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

[Roland St. Jude]

(This is a fairly high procedure thread; please read the entire instructions carefully before posting. Thanks.)

Ever have a simple, straight-forward rules question that you can’t figure out the answer to? Ask it here. No question is too simple. No more worrying about whether your question is “worth” starting a thread. Ask here and receive an answer. You are, of course, welcome to start a thread for your question, and if you think your question is subject to many interpretations or will start a debate, you are encouraged to start a new thread for it.

This thread will serve as a catch-all for simple, discreet questions that can be answered quickly according to the RAW (Rules As Written). This thread is for all simple RAW questions about D&D 3.5.

If your question is about D&D 4e or some other system, ask here
If your question is about real world weapons and armor ask it here.
If your question is about homebrew rulings start a thread here.
If you are looking for the meaning of an acronym or abbreviation look here.

The Procedure:

Do:
Label your questions with bold Q#s.
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Ask Homebrew rules questions here.
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Dispute Resolution Procedure:
If you dispute someone’s answer – meaning that they got it wrong in a critical fashion – post your answer and suggest that the original questioner start a thread to discuss it further if they want it hashed out.
If someone disputes your answer, don’t respond. Just wait to see if the original questioner starts a new thread to discuss it.
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Here are some sample questions. “Bad” questions just mean they should be asked in their own thread where you can get many answers and opinions. “Good” questions just mean that these are the types of questions that are amenable to a quick straightforward answer (probably).

Sample “Bad” Questions:
How do I play D&D? (Great question, but not for this thread.)
What is a good 10 level TWF build? (Far too broad and requires much opinion)
What +2 LA race should I take for my sorcerer build? (Again, an opinion question)
Which is better GURPS or D&D?

Sample “Good” Questions:
Q.1. Are there any Large +0 LA races?
Q.2. As a sorcerer/rogue, do I get to add sneak attack damage to my attack spells?
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?

{The first several versions of this thread seemed to run pretty efficiently, but if you have any comments about how this thread could be improved please PM me.}

Please start over with the numbering. Thanks.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Q 1

The SRD says that Turning Undead is considered an attack. Does this mean one can make Attacks of Opportunities with it?

[Keld Denar]

A 1

No. Its not a weapon. By attack, I believe that its implied it would break invisbilitity or otherwise be considered "hostile" action. Not that that matters...TU doesn't work while invisible anyway, since the undead can't see you or your holy symbol...

[Epinephrine]

A1 No. It's not a melee attack.

An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and you can only make one per round. You don’t have to make an attack of opportunity if you don’t want to.

edit: Ooh, ninjas!

[Eloel]

A1 addition
It's stated as an 'attack', for the purposes of Charm Monster and similar spells that end if someone is hostile.

[VirOath]

Q.2

What ways can someone use STR for the attack bonus instead of DEX for throwing weapons, if any?

[Eloel]

A2
Not taking Weapon Finesse is a good start on the issue (you already use Str to attack bonus with Melee weapons)
Brutal Throw from Complete Adventurer gives Str instead of Dex to attack on thrown weapons.

[Stegyre]

Q3
What feats grant new uses for turn undead abilities?

(For example, I'm looking for feats that allow you to exchange "X" turnings for an SLA or something. I'm trying to get a handle on how much cheese is possible by stocking up on turnings and then using them for anything but turning. )

[Eloel]

A3
Pretty much any feat with [Divine] descriptor.

[Stegyre]

A3
Pretty much any feat with [Divine] descriptor.

It's a start.

Q4
I recognize there's some existing debate, but for the Persistent Spell feat, what qualifies as a "fixed range" spell?

If there are two or more competing definitions, I'd like to see them both/all, with a brief explanation of their respective merits. In keeping with the nature of a RAW thread, however, this is not intended to invoke an extended discussion of the topic.

[Douglas]

A4

Any spell whose range is completely independent of the caster. Close, Medium, and Long ranges all vary depending on the caster's level, so they do not qualify. Detect Magic, Recitation, Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, and Mass Lesser Vigor, just for a few examples, all have ranges expressed as a specific number of feet regardless of any characteristic of the caster, so they all qualify.

It is a matter of some debate whether "Touch" range qualifies.
For: You are in physical contact with the target when you touch them, so it's a fixed range of 0 from the caster's appendage.
Against: You can touch anything within your natural reach. How far this extends from your space varies with your size, and is therefore not fixed.

It's a matter of whether you count the range in this case as being measured from the space you occupy on a battlemap or from the nearest physical part of your body.

[Random832]

A4

It means any spell for which the range is an exact number of feet (rather than an amount per level, or short/med/long. There is some debate as to whether touch spells qualify, and for persist in particular whether touch spells extended with Reach Spell metamagic feat (and ray spells in general) do/should qualify.

[Salvonus]

Q5:

Do Power Repository Quori Embedded Shards (Magic of Eberron, p. 116) allow the user to gain access to powers not normally on their class/discipline list? Insofar as I can tell, there are no restrictions on what powers can be placed within the shard. Is there some sort of hidden rule that would restrict the Power Repository to only powers that you could learn normally?

[Stegyre]

Q6
Are there any items that generate power points?

We have cognizance crystals that can store power points, and we have manifester armor and weapons that generate a small number (with the restriction on both that all their power points must be used on the same power). I'm wondering if there is anything more general that a psionic character could use in much the same manner as his own power point pool. (But respecting the single-source rule.)

[quick_comment]

A6

You could take leadership. Have your cohort be a psion, and have him mind switch with your psicrystal. Now your psicrystal has the pp of a psion with your level-1

Edit: And it also has its own powers known, which you can manifest from.

[Curmudgeon]

A 5

The limits on what you can accomplish with a Power Repository Quori Shard are these:

• You must be a Kalashtar or Inspired
• The shard must be implanted in your body
• Your body can only support 1 shard per manifester level
• You lose 1 hit point per shard implanted, permanently
• The power can only be 4th level or less
• You lose access to a power of the same level to access the power in the shard
• Swapping the powers requires 1 hour of meditation
• You can only swap powers once in a day

[Gralamin]

A 6
Psicrystals may take Feats. If Psicrystals take Wild Talent and a few other feats, they can have a psicrystal. (In fact, you can reach infinite numbers of psicrystals)
Bestow Power + Torc of Power Preservation + Earth Power, Will allow you to pay 1 pp to transfer 3. At level 15 and higher, you can use Channel Power to transfer points to yourself from the psicrystal. Each psicrystal should have two points, so this is very slow, but I'm 90% sure it works. (Now watch someone point out something I missed).

[Salvonus]

A 5

The limits on what you can accomplish with a Power Repository Quori Shard are these:

• You must be a Kalashtar or Inspired
• The shard must be implanted in your body
• Your body can only support 1 shard per manifester level
• You lose 1 hit point per shard implanted, permanently
• The power can only be 4th level or less
• You lose access to a power of the same level to access the power in the shard
• Swapping the powers requires 1 hour of meditation
• You can only swap powers once in a day

Yes, I already knew all that. Thanks for the recap, mind you.

So... It can be any power, then, regardless of what list it comes from? That's very useful.

[Stegyre]

A 6
Psicrystals may take Feats. If Psicrystals take Wild Talent and a few other feats, they can have a psicrystal. (In fact, you can reach infinite numbers of psicrystals).

Psicyrstals can have feats?? Can you provide a cite for that? I've never heard of it before.

[Gralamin]

Psicyrstals can have feats?? Can you provide a cite for that? I've never heard of it before.

Sure. Psicrystals have an intelligence score, as well as

Hit Dice: As master’s HD (hp ½ master’s)

So the Psicrystal is actually gaining Hit Dice. So every 3 HD, they get a feat, just like any other intelligence creature.

Compare to familiars

Hit Dice
For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.

They are not actually gaining Hit Dice.

[Curmudgeon]

Psicyrstals can have feats?? Can you provide a cite for that? I've never heard of it before.

Actually, that's dubious. Normally all that's required to obtain feats is to have both an Intelligence score (which psicrystals do) and hit dice (which they sort of do). However, the entry for the psicrystal (Expanded Psionics Handbook, pages 207-208) does not include rules for Advancement; instead, it says:

A psicrystal’s characteristics depend on its master. Its Hit Dice are equal to its master’s Hit Dice (counting only levels in psion or wilder), its hit points are equal to half its master’s, and its saving throw bonuses are the same as its master’s.

[Stegyre]

Actually, that's dubious. Normally all that's required to obtain feats is to have both an Intelligence score (which psicrystals do) and hit dice (which they sort of do). However, the entry for the psicrystal (Expanded Psionics Handbook, pages 207-208) does not include rules for Advancement; instead, it says:

Is advancement necessary for feats? Looking at it the same entry, it seems that the psicrystal starts with alertness as its first-level feat. If that is the default rule, why would it not gain another feat when its master reached ML 3, 6, etc.?

For that matter, I think I've seen some feats that will increase a familiar's HD, so would that not also give them feats at every third HD?

Looking at the entry raised another question:

Q7
What happens to the manifester if a psicrystal is destroyed? (Any hit point damage? A delay in acquiring a new psicrystal?)

[Kallisti]

A 7 Good question
Good question. Nowhere in the Expanded Psionics Handbook or SRD does it specify. Neither did they specify in the errata. I always houserule that it has the same penalties as losing a familiar.

[Curmudgeon]

Is advancement necessary for feats?

All Advancement monster entries spell out the details of what happens when a creature gains hit dice. Psicrystals instead have a specific statement (which I quoted) which overrides the usual mechanics of hit dice gain. The only thing that's not completely clear is if this overrides all such mechanics, including feat acquisition. Since this specific override breaks basic maxims of hit dice gain (including the minimum of 1 HP per level), my opinion is that it does completely replace the usual hit dice gain rules -- hence no feats for psicrystals.

[Gralamin]

All Advancement monster entries spell out the details of what happens when a creature gains hit dice. Psicrystals instead have a specific statement (which I quoted) which overrides the usual mechanics of hit dice gain. The only thing that's not completely clear is if this overrides all such mechanics, including feat acquisition. Since this specific override breaks basic maxims of hit dice gain (including the minimum of 1 HP per level), my opinion is that it does completely replace the usual hit dice gain rules -- hence no feats for psicrystals.

This argument is ridiculous. For instance:

Skill Description entries spell out the details of what happen when a creature uses a skill. Hide in plain sight has a specific statement which overrides the usual mechanics of the hide skill. The only thing that's not completely clear is if this overrides all such mechanics, including sniping. Since the specific override breaks basic maxims of the hide skill (Including the need to be unobserved when you hide), my opinion is that it does completely replace the usual hide skill rules -- hence a creature with Hide in Plain sight cannot snipe.

This is a very close following of your exact logic. All I have done is plug in what are equivalents. Obviously, this is not how the rules work. Though, if we are to continue this, we should probably make a thread for it.

[Human Paragon 3]

Q8 If a character has total cover (due to being in a Briar Web, Complete Divine pg 157) do all creatures not in the briar web also have total cover from that creature?

Q9 Does sleet storm block blindsight or touchsight? It says all sight...

[Epinephrine]

A8 (partial) Briar Web was updated in the Spell Compendium, and doesn't provide cover. I don't have the text of the C.Div version, however.

A9 (partial) No, blindsight doesn't actually involve "sight". The blindsight description clearly states that it is a nonvisual ability.

"Some creatures have blindsight, the extraordinary ability to use a nonvisual sense (or a combination of such senses) to operate effectively without vision. Such sense may include sensitivity to vibrations, acute scent, keen hearing, or echolocation."

So despite blocking sight, it shouldn't block blindsight.

If merely containing the word "sight" were enough, sleet storm would block insight bonuses too, and Foresight (wow, a way to surprise high level mages!)

I don't know what "touchsight" is, it sounds like tremorsense. If it too is non-visual, it shouldn't be affected.

[weenie]

Q 10

If a caster is blinded, can he still use targeted spells that don't require a touch attack? What about AoE spells?

[Douglas]

A10

In order to target someone with a spell, you must see or touch them. A blinded caster is unable to see anyone, so all targeted spells effectively become touch range for such a caster as long as the blindness lasts. Whether you can make a touch attack for targeting a non-touch range spell as part of the casting is not clear in RAW, though I personally would allow it. Regardless, the spell is not actually touch range and does not normally require an attack roll, so the rules for holding the charge, getting a critical hit or sneak attack, and any other rules specific to touch range spells do not apply.

AoE spells can be used normally, though the caster may have difficulty determining what position would be the best choice for the spell's center.

[Epinephrine]

Q 10

If a caster is blinded, can he still use targeted spells that don't require a touch attack? What about AoE spells?

A10 By RAW, I believe you can cast a spell that requires a target, even if you can't actually see anyone. You can't however target anyone you can't see or touch. Target selection occurs after the spell is cast.

Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.

Area spells require selecting the point of origin and/or direction, but no restriction is made that one must be able to see the point of origin, so you could cast a spell affecting an area simply by selecting the point of origin/direction.

Edit: ninja'd!