (2004). I added the boldface for emphasis.

In my understanding, it is the loss of the item familiar itself that causes you to lose XPs, not the loss of the Item Familiar feat, though of course losing the item itself may cause you to lose a character level, and losing a character level may cause you to lose the use of the Item Familiar feat as well.



A 34 B

Correct. When you replace an item familiar, your lost XPs are not restored.

In my understanding, once the loss of an item familiar has caused you to lose 200 XPs per character level, you can restore these lost XPs only by recovering the item itself, which can only be the self-same item that you originally bonded with. If you start all over by supernaturally bonding yourself with another permanent magic item, you must start “from the ground up,” as you said. Investing your life energy in a new item familiar adds 10% to your XP total, but this must be your reduced XP total.

[St Fan]

Q40: Air Walk says "A strong wind (21+ mph) can push the subject along or hold it back. At the end of its turn each round, the wind blows the air walker 5 feet for each 5 miles per hour of wind speed."

So a 20 mph wind will not push a creature at all, but a 21 mph wind will push a creature 20 feet at the end of each turn?


A 40
Correct. Although you shouldn't see this as a case of numerical RAW silliness, and more as a "DM decision over whatever fits best the drama." Since it's the DM who decides the wind speed (unless there is some wind-control magic involved), it's essentially a decision between "wind speed is not enough to affect the character" and "wind speed is strong enough to either slow down or speed up the character for whatever reason is justified by the plot".



Q41: What exactly does Antiplant Shell do? It "keeps all creatures within the shell protected from attacks by plant creatures or animated plants." Is this meant like the third effect of Protection from Evil?


A 41
Mostly, since most "abjuration barrier" spells work the same way. Although unlike protection from evil this is a 10-foot emanation, so the affected plants will be stopped at a distance, and not on contact. (What isn't entirely clear is whether this spell would stop ranged attacks by plant creatures.) A spell even more similar to it is antilife shell.

[St Fan]

Q 42



Word Given Form

Prerequisites:
Truespeak 12, Tumble 12, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Improved Unarmed Strike, Mobility, Spring Attack.

Benefit:
When using the Dodge feat against an opponent, in addition to the +1 dodge bonus to AC you also gain total concealment (50% miss chance) from that opponent as your form blurs and shifts.


A) This technique is introduced as a martial art. Although it has a minimum rank in Truespeak as a prerequisite, it doesn't require any Truespeak check. To my knowledge, martial arts are considered Extraordinary abilities, like general feats. So, does Word Given Form would work even in an antimagic field or dead magic zone?

B) From the description, the practitioner gains total concealment but doesn't turn invisible (its form "blurs and shifts"). Thus, neither see invisible, invisible purge, corpse candle or similar spells, nor Blind-Fight would be of any use against it, right? (Although a blind-fighter could simply close his eyes...)

C) Blindness, blindsense or blindsight, on the other hand, would negate the advantages of Word Given Form, right?

D) I am wrong to think true seeing would counter it, too? (The spell is said to work on "blur and displacement" effects, magic or not, after all.)

[Yora]

A 40
Correct. Although you shouldn't see this as a case of numerical RAW silliness, and more as a "DM decision over whatever fits best the drama." Since it's the DM who decides the wind speed (unless there is some wind-control magic involved), it's essentially a decision between "wind speed is not enough to affect the character" and "wind speed is strong enough to either slow down or speed up the character for whatever reason is justified by the plot".

There are also several spells that allow characters to create winds of specific speeds.

[Debatra]

Q 42



A) This technique is introduced as a martial art. Although it has a minimum rank in Truespeak as a prerequisite, it doesn't require any Truespeak check. To my knowledge, martial arts are considered Extraordinary abilities, like general feats. So, does Word Given Form would work even in an antimagic field or dead magic zone?

B) From the description, the practitioner gains total concealment but doesn't turn invisible (its form "blurs and shifts"). Thus, neither see invisible, invisible purge, corpse candle or similar spells, nor Blind-Fight would be of any use against it, right? (Although a blind-fighter could simply close his eyes...)

C) Blindness, blindsense or blindsight, on the other hand, would negate the advantages of Word Given Form, right?

D) I am wrong to think true seeing would counter it, too? (The spell is said to work on "blur and displacement" effects, magic or not, after all.)

A 42

A. Feats are not any of the three Special Ability types (Ex, Su, Sp) unless noted. That said, they will work in an AMF or dead magic zone unless noted.

B. You are mostly correct. As you are not invisible, things that specifically work against invisibility do not matter. Blind-Sight however, is not one of those things. It cares about concealment and functions normally.

C. Yes.

D. This part I admit I am not quite 100% certain on, but I am inclined to believe True Seeing would work against this.

[Chronos]

A 42 nitpick:

Feats default to being Extraordinary, unless specified otherwise. That said, an ability being Extraordinary works the same way, for an AMF, as it not being any type.

[St Fan]

Thanks to you all, guys and girls, for taking the time to respond to my annoying questions.

Q 43



Disruptive Attack
More than perhaps any other character, a rogue's ability to fully contribute to a fight varies dramatically based on the enemies she faces. Against a mummy, flesh golem, or shambling mound, the rogue's damage-dealing drops precipitously. The disruptive attack alternative class feature allows a rogue to be effective in combat against such creatures by making them vulnerable to the attacks of her and her allies. It's also useful against creatures vulnerable to your sneak attacks, creating interesting tactical decisions for you in such fights.

Level: 4th.

Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain uncanny dodge at 4th level. Instead, you gain uncanny dodge at 8th level (when you would normally gain improved uncanny dodge).

Benefit: Beginning at 4th level, through careful study you're able to find exploitable flaws in any creature's tactics and defenses. Whenever you hit a target that is flat-footed against your attack, or whenever you hit a target that you flank, you can choose to sacrifice your sneak attack damage in order to apply a -5 penalty to that creature's AC for 1 round. Multiple hits on the same target don't stack. This extraordinary ability works even against creatures normally immune to extra damage from sneak attacks, such as undead.


I understand clearly that the "creatures normally immune to extra damage from sneak attacks" part imply those with no "discernible anatomies"; however, given the wording, it seems other conditions preventing sneak attacks would be ignored by this ACF.

A) Firstly, it works on targets that are flat-footed. NOT on "targets who are denied their dexterity bonus to AC" (a condition I personally call "off-guard") like a sneak attack. So, a character with uncanny dodge (which isn't off-guard when flat-footed, but is STILL flat-footed) would be vulnerable to a disruptive attack, right?

B) Secondly, it works on targets that are flanked. Improved uncanny dodge "denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does." Disruptive attack not being a sneak attack, improved uncanny dodge wouldn't protect from it, whatever the target's level, right?

C) Thirdly, disruptive attack not being dependent on reaching the vital spots of the target, unlike a sneak attack, it wouldn't be impaired by concealment, total concealment, or the vitals being out of reach, right?

[Daisy]

Q43 sub-query

If you have to sacrifice your sneak attack damage to apply the effects of disruptive attack, can you apply those effects if there is no sneak attack? Specifically, if we are distinguishing between flat-footed and denied dexterity bonus to AC. By the questioner's admission these may be considered different things at certain tables.

[Khedrac]

A 43 A) Correct. I don't think this is the intent of the ability, but it is correct by the way it is worded - uncanny dodge does not prevent this ability.
A 43 B) Wrong. Improved uncanny dodge prevents the charcter form being flanked (so no flanking bonus to hit).

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): A rogue of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.

If a character already has uncanny dodge (see above) from a second class, the character automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.
A 43 C) Correct. again, I don't think this is the intent of the ability, but it is correct by the way it is worded.
A 43 D) Wrong - the ability specifically states that it works on creaures immune to sneak attack.

That said, I would expect many DMs to rule out options A and C.

[St Fan]

A 43 B) Wrong. Improved uncanny dodge prevents the charcter form being flanked (so no flanking bonus to hit).
Yep, you're right, I misread improved uncanny dodge. No flanking means no taking advantage of ability dependent of flanking.


A 43 A) Correct. I don't think this is the intent of the ability, but it is correct by the way it is worded - uncanny dodge does not prevent this ability.

Probably not the intent, indeed. Like many such cases, I believe it is a result of the conflation between off-guard (i.e. denied Dexterity and Dodge bonuses to AC) and flat-footed, despite being two different conditions, because of the lack of a proper game term for the first one. Hence you have several attacks working on flat-footed characters even if they have uncanny dodge (such as Iaijustu Focus, or Hit-and-Run Tactics for drow fighters).

[Pezzo]

Q 44
Are there any rules about "sorcerer only" and "wizard only" spells?

[Khedrac]

A 44 Yes
More seriously what is your question? Barring spell research a sorceror-only spell is not on the wizard spell list and a wizard-only spell is not on the sorceror spell list.

[Pezzo]

Just wanted to know where to read up the rules, how these spells interact with spell list expansion abilities, feats and so on. They are all worded differently.
Q 44 A
My main question is: is it possible for a non-sorcerer or non-wizard spell caster to learn sorcerer-only and wizard-only spells?
B Can a spell to power erudite convert one of these spells into powers?
C Can a chameleon prepare and cast them?
D Does the advanced learning class feature of classes like the beguiler let you learn these spells (assuming spells of the right schools do exist)?
E Does the extra spell feat allow to select one of these spells?
F Can these spells be mimicked by shadow-conjuration-type spells?
G Recaster?
H Ultimate magus?

[Khedrac]

A 44 all the point of "Sorcerer only" and "Wizard only" spells is not that they are proscribed to all other casters, it is that they are only on the sorcerer or wizard spell lists not both.
Normal ways of learning spells from other lists still apply, but be careful - if the ability says the equivalent of "drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list" then it does not cover them as they are not on the shared list.

[Yora]

Q45: What is the meaning of arcane mark having a range of 0 ft. instead of touch?

[Chronos]

Re: 44

I'm not convinced that there are actually rules for sorcerer-only or wizard-only spells. RAW, a sorcerer does not learn spells from the sorcerer list, and a wizard does not learn spells from the wizard list: Rather, both classes learn spells from the "sorcerer/wizard" spell list. When a spell, such as Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer, is listed as just "Wizard", it's easy to infer the intent from that, but is it ever actually spelled out?

Which, I think, makes this not a "simple question".

[Bobur]

A45: I would think that just means that you don't have to touch the surface.
So you could put it onto something like a persons clothing without him noticing as easily as if you had touched him, or a dangerous surface maybe?

Q46
Are there actual rules for losing an armo hand? Or prosthetics?
Do magical items like rings/ bracers/ gloves still work if you lose one arm?

[Khedrac]

A46 There are no general rules for losing limbs save for the regenerate spell, there are reules for various types of grafts which cover many prothesises.
Rings - No rules states that the two rings have to be on different fingers, let alone hands, so the cap of two rings still applies
Bracers / Gloves - Check the item description. Usually these will require two limbs, but some specific gloves are a single glove despite taking the full "gloves" slot.

[St Fan]

Q 47

Does the Slow Fall ability of a Monk or Thief-Acrobat stacks with the result of a tumble check?

For example, can an epic character with slow fall (30 feet) who manages a 45 tumble roll (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/skills.htm#tumble) will reduce the effective distance fallen by 60 feet?

[Yora]

A47: Yes. These are two separate abilities, and they do not provide a named bonus to a roll. So the rules that disallow stacking do not apply.

[St Fan]

Q 48

About Improved Uncanny Dodge: the possibility of another rogue to surpass it with enough levels seems linked to the sneak attack ability itself. So...

A) Does a feat that increase the effective rogue level for sneak attacks, such as Daring Outlaw, would also increase the chance of bypassing Improved Uncanny Dodge?



Daring Outlaw [General]

You combine grace and stealth to deadly effect.

Prerequisite: Sneak attack +2d6, Grace +1

Benefit: Your rogue and swashbuckler levels stack for the purpose of determining your competence bonus on Reflex saves from the grace class feature and the swashbuckler's dodge bonus to AC. For example, a 7th-level rogue/4th-level swashbuckler has grace +2 and gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC, as if she were an 11th-level swashbuckler.

Your rogue and swashbuckler levels also stack for the purpose of determining your sneak attack bonus damage. For example, a 7th-level rogue/4th-level swashbuckler would deal an extra 6d6 points of damage with her sneak attack, as if she were an 11th-level rogue.


B) Does a class or prestige class other than rogue also granting sneak attack damage, can use its levels to bypass Improved Uncanny Dodge? Also, for such classes it is generally specified this stack with the damage granted by levels of rogue, so does the levels in rogue and the other class would stack against Improved Uncanny Dodge?

C) The ranger spell hunter's eye (Player's Handbook II) can grant the sneak attack ability to someone with no rogue level. Would it help in any way against Improved Uncanny Dodge?

[Yora]

A48: The barbarian's and rogue's Improved Uncanny Dodge ability exclusively talks about "rogue levels". It does not mention sneak attack damage dice at alk.

A character with Improved Uncanny Dodge can not be flanked. A rogue, and only a rogue, can ignore this ability and still flank the character if of sufficiently higher level.

This is completely independent of the Sneak Attack ability. Unless another classes Sneak Attack ability specifically says that the levels in that class stack with rogue levels to overcome the Improved Uncanny Dodge ability, it doesn't.

a/b) Daring Outlaw only stacks sneak attack damage. It does not stack Rogue and Duelist levels for the purpose of ignoring Improved Uncanny Dodge.

c) Again, it only grants sneak attack bonus damage. It does not make ranger levels count as rogue levels for overcoming Improved Uncanny Dodge.

[Bobur]

Q#49
Under item creation. If a character wants to make a +2 item it says Cl8 and allows basically to make a +4 or +6 item with that CL as well if I understand it correctly. Example gloves of dexterity.
However the STR item gauntlet of ogre power doesnt do that. This one only allows a +2 item for CL8.
If you want a +4 item you would need a STR belt with +4, which need a +10 CL.

Does that mean All +4 items require CL10? Or do the STR gauntlets miss a line ini the text?

[Yora]

A49: The gauntlets of ogre power and the belt of giant strength are the same enchantment. It's only as a nod to magic items in earlier editions that the +2 item is gauntlets and the +4 and +6 items are a belt.
That's the reason why the gauntlets are only listed with a +2 bonus, even though all the other items that give an ability score bonus allow for a +2, +4, and +6 enchantment.

If you want to make a custom item with an enchantment bonus to an ability score, look at the gloves of dexterity or the cloak of charisma for how the full prerequisites are actually supposed to look.

[Bobur]

Q#50
Crafting items again.
Next to the enhancements or item description, it says CL, I always thought that you have to be this CL to create that item, but recently I read some opposing posts.
Can you create a magical item as long as you have the spell etc, but the CL listed isn't really necessary unless it's stated like in cloak of resistance?

[Yora]

A50: There are two primary rules for the caster level of magic items:

For potions, scrolls, and wands, the creator can set the caster level of an item at any number high enough to cast the stored spell and not higher than her own caster level. For other magic items, the caster level is determined by the creator. The minimum caster level is that which is needed to meet the prerequisites given.

Certain requirements must be met in order for a character to create a magic item. These include feats, spells, and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, and race or kind. The prerequisites for creation of an item are given immediately following the item’s caster level.

It says that the prerequisites are given following the caster level. And the caster level is separated from the prerequisites by a semicolon, while the prerequisites are separated from each other by commas.

Therefore, the listed CL is not part of the prerequisites to create the item.

However, it is important to note that some of the magic items in the DMG/SRD do not conform to the rules given above.

A cloak of resistance +1 can be made at a CL of 3rd, 4th, 5th, or any higher level.
But a cloak of resistance +2 must be made with a CL of at least 6th, because this is a special requirement of cloaks of resistance. The stated CL 5th for all cloaks of resistance is impossible by those rules.
CL 5th is only possible, but not necessary, for a cloak of resistance +1.

While this might be a case of unclear editing, the minor cloak of displacement actually breaks the minimum caster level rules without question. It has the prerequisite to expend a spell slot with the displacement spell, which as a 3rd level spell can not be cast at a caster level lower than 5th. As by the first rule above, the minimum caster level for a minor cloak of displacement is 5th. It can not be made at CL 3rd as stated in its description.

I assume this is an error that was not caught and corrected in the errata for the DMG. I do not believe that the designers meant that this is a special item for which different item creation rules apply.

[ShurikVch]

Q 51

Question: does Powerful Build/Slight Build affect
-who can ride who (usually mount should be bigger than a rider)
-who can Improved Grab who
-who can Swallow Whole who

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 51
"Whenever a goliath is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the goliath is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A goliath can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject's size category."

"When subject of a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (Hide, for example), kobolds are treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous to them. They are also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. Kobolds can make use of weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without a penalty, though the space and reach do not change. These effects stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the kobold's size category."

Improved Grab and riding are not opposed checks, nor are they weapons, nor linked in any meaningful way to squeezing. Thus, Powerful and Slight build do not affect these size limitations.

[Chronos]

Re 51:

Improved Grab and riding are not opposed checks, nor are they weapons, nor linked in any meaningful way to squeezing. Thus, Powerful and Slight build do not affect these size limitations.
You missed this sentence:
"A goliath is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature's special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him."

Thus, for instance, if a creature has the ability to Swallow Whole anything up to medium-sized, then it can't swallow a goliath.

[ShurikVch]

Q 52

Is there any rules for applying to weapon stuff which is not (technically) a poison?

Examples: Aboleth Mucus, Blister Oil, Green Slime, Luhix

I mean:
How long it take to apply to a weapon?
How long would it stay on?
How to avoid to hurt yourself (if applicable)?

[Jopustopin]

Q 53

Basic question but I'm not finding the answer anywhere to point it out to the DM. If I use Divine Fury (Ruby Knight Vindicator) with Mountain Tombstone Strike, does it do 2d6+1d10 con damage or does it do 2d6 con damage and 1d10 hit point damage?

[Yora]

Q54: When you cast chain lightning, do you need to have line of sight to the targets of the secondary bolts?

The spell description itself is silent on how the secondary targets are actually selected.

[Chronos]

A 53: Just like the damage from the weapon's damage die or the damage from your strength modifier, the added damage is ordinary HP damage.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 54 If there is no mention of a special way to choose to choose the targets, then they are chosen the same way as the targets from other multi-target spells, including requiring line of sight and line of effect.

[Yora]

Q55: Does a ghost with the corrupting touch special attack gain an incorporeal touch attack, or do all ghost make incorporeal touch attacks against targets on the material plane when they manifest?

[St Fan]

Q 56

From the Psionic Items section of the SRD:



Use-Activated
This type of psionic item simply has to be used to activate. Use activation is generally straightforward and self-explanatory.

Many use-activated items are objects that a character wears. Some items made for wearing must still be activated. Although this activation sometimes requires a command thought (see above), usually it means mentally willing the activation to happen (a free action). The description of an item states whether a command thought is needed in such a case.

Unless stated otherwise, activating a use-activated psionic item is either a standard action or not an action at all and does not provoke attacks of opportunity, unless the use involves performing an action that provokes attacks of opportunity in itself. If the use of the item takes time before a psionic effect occurs, then use activation is a standard action. If the item’s activation is subsumed in its use and takes no extra time, use activation is not an action at all.


Is it me, or these rules are contradicting themselves? Is activating such a psionic item a free action, a standard action, or no action?

And can a psionic character creating such an item choose the activation mode?

[Debatra]

A 56

This description can be a little confusing on its own, yes. It goes over what "use-activated" means, but also compares to other activation methods, like command word/thought, without making that clear.

What action type it is depends on the item itself. Swinging a sword or drinking a potion is generally a standard action, simply wearing an item is not an action, etc.

To answer the second part of your question, yes the crafter can. But different activation methods come with different costs to create/buy the item. The SRD doesn't care to reprint all the same information, so merely mentions (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/creatingPsionicItems.htm) that the costs are the same as the costs to create magic items (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm).

[Troacctid]

Q 56

From the Psionic Items section of the SRD:



Is it me, or these rules are contradicting themselves? Is activating such a psionic item a free action, a standard action, or no action?
In the core rules, "use-activated" also encompasses items that are continuously active and require no activation. Magic Item Compendium split off a separate category for continuous items to avoid confusion.

For items that are not continuously active, simply refer to the item's description, which should list an activation time. If none is listed, the default is a standard action, unless you're producing the effect of a spell or power, in which case the default is that spell or power's normal casting/manifesting time.


And can a psionic character creating such an item choose the activation mode?
No. A psionic item always uses the activation time noted in its description. If there isn't one, then it uses the default activation time.

Activating a psionic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. The manifesting time of a power is the time required to activate the same power in an item, whether it’s a power stone, a dorje, or a psionic tattoo, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.

[Yora]

Q57: If a character gets hit twice by a specter and gets four negative levels, does he have to roll four saving throws once 24 hours have passed and if successful, all four negative levels go away at once?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q57: If a character gets hit twice by a specter and gets four negative levels, does he have to roll four saving throws once 24 hours have passed and if successful, all four negative levels go away at once?

A 57

Yes, you must make four Fortitude saves.

No, one Fortitude save does not make all negative levels go away at once.

According to the SRD (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels) , "[a] separate saving throw is required for each negative level."

Thus, 24 hours after four negative levels have been inflicted upon you, you must make four Fortitude saves, each one of which succeeds or fails on its own. You don't wipe away all four negative levels after only one Fortitude save succeeds. You must make one Fortitude save to wipe away one negative level, two Fortitude saves to wipe away two negative levels, and so on. Every time a Fortitude save fails, one negative level becomes one level of permanent energy drain.

[Chronos]

Re: 57
I think the question was about the timing. One effect of negative levels is a penalty on saves. Do you have to make all four saves with the -4 penalty, or do you make one at -4, and then (if that one succeeded) the next at -3 and so on?

[Duke of Urrel]

Re: 57
I think the question was about the timing. One effect of negative levels is a penalty on saves. Do you have to make all four saves with the -4 penalty, or do you make one at -4, and then (if that one succeeded) the next at -3 and so on?


Re: A 57

Ask your dungeon master.

I don't think the Rules as Written give us a conclusive answer. In my understanding, the rule that "[a] separate saving throw is required for each negative level" implies only that we must accept a mixed result if some Fortitude saves succeed and others fail.

However, this rule does not necessarily imply that trying to shake off two more more negative levels is a process that may suddenly get easier after a Fortitude save succeeds (because this eliminates a save penalty) – or may suddenly get harder after a Fortitude save fails (because this results in level drain).

In my personal opinion, it is simpler to assume that all Fortitude saves represent one instantaneous event, in which you may succeed fully, fail fully, or partially succeed and partially fail. Thus, all Fortitude saves should keep the cumulative penalty for all negative levels that have been inflicted upon you, but none should be made at a lower character level as the result of level drain.

However, I am not your dungeon master, so ... ask your dungeon master.

[Yora]

Re: 57
I think the question was about the timing. One effect of negative levels is a penalty on saves. Do you have to make all four saves with the -4 penalty, or do you make one at -4, and then (if that one succeeded) the next at -3 and so on?

I had not even thought about that. Clearly not a simple question.

[St Fan]

Q 58

A Changeling Wizard can give her familiar the Morphic Familiar power with a substitution level. This allows the familiar to change shape into another animal commonly used as familiar with a full-round action.

What if a winged familiar tries this transformation while airborne?

A) If, let's say, a raven familiar (average maneuverability) turns into a bat familiar (good maneuverability) in a single round? As a raven, it must keep a minimum forward speed (of half its speed) to stay aloft, but a bat doesn't need that and can hover. Since the form at the end of the round is a bat, does that dispense the familiar from a move action to avoid plummeting?

B) If a raven familiar tries turning into a hawk (average maneuverability too, so also a minimum forward speed), my guess is that it isn't possible in a single round without falling to the ground. However, a full-round action can be split into two standard actions (the "start full-round action" and "complete full-round action"), so the raven can take a move action, begin the transformation, complete it the next round, and the hawk then take a move action to stay aloft. Did I get that right?

[Condé]

Q59

Can you take both corrupt and sanctified spells on a neutral wizard?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 58 Everything is checked at the end of the round. At the end of the round, does your familiar have a minimum speed? Did it move less than half its current speed during its round? If yes to both, then it starts falling. If no to one of them, then no problem. The two half full-round actions seems correct to me.

A 59 There is no actual restriction on casting corrupt spells, and only Evil characters are explicitly incapable of casting sanctified spells. A good wizard can cast corrupt spells, and a neutral wizard can cast sanctified spells (of course, a good cleric cannot cast evil spells still).
Do note that the lack of corrupt spell restriction is probably an oversight, and that the flavor of sanctified spells ("characters who devote themselves wholly to good") may be reason enough to forbid casting both with the same character.

[St Fan]

Do note that the lack of corrupt spell restriction is probably an oversight, and that the flavor of sanctified spells ("characters who devote themselves wholly to good") may be reason enough to forbid casting both with the same character.

I've seen it not so much considered an oversight than a feature: evil corrupts, and as such allowing good character to still cast those spells is part of the whole "temptation of evil" thematic. Good characters who use too many corrupt spells would see their alignment slip toward evil; that's the whole point.

[lehp]

Q60:

Can a caster choose to intentionally fail a dispel check with dispel magic? To avoid, for example, dispelling a buff from an ally while trying to dispel a harmful effect. Assume the buff was cast by someone other than the caster attempting to dispel. If this is correct, disregard the rest.

In case the "dispeller" in question is also the one who cast the spell to be dispelled, dispel magic states:

For Targeted Dispel:
You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any spell that you cast yourself.

For Area Dispel:
You may choose to automatically succeed on dispel checks against any spell that you have cast.

Does this mean that:


A. If you cast a Targeted dispel, you always dispel your own spells with no option to avoid it. If you cast Area dispel, you may choose to either guaranteed dispel or make a caster level check.
B. If you cast a Targeted or Area dispel, you may choose whether or not to dispel your own spells.
C. If you cast a Targeted dispel, you always dispel your own spells with no option to avoid it. If you cast Area dispel, you may choose whether or not to dispel.

[ShurikVch]

Q 61

So, let's say we cast on some object:
1. Animate Objects
2. Greater Humanoid Essence
3. Nar Fiendbond (please, don't argue there about the "1 hour" casting time vs "1 round/level" duration of previous spells - I'm pretty sure it can be resolved in some RAW-legal ways)
So, we got a Half-Fiendish Animated Object
But we don't used Permanency - thus, at some point, Animate Objects would run out of duration
In that case - what would happen with this Half-Fiendish formerly-Animated object? What would it keep from its "Animated" period?

[Chronos]

A 60:

Absent a houserule, nothing gives you the ability to choose to fail on a dispel check. Your interpretation A is correct.

A 61:

Spells only check that their target is valid at time of casting. In your situation, you would have an object with the Half-Fiend template. This would mostly be made irrelevant by the object's lack of actions, but some objects, for instance, have some ability scores, which would continue to be modified by the template, and objects can have alignments, so it would continue to be evil. Cosmetic changes would also remain. And if another effect animated it again, it would be a half-fiend animated object again.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 61 discussion : First, casting Nar Fiendbond wouldn't work since it requires Int 4 and animated objects are mindless, but barring that, I'd argue that reanimating the object would not keep the half-fiend template. Animate Object creates a whole new statblock based on the object's size instead of modifying anything. I'd say it's similar to polymorphing a creature with the half-dragon template: when the physical stats are set to a specific value, the template does not apply afterwards.

[Vaern]

Do note that the lack of corrupt spell restriction is probably an oversight, and that the flavor of sanctified spells ("characters who devote themselves wholly to good") may be reason enough to forbid casting both with the same character.

Since sanctified magic is described as being an option for characters willing to utterly devote themselves to good, it might also be reason enough to forbid casting as a neutral character even without the added context of also attempting to cast corrupt spells.

The lack of restriction on corrupt spells may also simply be appropriate flavor for evil. Celestials and good deities generally only offer greater power to good people who want to do good. On the other side of the coin, devils don't limit themselves to making pacts with only evil people - the souls of neutral and good characters who have been corrupted and turned to the dark side are more valuable, and offering them evil power and feeding them dreams that they can use it to do good is a classic way to go about it. Corrupt spells being an option to all, always looming within reach and tempting with a taste of dark magic if you were to simply choose to reach out and take it, is perfectly in line with a general fiendish desire to corrupt otherwise innocent creatures.

[edit] Whoops, didn't realize I wasn't on the last page of the thread xD

[Cygnia]

Q62 Is there a Natural Spell equivalent feat for using invocations if one was a lycanthrope in animal form (and happened to be a warlock or DFA)?

[Condé]

Q63

Are Taint rules from Dragon Magazine #302 ever explained?

Page 32 they talk about the Tainted Class but... That's it. They talk about Fiend Points but it seems there is not much presented here, no clear rules of what happen if you reach a certain threshold except... "...alignment changes to the alignment of the fiend inhabiting his soul".

Taint rules from UA do not seem to be related, neither OA and even less HoH. And it is very hard to find anything about this PrC since... It's from Dragon Mag.

[St Fan]

Q 64
The Bonding Rituals rule from Dungeon Master's Guide II allows the creation of magic items through a ritual. The powers of such items only work for the one who performed the ritual, however, and said powers fade away if the character perform another ritual with a different item.

A) What does an identify spell tell you about such an item? Does the caster know all the powers of the item, but also that they won't work for anybody other than the creator? And is said creator identified in any way by the spell? Or is the specific ritual named?

B) What would be the market price of such an item? Are they worth anything to people beyond its creator?

C) In particular, what would be value used for the item when sacrificed through the Ancestral Relic feat? Can someone who is not the creator benefit of the item's full value through the ceremony to empower her ancestral relic? And can the creator of a bonded item sacrifice it for an ancestral relic (a different item, of course) before performing a new ritual with another item, which would technically render the previous sacrifice worthless (retroactively...)?

[ciopo]

Q65

Does a player character (lesser or not) chaond/zenythri have resistance 5 to acid/cold/sonic ?

[ShurikVch]

A 62

There is no need: technically, Invocations are Spell-Like Abilities - thus, don't have any Verbal components
Truenamer may have this problem with their Utterances - but Warlock and DFA are free of this restriction
(Although, it may be slightly questionable for Baleful Utterance and Word of Change - because their fluff includes "saying a word" - but it's just fluff...)


A 63

Well, firstly, forced alignment change already can wreck your RP (let alone - invalidate some prerequisites, and cause possible unfavorable reactions from other characters)
Also, note the Dream Haunting, Hallucinations, and Craving class features: all of them are include Fiend Points checks, and failure means character is Shaken for arbitrary time, Confused for 1d4 rounds, or must kill/destroy number of creatures with HD = Tainted class level


A 65

Yes. Why not?


Q 66

If Daggerspell Mage of 2+ level craft - say, Flaming weapon: would half of those 1d6 fire damage be slashing damage (i. e. by the Invocation of the Knife class feature)?

[Chronos]

Re 62:
Invocations are spell-like abilities, but unlike most spell-like abilities, they [i]do/i] have somatic components. So your form would have to include something suitably hand-like to perform the somatic components. I don't think the rules ever explicitly say whether paws or the like are close enough.

[ShurikVch]

Re 62:
Invocations are spell-like abilities, but unlike most spell-like abilities, they [i]do/i] have somatic components. So your form would have to include something suitably hand-like to perform the somatic components. I don't think the rules ever explicitly say whether paws or the like are close enough.
Surrogate Spellcasting (Savage Species)?

[Condé]

Q67

You have a darklantern from tome of Magic or some darklight from Secrets of Sarlona.
You have a Ring of Darkhidden equipped.

You now are invisible to Darkvision. But most Monster/character have normal or even low light vision. So you have concealment but you are not invisible to anyone.

Am I missing something here?

[Troacctid]

Q 66

If Daggerspell Mage of 2+ level craft - say, Flaming weapon: would half of those 1d6 fire damage be slashing damage (i. e. by the Invocation of the Knife class feature)?
No.


Q67

You have a darklantern from tome of Magic or some darklight from Secrets of Sarlona.
You have a Ring of Darkhidden equipped.

You now are invisible to Darkvision. But most Monster/character have normal or even low light vision. So you have concealment but you are not invisible to anyone.

Am I missing something here?
You are correct.

[St Fan]

Q 68
A) When you take a move action, you can decide of your movement square by square, right? It's not pre-determined at its start... (Well, with the exception of a charge which require line of sight to the target at the start of the turn.)

B) For example, if a character has very limited sight range (because she's using darkvision or blindsight, for example) and start moving toward several enemies she can hear, but can't see yet, as soon as they're visible she can swerve toward the opponent of her choice, right?

C) In the above case, can the character even decide at that moment between...
- using Spring Attack on an opponent close enough (despite not knowing whether it was possible yet at the start of the move)
- or moving up to her full speed before taking a standard action?

[Khedrac]

A 68 A) Correct
B)[B] Also correct
C) Yes to both.

[ciopo]

Q69

the srd on alternate form says : "Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped."

Where is that part from? on the glossary definition of alternate form in the monster manual I, that part about what happens to gear is missing, I'd like to know the actual paper source, book and page number would be much appreciated, thank you!

[Duke of Urrel]

Q69

the srd on alternate form says : "Any gear worn or carried by the creature that can’t be worn or carried in its new form instead falls to the ground in its space. If the creature changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match the new size. (Nonhumanoid-shaped creatures can’t wear armor designed for humanoid-shaped creatures, and vice versa.) Gear returns to normal size if dropped."

Where is that part from? on the glossary definition of alternate form in the monster manual I, that part about what happens to gear is missing, I'd like to know the actual paper source, book and page number would be much appreciated, thank you!

A 69

The full text, exactly as you have quoted it, appears on page 305 of 2012 edition of the Monster Manual v. 3.5.

[Tohron]

Q70
I've heard people mention that items that give enhancement bonuses to ability scores can't go above +6 pre-epic, but I haven't been able to find anything stating this in the SRD (only the CL/3 restriction for enhancement bonuses to weapons and armor). Where is the restriction from, and what is the text?

And on a related note:
Q71
Is there a restriction on how large (competence) skill bonuses from items can be? If so, where is this stated?

Thanks!

[Duke of Urrel]

Q70
I've heard people mention that items that give enhancement bonuses to ability scores can't go above +6 pre-epic, but I haven't been able to find anything stating this in the SRD (only the CL/3 restriction for enhancement bonuses to weapons and armor). Where is the restriction from, and what is the text?

And on a related note:
Q71
Is there a restriction on how large (competence) skill bonuses from items can be? If so, where is this stated?

Thanks!

A 70

According to the basic rules for epic magic items (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/basics.htm), any magic item that grants an enhancement bonus higher than +6 to an ability score is, generally speaking, an epic magic item.

(Possibly an artifact could also grant an enhancement bonus higher than +6 to an ability score, because I know of nothing that prevents an artifact from being as powerful as an epic magic item.)



A 71

As far as I know, no general rule exists that places an upper limit on the competence bonus that a magic item may bestow.

However, the description of NPC hireling specialists on page 155 of the DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE II does imply that +5 is the highest magically bestowed competence bonus that is commonly available. A specialist is understood to be an NPC who maximizes and magically enhances one skill as much as possible, but the highest magically bestowed competence bonus that any specialist acquires, according to the DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE II, is +5.

[St Fan]

Q 72
I have little doubt about this one, but just to make sure...

The Racial Paragon Classes (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm) from Unearthed Arcana are NOT prestige classes, right?

Sure, they do use some of the mechanics of prestige classes (like, no XP penalty for multiclassed characters, or the +1 level in a spellcasting class), but at no point they are described as prestige classes... (and can be taken at first level, unlike prestige classes).

So, a Gestalt character (limited to one prestige class and one base class at each level) can take a level in a racial paragon class at the same time as a level in a prestige class... am I correct?

[H_H_F_F]

Q 72
I have little doubt about this one, but just to make sure...

The Racial Paragon Classes (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm) from Unearthed Arcana are NOT prestige classes, right?

Sure, they do use some of the mechanics of prestige classes (like, no XP penalty for multiclassed characters, or the +1 level in a spellcasting class), but at no point they are described as prestige classes... (and can be taken at first level, unlike prestige classes).

So, a Gestalt character (limited to one prestige class and one base class at each level) can take a level in a racial paragon class at the same time as a level in a prestige class... am I correct?

A 72

They aren't prestige classes.

It should be noted that they aren't base classes, either, but I don't think the language for gestalt actually mentions base classes.

[Vaern]

(Possibly an artifact could also grant an enhancement bonus higher than +6 to an ability score, because I know of nothing that prevents an artifact from being as powerful as an epic magic item.)

As far as I know there aren't really any rules restricting what an artifact can and can't do. I The Saint's Mace on the SRD looks like it has an effective enhancement bonus of +11 (+5 base with another +6 in special abilities) , which puts it into the epic category. They do come with the caveat of being obtainable only via DM fiat, though.

[Chronos]

Re 71:

Plenty of magic items in the DMG (such as rings of jumping, climbing, or swimming) give a +5 competence bonus to a skill for the basic item, and a +10 competence bonus for a greater version. This is certainly evidence that a +10 competence bonus is at least possible pre-epic.

Many, but not all, such items also have as a prerequisite that the creator have that many ranks in the skill. This would suggest a pre-epic limit of +23.

All that said, it seems to me that I have somewhere seen an item that granted +20 or even +30 to a skill, without requiring 20 or 30 ranks to craft it, but I can't remember what it was.

There are also ordinary (non-epic) spells which give larger competence bonuses to a skill or enhancement bonus to an ability score, and items could of course be crafted which cast those spells.

[Jon_Dahl]

Q 73

Give me the CR of a satyr who is an 11th-level barbarian, please.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 73 the CR of a creature with class levels depends on whether you consider the class to be associated (building on the monster's strengths) or non-associated (ill-adapted to the monster). There is no RAW definition of class association (it's not the same as favored classes) but since Fey creatures have bad BAB and HD‚ a melee class like Barbarian is pretty sure to be considered non-associated. Thus‚ the 5 first levels (as many as a satyr's original number of RHD) only count for half a CR and the rest count for a full point of CR per level.
Thus the CR of a pipeless satyr barbarian 11 is 2 (original satyr CR)+2 (Half of the 5 first barbarian levels)+6 (the 6 remaining barbarian levels)= CR10.
If the satyr had its pipes‚ then the official CR would be 12. If for some reason you consider barbarian to be an associated class‚ then the CR would be 13 (counting fully each barbarian level) or 15 with pipes.

The CR system was designed with only the slightest of care for monsters with class levels. The result may be a bit wonky. CR 10 seems like a decent approximation here‚ though.

[Jon_Dahl]

Q 74

If a hill giant dire wereboar bites a humanoid, is the humanoid in subject to contract dire wereboar lycantrope that gives you +16 STR or wereboar lycantrope that gives you +4 STR?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 74 Boar and dire boar are functionally two wholly different animals. Being bitten by a dire wereboar means you can become a dire wereboar, not a regular wereboar, the same way being bitten by a were-brown bear will not make you a were-black bear.

[St Fan]

Q 75

The embrace the dark chaos spell includes the text: "Once the subject has the Abyssal heritor feat, only a miracle, shun the dark chaos, or wish spell can reverse the change."

Likewise, shun the dark chaos mentions: "The subject can regain its original Abyssal heritor feat (and lose the replacement feat) by means of embrace the dark chaos, miracle, or wish."

I've always interpreted this as meaning that such a feat can no longer be retrained by the standard rules (nor be the subject of a psychic reformation) and you'd need another "dark chaos shuffle" to ever change it. Is that RAW?

[Condé]

Q 76

Coming from this thread I cannot post from because Necro rules: Ability Damage 2.0 (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?655915-Ability-Damage-Resource-2-0)

If spells / source of added damage can apply to Poison damage (via a touch or something that specifically deal Poison damage only and not as an added effect to an attack, like coated on a sword or something like that...)

Could Divine Sacrifice's bonus damage apply to a poison touch attack?


(Spell Compendium, p. 70)

Evocation
Level: Blackguard 1, Paladin 1,
Components: V, S,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Giving up some of your life force to win the battle, you empower your next blow against your foe.

Your first attack each round for the duration of the spell deals an extra 5d6 points of damage if it hits, and you take 10 points of damage each time you make such an attack, whether or not the attack is successful.

[Bobur]

A#76
Since it states "attack" and the requirement to hit I say a touch or ranged attack works. The additional dmg doesnt count as poison though. Nor would a ray of enfeeblement increase its debuff.
An ongoing poison effect doesn't suffice. An attack is needed. It doesn't even have to deal dmg (in case of dmg reduction etc)

Q #77
About the spell "Rope trick":
It says:
Note: It is hazardous to create an extradimensional space within an existing extradimensional space or to take an extradimensional space into an existing one.

What does that mean for things like a bag of holding etc that create their own space?

[Chronos]

A 77:

There is nowhere in the 3rd edition rules that expands on that note in Rope Trick. In 2nd edition, the rules gave explicit consequences for any nesting of one extradimensional space inside of another one. In 3rd edition, that consequence is explicitly spelled out for the specific case of a Bag of Holding inside of a Portable Hole, or vice-versa, but not for any other such spaces. Apparently, the 3rd edition writers forgot they made that change when they were writing the text of Rope Trick.

[YellowJohn]

Q78
I want to cast the spell 'Node Genesis' from a scroll, without having the Node Spellcasting feat.
Is it possible to do this with UMD checks, and what DC am I looking for?

If it helps, there is a prestige class 'Deep Diviner' in Underdark that gets Node Spellcasting as a bonus feat at first level. You can take your first level at ECL6 without shenanigans.

[Troacctid]

Q78
I want to cast the spell 'Node Genesis' from a scroll, without having the Node Spellcasting feat.
Is it possible to do this with UMD checks, and what DC am I looking for?

If it helps, there is a prestige class 'Deep Diviner' in Underdark that gets Node Spellcasting as a bonus feat at first level. You can take your first level at ECL6 without shenanigans.
No. Emulating feats is not a function of the Use Magic Device skill.

[Arkhios]

Q79

Is Psionic Fist [feat]'s extra damage subject to be multiplied by a Critical Hit?

[St Fan]

Q79

Is Psionic Fist [feat]'s extra damage subject to be multiplied by a Critical Hit?

A 79
No. The general rule is that the weapon's basic dice damage as well as any fixed damage bonuses are multiplied by a critical hit.

Any additional DICE of damage (such as from sneak attack) are not. Psionic Fist adds 2d6 to the damage, so it falls under this rule.

[Shinoskay]

Q80


Meta magic, sword of the arcane order/mystic ranger and meta magic on ranger spell slots.

So, somewhere in there you can prepare wizard spells in ranger spell slots.
Does this mean you can add whatever meta magic you know to them?

Q80.5

By extension, can you add meta magic to ranger spells?

Q81
If you use the shadowcraft mage, sanctum, and earth spell, luck arcane disciple trick to cast miracle... can you meta magic the spells produced by miracle?

[Arkhios]

Q80.5

By extension, can you add meta magic to ranger spells?

A80.5 Yes.

[Chronos]

A80 elaborated: Even without Sword of the Arcane Order or the like, you can always use metamagic on ranger spells, provided that you have the metamagic feat and the spell slots needed. Metamagic isn't specific to any one class; it works for anyone casting spells.

[noce]

Q82

How does Anarchic Initiate using Chaotic Surge interact with Empower Power?
Let's say I manifest an empowered Energy Ray and Chaotic Surge rolls half damage. Will it do +50% (from empower) -50% (from surge) resulting in normal damage or will it be * 1.5 * 0.5 resulting in 75% damage?
Same for a roll of 51-75 on the Chaotic Surge chart: will it do double damage (+50% +50% = +100%) or will it be 225% damage (* 1.5 * 1.5)?

[Shinoskay]

Q81
If you use the shadowcraft mage, sanctum, and earth spell, luck arcane disciple trick to cast miracle... can you meta magic the spells produced by miracle?
this was never answered so bumping it back in.

[St Fan]

Q 83

A deafened character has a 20% of spell failure for spells with a verbal component.

Is this percentage added to an arcane spell failure chance from wearing armor for spells with a somatic component? Or are they rolled separately?

[noce]

Q 83

A deafened character has a 20% of spell failure for spells with a verbal component.

Is this percentage added to an arcane spell failure chance from wearing armor for spells with a somatic component? Or are they rolled separately?

I'd roll them separately, because that's how probability works if you have a chance of failing verbal components and a separate chance of failing somatic components, but I don't know if this particular scenario is addressed by the rules.

[St Fan]

Q84
The basic rules for creating magic items demand that you have prepared (or know and can cast, for a spontaneous caster) any necessary spell for each day of creation, although the spells can come from other sources such as a magic item or another spellcaster.

A) What about spell-like abilities, however? Can they be used instead of spells for magic item creation?

B) If A) is true, SLA notably doesn’t have an intrinsic “arcane” or “divine” descriptor; so when scribing a scroll, what would it default to? Does it depend of the spell, or if the creator is an arcane/divine spellcaster?

C) Using SLA doesn’t require any component or XP cost. If they can be used for magic item creation, would that reduce the cost of crafting an item with a spell that normally requires a costly material component or an XP cost?

Q85
A character with the Planar Touchstone feat goes to the Fortress of Disciplined Enlightenment on the plane of Mechanus, and fulfill the recharge condition for the Catalogues of Enlightenment:



Higher-Order Ability: Once per day, you may cast a spell from the cleric domain you have chosen, as though you had prepared the spell normally. You must be of sufficient character level to cast the spell and have a Wisdom equal to 10 + the spell’s level.
Higher-Order Uses: 3.


If she later use one of the spells granted by the High-Order Ability to scribe a scroll, would this be a divine scroll? (On account of those being domain spells...) Even if the character is a Wizard?

[Troacctid]

Q84
The basic rules for creating magic items demand that you have prepared (or know and can cast, for a spontaneous caster) any necessary spell for each day of creation, although the spells can come from other sources such as a magic item or another spellcaster.

A) What about spell-like abilities, however? Can they be used instead of spells for magic item creation?

B) If A) is true, SLA notably doesn’t have an intrinsic “arcane” or “divine” descriptor; so when scribing a scroll, what would it default to? Does it depend of the spell, or if the creator is an arcane/divine spellcaster?

C) Using SLA doesn’t require any component or XP cost. If they can be used for magic item creation, would that reduce the cost of crafting an item with a spell that normally requires a costly material component or an XP cost?

Q85
A character with the Planar Touchstone feat goes to the Fortress of Disciplined Enlightenment on the plane of Mechanus, and fulfill the recharge condition for the Catalogues of Enlightenment:



If she later use one of the spells granted by the High-Order Ability to scribe a scroll, would this be a divine scroll? (On account of those being domain spells...) Even if the character is a Wizard?
84A.) Yes.
84B.) It depends on your class.
84C.) No.
85.) See 84B.

[Pezzo]

Q 86
Divine crusaders cast spells from their chosen domain.

Effectively, a divine crusader has a class spell list of only nine spells
Can a chameleon choose this "effective" class spell list to prepare his spells?

[zergling.exe]

A 84b
If the spell the SLA mimics is on the Sorc/Wiz list it is arcane, if it is not there look on the Cleric list and it is divine. If on neither of those lists check each class in order to see which list it comes from and use that class' type


Some spell-like abilities duplicate spells that work differently when cast by characters of different classes. A monster’s spell-like abilities are presumed to be the sorcerer/wizard versions. If the spell in question is not a sorcerer/wizard spell, then default to cleric, druid, bard, paladin, and ranger, in that order.
https://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm

[Troacctid]

Q 86
Divine crusaders cast spells from their chosen domain.

Can a chameleon choose this "effective" class spell list to prepare his spells?
This is an ambiguous wording, so it falls to DM adjudication.

[Jowgen]

Q 87a

Healing Devotion states "If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you gain one additional daily use of this feat for each daily turn or rebuke use you expend.". It also mentions "a daily available" for it's auto trigger clause.

Is there anything to prevent a character from expending turn attempts to bank a number of "dailys" for later use, and assuming that not, do these actually expire by the next day?

Q 87b

Healing Devotion states "As a full-round action, you can transfer this ability to a willing recipient as a touch spell.". What is the extent of what actually is transferred?

Does the recipient immediately gain fast healing for a minute, or do they get a "daily" of being able to gain fast healing as an immediate action action incl. auto-activation upon 0 HP, and what about the actual ability to transfer the "daily" onwards to another participant or the ability to gain more "dailys" by expending turns/rebukes?

[Chronos]

A 87a:

The domain feats (such as Healing Devotion) are often misunderstood, due to poor wording in the feats themselves, but the overall description of the feats on page 52 of Complete Champion clarifies. You don't spend Turn Undead uses at the time you use the feat. Rather,
If you have the ability to turn or rebuke undead, you can gain extra daily uses of a domain feat's benefit by permanently sacrificing daily uses of that ability.
So if, when you take the feat, you sacrifice two uses of Turn Undead, then you can use Healing Devotion three times per day, every day.

[Jowgen]

A 87a Contention

I was under the impression the official Complete Champion errata actually specifically does away with the "permanent sacrifice" wording?


Page 51 – Domain Feats
[Substitution]
Replace “permanently sacrificing” with “expending” in the last line of the third paragraph.

[Chronos]

Re 87a:
Ah, OK, I wasn't aware of that erratum.

[TheHalfAasimar]

Q88: If you lose experience points (like from a Wish spell or crafting a magic item) do you lose levels?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A88 You cannot pay enough experience point to lose a level. If you don't have 5000XP to spare, you can't cast Wish.

[TheHalfAasimar]

A88 You cannot pay enough experience point to lose a level. If you don't have 5000XP to spare, you can't cast Wish.

Q88.5 Okay, so if you are at level 5, and you craft a magic item that would bring you down to not enough XP to be at level 5, do you lose a level and go back to level 4? Or do you stay at level 5?

[loky1109]

Q88.5 Okay, so if you are at level 5, and you craft a magic item that would bring you down to not enough XP to be at level 5, do you lose a level and go back to level 4? Or do you stay at level 5?

You CAN'T craft a magic item that would bring you down to not enough XP to be at level 5.

[TheHalfAasimar]

You CAN'T craft a magic item that would bring you down to not enough XP to be at level 5.

Oh, I see. Sorry.

[Vaern]

Q81
If you use the shadowcraft mage, sanctum, and earth spell, luck arcane disciple trick to cast miracle... can you meta magic the spells produced by miracle?

How, exactly, is this combination meant to work?

[Jay R]

Q89
Is there a way to increase the number of ranks in a skill beyond the character’s level + 3? I’m not asking about additional bonuses or plusses. Is there a class, feat, or other tool that allows you to buy a higher number of actual ranks?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 89 Beyond increasing your number of HD, and in 1st party 3.5 D&D, the most accessible (and generally, the only) way is the Primary Contact feat from Cityscape, giving you a single rank beyond your maximum.

Additionally, the Codex Anathema (LoM p 214) grants 5 ranks Knowledge (dungeoneering) and 2 ranks each of Knowledge (arcana) and (the planes). Yenejg Togan's Planar Syllabus (Dungeon 88 p 104) grants 6 ranks in Knowledge (the planes). The items don't say you can exceed your maximum, but don't say they cant, DM call.
Finally, the Illithid Savant PrC allows you to gain ranks beyond your maximum, but requires you to be an illithid.

In sanctioned 3rd party, there is at least Laborious Training from Ravenloft: Legacy of the Blood - Your maximum rank in any Intelligence-based skill equals 5 + your character level. Must have Int 13, Knowledge (any one) 5 ranks.

[St Fan]

A88 complement
As pointed out, voluntary XP sacrifices for casting spells or creating magical items cannot bring you below the minimum XP score for your level. You need to have enough XP free to sacrifice before starting either or the activity fails.

The only way (that I know) of losing XP that can reduce your current level is the XP reduction following the loss of a familiar, item familiar (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) or psicrystal; those can drop you a level if you're reduced below the current minimum.

A89 complement
In addition the aforementioned methods, there are also the Bloodlines (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/bloodlines.htm) rules from Unearthed Arcana. Each bloodline level (up to 3 with a major bloodline) raise all of your maximum skill ranks by 1 without changing your character level.

[St Fan]

Q 90

A character gets near an lying-down enemy that he believes is helpless to perform a coup de grâce.

The enemy, however, is playing possum and not helpless. Since a coup de grâce is a full-round action provoking attacks of opportunity, the lying foe takes advantage of this to strike the character.

Since the character cannot perform the coup de grâce action on a non-helpless foe, does that mean his actions are wasted this turn? Or can he still make a normal attack?

[Chronos]

A 90:

It'd be a normal attack.

[pumpkaaboo]

Q91: For the initiator classes from ToB, you're allowed to replace a maneuver you know with a new one at every even-numbered level after and including 4th. However, to my knowledge none of the prestige classes that grant maneuvers have this language. Does this mean that you cannot replace maneuvers gained from prestige classes or replace maneuvers while taking prestige class levels?

[St Fan]

Q91: For the initiator classes from ToB, you're allowed to replace a maneuver you know with a new one at every even-numbered level after and including 4th. However, to my knowledge none of the prestige classes that grant maneuvers have this language. Does this mean that you cannot replace maneuvers gained from prestige classes or replace maneuvers while taking prestige class levels?

A 91:
Yes, you cannot. Replacing maneuvers is a feature of the standard initiator classes, not of the prestige classes. It is common for prestige classes to not provide the full advantages of the classes they emulate. (The same thing happens with the "exchange known spells" feature of sorcerers when they take prestige classes increasing arcane casting.)

Please note, though, that the GM may still allow for the standard Retraining rules from Player's Handbook II to apply to maneuvers, although it'll probably be more limited than the normal class ability.

[St Fan]

Q 92:



Slapping Hand (Evocation [Force])

Level: Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2,
Components: V, S, AF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One Tiny hand
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You complete the spell and blow into the leather glove. Immediately a blue-white, translucent hand appears next to the enemy and smacks it across the side of the head—not enough to hurt it, but hard enough to give others nearby a chance to attack.

This spell distracts the subject, causing it to immediately provoke attacks of opportunity from creatures threatening its space. The spell allows no saving throw, but a slapped creature can negate the effect with a DC 20 Concentration check.

Focus: A leather glove.

If this spell is timed to strike a spellcaster while trying to cast a spell (with a ready action), must the target makes two separate Concentration checks with different DC (one to avoid attack of opportunities, one to not flub the spell)? Or would the second check (to not flub the spell) only be required if the first is failed?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 92: If this spell is timed to strike a spellcaster while trying to cast a spell (with a ready action), must the target make two separate Concentration checks with different DC (one to avoid attack of opportunities, one to not flub the spell)? Or would the second check (to not flub the spell) only be required if the first is failed?

A 92

The targeted spellcaster must always make at least two Concentration checks, but the first Concentration check determines how hard the second Concentration check (or checks) will be.

When you ready the act of casting the Slapping Hand spell to interrupt an enemy's spellcasting action, we must (following the rules of readying) first resolve the interrupting action (the Slapping Hand spell) and then resolve the interrupted action (the enemy's spellcasting action).

Thus, the enemy spellcaster must first make a Concentration check at DC 20 to shake off the effect of the Slapping Hand spell. If this Concentration check fails, the spellcaster unavoidably provokes attacks of opportunity, because this is what the Slapping Hand spell causes to happen. Despite being attacked, the spellcaster can still try to cast their spell, but they can succeed only if (1) all attacks of opportunity miss or (2) the spellcaster, after each successful attack of opportunity, both survives the attack and makes a Concentration check whose DC is 10 plus the spell's level plus every Hit Point of damage taken.

If the enemy spellcaster's Concentration check at DC 20 succeeds, they shake off the effect of the Slapping Hand spell. Of course, casting a spell still provokes attacks of opportunity by default. However, the enemy spellcaster, having shaken off the Slapping Hand spell, can avoid attacks of opportunity in the usual way, namely by casting defensively (that is, making a Concentration check at DC 10 plus the spell's level). This is a much easier Concentration check to make, especially if the enemy spellcaster has the Combat Casting feat.*

_______________
*As I understand the rules, the Combat Casting feat adds a +4 bonus to only one of these Concentration checks: the one that the enemy spellcaster makes to cast their spell defensively. Neither the Concentration check to shake off the effect of the Slapping Hand spell nor the Concentration check to cast a spell despite being injured can add this +4 bonus. Thus, readying the Slapping Hand spell against an enemy spellcaster, if it succeeds, prevents the enemy spellcaster from using the Combat Casting feat.

[Chronos]

A 92 addendum:

And if there happen to be no enemies of the target near the target at the time of the Slapping Hand spell, then the target is never at risk of losing their own spell, since the Slapping Hand spell itself does not deal damage, nor do anything else that would interfere with spellcasting.

[Shinoskay]

Q81.e

How, exactly, is this combination meant to work?


I'll preface by saying please do not argue raw vs rai of luck arcane disciple. or any nuance there in of that specific part. I've seen the arguments, its an issue of semantics, really, that is best discussed in its own thread and not here.

shadowcraft mage, sanctum, and earth spell, luck arcane disciple trick to cast miracle

the combination is that shadow craft make can use specific types of spells to copy any evocation spells of 1 level lower then the spell used.
sanctum raises spell level by 1. Earth spell again raises that by 1.
I cant remember which one it is, but one of this caps at 9th level, so the idea is you enhance a spell to 8, then either sanctum or earth spell raises it to 9 (I think sanctum is the one thats capped) then the other one raises it to 10. technically you can just enhance and earth spell if you already have 9th level slots but sanctum has other benefits like that you can do wish (or miracle) with an 8th level spell slot.

Miracle and wish are 9th level spells, it is seen then that miracle allows you to cast cleric spell of 8th level or lower (or any spell 7th level or lower).
Wish does the same thing as miracle, just its 8th level of lower wiz/sor spells. And wish has a minimum gp/xp cost no matter how you use it, miracle tends to be more desired because no minimum and it branches the shadow mage into a new caster list.

So you boost the spell that becomes shadow evocation to level 10... allowing you to cast an evocation spell of up to level 9 (such as miracle (or wish)).

[Vaern]

Q81.e



I'll preface by saying please do not argue raw vs rai of luck arcane disciple. or any nuance there in of that specific part. I've seen the arguments, its an issue of semantics, really, that is best discussed in its own thread and not here.

shadowcraft mage, sanctum, and earth spell, luck arcane disciple trick to cast miracle

the combination is that shadow craft make can use specific types of spells to copy any evocation spells of 1 level lower then the spell used.
sanctum raises spell level by 1. Earth spell again raises that by 1.
I cant remember which one it is, but one of this caps at 9th level, so the idea is you enhance a spell to 8, then either sanctum or earth spell raises it to 9 (I think sanctum is the one thats capped) then the other one raises it to 10. technically you can just enhance and earth spell if you already have 9th level slots but sanctum has other benefits like that you can do wish (or miracle) with an 8th level spell slot.

Miracle and wish are 9th level spells, it is seen then that miracle allows you to cast cleric spell of 8th level or lower (or any spell 7th level or lower).
Wish does the same thing as miracle, just its 8th level of lower wiz/sor spells. And wish has a minimum gp/xp cost no matter how you use it, miracle tends to be more desired because no minimum and it branches the shadow mage into a new caster list.

So you boost the spell that becomes shadow evocation to level 10... allowing you to cast an evocation spell of up to level 9 (such as miracle (or wish)).

The only RAW vs RAI semantics issue I could see to argue with it is earth spell. Its description is prefaced by saying that it enhances the effects of heighten spell, but it then doesn't specify that a spell's level has to be increased specifically by the heighten spell feat, so there could be a bit of argument to be had as to whether enhancing it with sanctum spell will have an effect. Even then, heighten spell is a prerequisite for earth spell so I'm assuming you're just heightening, say, a silent image to 8th or 9th level which would allow the full cheese to work anyway. I only mention this because someone in another thread mentioned combining sactum spell with earth spell to boost something's level by 2.

Anyway, if your DM has decided that Miracle is a valid sor/wiz spell for your character then yes, you should be able to cheese a level 10+ spell slot to shadow cast it like this.
It would not work for Wish, though, as Wish is a universal spell. It does not belong to any school of magic, and is therefore not a valid target for an ability that can only mimic specific school.
Whether you can then metamagic a spell that's cast via Miracle, though? I don't know if that's normally something that you can do, and I don't see why shadow casting the spell should have an impact on whether you could do that.

[Shinoskay]

The only RAW vs RAI semantics issue I could see to argue with it is earth spell. Its description is prefaced by saying that it enhances the effects of heighten spell, but it then doesn't specify that a spell's level has to be increased specifically by the heighten spell feat, so there could be a bit of argument to be had as to whether enhancing it with sanctum spell will have an effect. Even then, heighten spell is a prerequisite for earth spell so I'm assuming you're just heightening, say, a silent image to 8th or 9th level which would allow the full cheese to work anyway. I only mention this because someone in another thread mentioned combining sactum spell with earth spell to boost something's level by 2.

Anyway, if your DM has decided that Miracle is a valid sor/wiz spell for your character then yes, you should be able to cheese a level 10+ spell slot to shadow cast it like this.
It would not work for Wish, though, as Wish is a universal spell. It does not belong to any school of magic, and is therefore not a valid target for an ability that can only mimic specific school.
Whether you can then metamagic a spell that's cast via Miracle, though? I don't know if that's normally something that you can do, and I don't see why shadow casting the spell should have an impact on whether you could do that.
this specific question wasnt whether that combo works. question 81 was about whether one could apply metamagic to shadow casted miracle/wish spells.

So if you dont know, thank you for trying... but thats the question because I dont either.

as for the other place, that was likely me. its not hard to heighten(sorry, ive been calling it enhanced) a spell into your level 8 slot... then sanctum and earth spell that to 10. but thats irrelevant for question 81.... which is about applying metamagic to spells produced from shadow evocation or miracle/wish

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 81 This question falls under "can you duplicate metamagicked spells with Wish/Miracle", the Shadow part of it does not matter here. The text does not say anything in one way or another. Metamagicked spells are not spells, but they might fall into the "Have any effect whose power level is in line with the above effects." clause. An extended discussion on the subject can be found here (https://forums.giantitp.com/archive/index.php/t-223232.html).

It is also to note that Miracle is an evocation spell because it is in fact a plea to one's deity, and thus the actual effect of the spell is "whatever the deity desires".

[ShurikVch]

Q 93

Some special materials - Alchemical Gold(/Platinum), Kaortic Resin - force to take Exotic Weapon Proficiency in order to use weapon crafted of them.
Question: for example, would Alchemical Gold Longsword still count as Longsword when Longsword required (like Blade Meditation feat for Devoted Spirit, Iron Heart, or While Raven discipline)?


Q 94

Athasian Dragon PrC (Dragon #339) required Epic Spellcasting; would Epic Manifestation be suitable replacement?


Q 95

With the use of Divine Metamagic feat, is it possible to cast spell heightened to 9th level from a 1st-level slot (like there (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25989283&postcount=1))?


Q 96

Is it possible to use a bunch of +0 metamagics to "pay off" some higher-cost metamagic via Arcane Thesis feat (like there (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=25489282&postcount=3))?

[Xalestra]

Q. 97 - When creature has the mob template, but it also has fast healing. How much is healed?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q. 97 - When creature has the mob template, but it also has fast healing. How much is healed?

A 97

Ask your dungeon master.

A mob is a group of creatures of Small, Medium, or Large size that you treat as a single creature for the sake of simplicity. The rules for mobs, which appear on pages 59 to 61 of the DUNGEON MASTER'S GUIDE II, do not specify how a mob uses the Fast Healing ability (or any similar ability, such as the Regeneration ability). However, I can think of a method that makes sense.

According to the rules, a mob may consist of twelve creatures of Large size. Suppose a mob consists of twelve formian myrmarchs, each of which has the extraordinary Fast Healing ability and heals two Hit Points per round.

If we treat these formian myrmarchs as individual creatures rather than as a mob, then the number of Hit Points healed per round depends on the number of formian myrmarchs that are attacked per round. Thus, if two formian myrmarchs take damage in the same round, then they heal a total of four Hit Points; if three formian myrmarchs take damage in the same round, then they heal a total of six Hit Points; and so on.

If you treat all the formian myrmarchs as belonging to a single Gargantuan creature, that is, a mob, I think it makes sense to say that a mob with the Fast Healing ability applies this ability as many times per round as it takes damage in that round. Thus, if you damage a formian myrmarch mob only once in a round, it should heal only two Hit Points; but if you damage it twice in the same round, it should heal four Hit Points; if you damage it three times, six Hit Points; if you damage it four times, eight Hit Points; and so on.

Your dungeon master may reasonably assume that not all attacks against a mob will be divided equally among its members. Some members will be attacked more than once and others not at all. Consequently, your dungeon master may decide that in a mob of twelve formian myrmarchs, only six are exposed to weapon attacks, so that the mob as a whole can apply the Fast Healing feat no more than six times in one round, even if the mob is attacked more than six times in that round.

We may apply a different method when a twelve-member formian myrmarch mob is damaged by an area spell (which, following the rules, inflicts 50% extra damage on a mob). Depending on the size of the spell's area of effect, the spell may damage part of the mob or all of it; thus, we may assume that the area spell damages some fraction of the twelve formian myrmarchs, or perhaps all twelve of them, all at once. If all twelve of the mob's members are damaged, then the mob should heal 24 Hit Points after the attack. But if only half of the mob's members are damaged by the area spell, then the mob should heal only 12 Hit Points after the attack.

Of course, these proposals are only suggestions. As I admitted at the start, the rules don't dictate what method you should use to determine how Fast Healing works for a mob. The whole point of mobs is to make the rules simpler, not more complicated, and the method that I have proposed here may already be too complicated for some dungeon masters.

So ... ask your dungeon master.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 93 Yes. A material does not modify the nature of a weapon, even if the material adds special rules such as being forced to take EWP.

A 94 RAW, no. Those are two different feats. Still, considering the flavour of Athasian Dragon, it would not be unrealistic to ask your DM about it.

A 95 Hard to say. Heighten Spell is not that well formatted. Some say that "as difficult to prepare and cast as a spell of its effective level" means that metamagic cost reducers are useless because they would reduce the effective spell level as well. Others say that you apply the feat first, then the cost reducer. Ask your DM.

A 96 Yes, it is possible.

A 97 discussion This is the RAW thread, and Mob is a template. The template's rules say that the mob only retains the special qualities of a single creature, and thus would Fast Heal as fast as a single creature. Yes, RAW can be quite unrealistic at times.

[Rebel7284]

Q98: Is there a list somewhere of highest stats in D&D that can be achieved with Polymorph/Draconic Polymorph/Shapechange? Would be lovely if it was broken down by HD, but highest ever would work too.

Specifically, is there anything with more Con than a titan or with the same Con but less HD?

[Chronos]

A98 partial:

In the core rules, I had thought that the Tarrasque had the highest con, at 35, but it looks like the Titan indeed beats it, at 39. The elder air elemental has the highest dex, at 33. All of the other records appear to be held by the great wyrm gold dragon.

In the epic rules, the highest I could find with a quick perusal was the Great Wyrm Prismatic Dragon, at 65 Con. Interestingly, the epic Elder Titan has only 31.

Of course, all of these would be very difficult to Polymorph etc. into, due to their high HD.

[Condé]

Q99

The spellscale ritual (races of the dragon p. 32) specifies you lose any racial traits from your precious race.

But what if your character has a template? Is it considered part of the race? Do you lose the template? Do you keep it?

[ShurikVch]

A 99

The most conservative approach: you don't change the Race unless the RAW says so (AFAIR, none of templates do it)

The popular alternative approach: Race==Subtype - if you have the racial Subtype, you have the Race, if you change(/lose) it - you change(/lose?) the Race. But this approach is problematic for Races which don't have their "own" racial Subtype (like Lizardfolk have only "Reptilian"), or too different without having the distinct Subtype (Avariel and Drow are both "Elf"); IIRR, Spellscale got only "Dragonblood"...

[Samael Morgenst]

What happens if a character with levels in Emancipated Spawn is resurrected? He loses them?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 98 The monster compendium (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?402179) lists all published monsters in 1st party and licensed 3rd party, including most stats. Below are the 1st party non-unique monsters with the highest stats. In italic are the monsters with the highest stats, excluding construct, elemental, outsider, undead.



Ability score
<=10 HD
<=15 HD
<=20HD
<=25HD
<=50HD


Strength
Ibrandlin (MoF, 10 HD, 35)
Night Twist (MM3, 15 HD, 39)
Greater Dusk Giant (HoH, 18 HD, 48)
Nightcrawler (MM1, 25 HD, 48)
Ancient Night Twist (MM3, 25 HD, 45)
Hagunemnon, Protean (ELH, 44 HD, 53)


Dexterity
Glamer (Dr299, 10 HD, 30)
Will o' Wisp (MM1, 9 HD, 29)
Kelvezu demon (MM2, 12 HD, 31)
Legendary Eagle (MM2, 12 HD, 30)
Ha-Naga (ELH, 20 HD, 38)
Gloom (ELH, 25 HD, 46)
Tayellah (ELH, 34 HD, 48)


Constitution
Caller from the Deeps (Storm, 10 HD, 30)
Whelp of Zargon (EEvils, 10 HD, 29)
Vathugu demon (Dr337, 12 HD, 34)
Mountain Troll (MM3, 15 HD, 31)
Titan (MM1, 20 HD, 39)
Hound of the Hunt (Wild Hunt) (MM5, 20 HD, 36)
White Slaad (ELH, 24 HD, 37)
Ancient Night Twist (MM3, 25 HD, 34)
Three-headed Sirrush (ELH, 45 HD, 49)


Intelligence
Red Ethergaunt (FF, 5 HD, 23)
Sarrukh (Serpent Kingdoms, 14 HD, 30)
Ha-naga (ELH, 20 HD, 35)
Mature Adult Obsidian dragon (Web (https://web.archive.org/web/20140213210236/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20030124b), 25 HD, 27)
Mature Adult Force Dragon (ELH, 50 HD, 42)


Wisdom
Owl Archon (BoED, 10 HD, 25)
Threskisphinx (Sand, 10 HD, 24)
Pleasure Devil, Brachina (FC2, 12 HD, 24)
Thoon Elder Brain (MM5, 12 HD, 23)
Ha-naga (ELH, 20 HD, 35)
Hellfire Wyrm (MM2, 23 HD, 26)
Three-headed Sirrush (ELH, 45 HD, 43)


Charisma
Falxugon (FC2, 9 HD, 22)
Gray Glutton (EPH, 9 HD, 20)
Lilitu demon (FC1, 14 HD, 30)
Siabrie (Web (https://web.archive.org/web/20080108074442/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20020817a), 15 HD, 25)
Ha-naga (ELH, 20 HD, 36)
Gloom (ELH, 25 HD, 46)
LeShay (ELH, 50 HD, 47)



So yes, not only is the Titan the creature with the highest constitution and less than 20HD, it's also the highest-Con creature up to 25 HD, and even all the way up to 38 HD, only dethroned by the Uvuudaum. Also props to the Ha-Naga being an epic creature with 20 HD, meaning its absurd stats gave it the crown in four of the six ability scores.

[loky1109]

A100

What happens if a character with levels in Emancipated Spawn is resurrected? He loses them?

No, he'll still have levels in Emancipated Spawn. He will not qualify for this PrC and therefore he couldn't use its abilities, but these abilities anyway are useless if he is resurrected. He still will have HD, skills, saves and BAB.

[Samael Morgenst]

Q 103

If a character used one of the rituals of transformation described in the Savage Species book to become a dragon - using the rules on Draconomicon - (wyrmling, young or juvenile), would he be frozen on that age category or grow with time?

[St Fan]

Samael, you need to give a number to each of your questions. Please check the rules at the start of the thread.


Q 102
Can you combine a Iaijustu Focus attack with a Coup de Grâce? I can't help but feel it would be awkward, but what says the RAW?

[Kaleph]

Q104a
Assuming that a wall of smoke can be created in the space occupied by a creature, does that creature save vs nausea immediately?

Q104b
If the answer is yes, does the creature need to repeat the save every round it remains within the wall of smoke?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 102 Helpless opponents are not considered flat-footed by RAW, so no Iaijutsu Focus. If you somehow can make a helpless opponent flat-footed, it would work, since a coup de grace is still an attack.

A 103 Using a Ritual makes the character actually become a dragon. The character is thus entitled to true dragon rules, including aging.

A 104 "A creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object". You just cannot create a Wall of Smoke inside a creature. If your DM says you can, then ask them about what happens. Maybe relevant discussion here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?556228-Am-I-reading-Wall-of-Smoke-incorrectly).

[Condé]

Q99

The spellscale ritual (races of the dragon p. 32) specifies you lose any racial traits from your precious race.

But what if your character has a template? Is it considered part of the race? Do you lose the template? Do you keep it?


A 99

The most conservative approach: you don't change the Race unless the RAW says so (AFAIR, none of templates do it)

The popular alternative approach: Race==Subtype - if you have the racial Subtype, you have the Race, if you change(/lose) it - you change(/lose?) the Race. But this approach is problematic for Races which don't have their "own" racial Subtype (like Lizardfolk have only "Reptilian"), or too different without having the distinct Subtype (Avariel and Drow are both "Elf"); IIRR, Spellscale got only "Dragonblood"...

My question was really poorly written. Let me be clearer. (My apoligies to ShurikVch)

Q99bis Are inherited templates part of your race?

Example : If your character has a inherited template and undergo the Rite of rebirth or the Rite of Spellscale, does your character keeps his inherited template or is an inherited template considered part of your original race and you lose it in the process of your race swapping via any of the Rite cited earlier?

[Kaleph]

A 104 "A creature or object brought into being or transported to your location by a conjuration spell cannot appear inside another creature or object". You just cannot create a Wall of Smoke inside a creature. If your DM says you can, then ask them about what happens. Maybe relevant discussion here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?556228-Am-I-reading-Wall-of-Smoke-incorrectly).

I know that post, but at the end it's pointed out by multiple users (and it remains as the consensus, AFAICT) that in fact you can indeed create a wall of smoke inside the space occupied by a creature (which is not the same as "inside another creature"). But I guess that "ask your DM" is an acceptable answer in this case anyhow.

[Rebel7284]

A99bis: This is never made clear in the rules as far as I know. In general, since 'race' and 'template' are two separate entities in the rules, I believe it is more RAW to treat them as separate things. So dragonborn would not remove template abilities. Of course then there are questions about what happens if the base race changes in a way that makes the template no longer legal or what happens with a template with a variable LA if the base form is no longer the same. (Half Ogre from dragon magazine). Who knows!

[ShurikVch]

A99bis: This is never made clear in the rules as far as I know. In general, since 'race' and 'template' are two separate entities in the rules, I believe it is more RAW to treat them as separate things. So dragonborn would not remove template abilities.
This is kinda arguable, since RAW of templates are peppered with the "racial" word:

Rat Empathy (Ex)
Communicate with rats and dire rats, and +4 racial bonus on Charisma-based checks against rats and dire rats.

Skills
A wererat in rat or hybrid form uses its Dexterity modifier for Climb or Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

Wererats have a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks from their dire rat form.
If you "lose all other racial traits from your original race..." - then shouldn't you lose those too?

Also, Races of Faerûn - in the "Chapter 9: Minor Races" - includes "Lycanthropes" and "Shades", which are templates...

[Samael Morgenst]

Q105 It is regular to use Bone/Corpse Creature (BoVD template human warriors or experts, created with the Create Undead spell, as followers for the Undead Leadership feat?

Can a golem limb be attached to an undead to create an Half-Golem?

Or, can an half-golem (one that superated the Will save and did not became a construct), once killed, be reanimated as undead?

Could an Half-Golem Corpse Creature be a follower? Or be controlled as a normal undead?

[Daisy]

Q106

Can Arcanist's Gloves (MIC p72) affect spells cast out of an item such as a wand?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 105 a Leadership requires you to explicitly work with your DM to determine what are appropriate cohort and followers. A DM could absolutely allow you to use Corpse/Bone creatures as followers of the appropriate modified level (though not as a cohort, since cohorts must have published level adjustments by RAW).

A 105 b No, Half-Golem cannot be applied to undead.

A 105 c A Half-Golem Corpse creature cannot exist, and thus cannot be a follower, or be controlled.

A 106 Yes, as long as you're the one casting it.

[Pezzo]

Q 107
If an incantatrix applies a metamagic effect to a permanent spell effect, like a permanent stinking cloud, would the metamagic effect last indefinitely?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 107 Yes, until dispelled.

[yeetusmcgeetus]

Q 108: The rules for wielding oversized weapons are kinda confusing.
a. Since sickles are light, can a Medium creature wield a Huge sickle two-handed?
b. is the penalty to hit -2 or -4 in that case?

[Vaern]

Q 108: The rules for wielding oversized weapons are kinda confusing.
a. Since sickles are light, can a Medium creature wield a Huge sickle two-handed?
b. is the penalty to hit -2 or -4 in that case?

A 108
a. The measure of effort required to wield a weapon (light, 1h, 2h) increases by one step each time the weapon's size category is increased. A large sickle would be considered a one-handed weapon, and a huge sickle would be two-handed.
b. The penalty on attack rolls for an improperly sized weapon is cumulative per size category. A huge sickle being used by a medium creature would incur a -4 penalty.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Q109: Is there any way to use the earth elemental's ability to glide through earth, but with metal? That would allow a dragon to swim through a ridiculously large pile of coins, which seems appropriate for most dragons.