Simple Q&A (By the RAW) II

[Angafirith]

Q66
The SRD has rules determining how far you can see with artificial light and darkvision. What are the rules for visibility on perfectly clear bright day outside? I had heard 60 feet, but that doesn't seem to work with Range Increment rules. How would the various weather conditions effect the visibility?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 066

Real world conditions are assumed to exist, but you will notice that the different terrains types have different beginning encounter distances. They are of course more a feature of th terrain.

(The 60 feet you have heard is probably from the daylight spell)

Weather conditions can reduce visibility and also have entries for snow, rain, storm etc.

[Leush]

Q 67

When using a double weapon, is it allowed to use it as a two handed weapon rather than a double weapon on a particular round of combat, or does that just apply to quarterstaves?

Q 67 b If changing from two weapon fighting with a double weapon to fighting with it as if it were a two handed weapon, does that count as a free action, move action, swift action or what? Or in a simpler put way -can you full attack with it as a two handed weapon one round and and full attack with it as a double weapon next turn?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 067

Yes.

A. 067 b

It is not an action.

[Isomenes]

Q68

If a necromancer has wrested control of an undead minion from a cleric via command undead, is a simple rebuke enough to dispel it, or would it require a sufficiently high rebuke as to command them?

Q68b

Can bolstering your undead minions affect whether you rebuke or command them if your bolster check gives them more than half your level in hit dice?

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 068

Command is needed to take the control back.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 068b

The rules text only refers to bolstering providing resistance against turning. It appears to have no effect upon rebuking.

[That Lanky Bugger]

Q69: Is it possible for a use-activated item to cast a spell based on a spell being cast on that item? If this is possible, can a second use-activated item cast a spell based on the spell cast by the first item? And if the first item is activated based on the spell cast by the second item (while the second item is activated based on the spell cast by the first item), would this create an infinite loop?

[Douglas]

A69
Use-Activated This type of item simply has to be used in order to activate it. A character has to drink a potion, swing a sword, interpose a shield to deflect a blow in combat, look through a lens, sprinkle dust, wear a ring, or don a hat. Use activation is generally straightforward and self-explanatory.


For a use-activated item to activate, it has to be used in some way. This is open to a fair bit of DM interpretation about what qualifies as "use", but I would rule that the method of activation must clearly involve the item somehow. The proposed Dimension Door/Wail of the Banshee combo from the thread that I'm sure inspired this question wouldn't work because a) Dimension Door is cast on the owner, not on the WotB item, and b) WotB is an area effect and also only affects living creatures. Neither method of activation clearly involves the item, so it doesn't work. If you put both powers on the same item, it doesn't work because an item can't use itself - the character has to do the using.


This combo might be legal with the addition of Contingency effects on the items, but Contingency discharges so you'd be limited to the number of Contingencies you had prepared for it.

[Emperor Tippy]

A69
Use-Activated This type of item simply has to be used in order to activate it. A character has to drink a potion, swing a sword, interpose a shield to deflect a blow in combat, look through a lens, sprinkle dust, wear a ring, or don a hat. Use activation is generally straightforward and self-explanatory.


For a use-activated item to activate, it has to be used in some way. This is open to a fair bit of DM interpretation about what qualifies as "use", but I would rule that the method of activation must clearly involve the item somehow.

But you can make a use activated item that activates when you attack. Like an amulet that activates when you attack. Your not actually using the item. You are taking an attack action which causes the item to activate.

Or you can get armor that activates when it is struck. It activates on your opponents attack action if it results in a hit.

The proposed Dimension Door/Wail of the Banshee combo from the thread that I'm sure inspired this question wouldn't work because a) Dimension Door is cast on the owner, not on the WotB item, and b) WotB is an area effect and also only affects living creatures. Neither method of activation clearly involves the item, so it doesn't work. If you put both powers on the same item, it doesn't work because an item can't use itself - the character has to do the using.

Incorrect on multiple points. The first is that DD isn't using the item. The Item is affected by the DD (it travels with the caster along with all his other items). The Item then activates with its effect which is WoB going off as if the wearer had cast the spell. WoB creates a very distinct sound (a banshee wail) and that is the trigger condition for the second item (of DD).

This combo might be legal with the addition of Contingency effects on the items, but Contingency discharges so you'd be limited to the number of Contingencies you had prepared for it.

... That can be made even more broken.

[Douglas]

You can make a use-activated item that activates when you attack with that item.

You can make a shield that activates when you "interpose a shield to deflect a blow". The action there is the owner using the shield, not the opponent attacking. Show me where it explicitly states that you can make use-activated armor that activates when hit and I'll concede this point.

If DD isn't using the item, then the item isn't being used at all. If no "use" occurs, then no "use"-activated effect happens.

Casting Wail of the Banshee is by no stretch of the imagination "using" the DD item.

[Roland St. Jude]

Q.70 With the obvious caveat that they are only guidelines, what is the most cost effective item of continuous (or use activated upon a charge) Psionic Lion's Charge usable by a non-psionic character and how much would it cost?

Q.71 The same question above only using the spell Lion's Charge?

Q.72 Is there any meaningful difference between the two items? (aside from magic/psionic and, potentially, price)?

[afternoon]

Quick, easy question.

Q. 73 In fight against a 5-foot-reaching melee combatant, can an archer take a free 5-foot step back each round and launch a full attack each round without provoking an attack of opportunity?

I've been allowing it as a DM for a while, you see. And I was just curious, because it's one of those things. Ahh, I kind of already know the answer.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 073

Yes, assuming the archer has a free space to five foot into and no other foe threatens that space, of course.

[Zherog]

Q.70 With the obvious caveat that they are only guidelines, what is the most cost effective item of continuous (or use activated upon a charge) Psionic Lion's Charge usable by a non-psionic character and how much would it cost?

Is this a feat from somewhere? I'm assuming so because it's capitalized, but it's not in the SRD. If it is a feat, there's guidelines for using feats in items in the Arms and Equipment Guide. Basically, it's 10,000 gp, plus an additional 5-10K per pre-req if the item doesn't require the pre-req.

Was that at all helpful?

[Roland St. Jude]

Q.70.Clarification. Psionic Lion's Charge is a psionic power. I've added a link in my original question to the SRD.

[Cruiser1]

Q74: Do temporary hitpoints from different sources stack? For example, my Necromancer casts False Life. Then my Cleric teammate casts Aid on me. If they don't stack, do they overlap in any way, e.g. if I take enough damage to remove the hp gained through False Life, are the Aid temporary hitpoints still keeping me above my normal max?

[Jasdoif]

A70

Costs for psionic items use the same rules and guidelines as for corresponding magic items.

Use activated is the only viable power effect type for psionic lion's charge, since you can't take the standard action needed for the other types and make the full-round-action charge too. Likewise, making more then 40 charges is quite likely to happen, so the no-limit type use activation is more cost-effective then the single use type.

For such a use activated power in an item, the cost would be power level * manifester level * 2000gp. Thus making the minimum cost of a use activated psionic lion's charge cost 2 * 3 * 2000, or 12,000gp. Purely by the guidelines, of course.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 074

Temporary hit points from different sources do stack, but duration and hit point pool has to be tracked separately.

Temporary hp follow the first-in-first-out (FIFO) principle.

[Douglas]

A71
Lion's Charge is a 3rd level spell for Druids, so it would cost 3*5*2000 = 30000 gp by the guidelines for a use-activated item. If you could get a Ranger to make it for you, the cost would drop to 2*4*2000 = 16000 gp because it is a second level Ranger spell and a minimum level Ranger casting it has caster level 4, but when a spell is on multiple spell lists the class that is more focused on spellcasting is the default for items. See the part just above the table for scroll prices for the reference.

A72
For the minimum price versions, no. The psionic version has the option of paying more to get an augmented version that gives you a circumstance bonus on damage when using it, however.

A74
I'm not completely sure about this, but I think the temp HP from different sources do stack. Multiple applications of the same source, however, do not.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 074 further comment

A74
I'm not completely sure about this, but I think the temp HP from different sources do stack. Multiple applications of the same source, however, do not.

There is nothing that indicates that they would not stack. It was also further dealt with in the FAQ

Do temporary hit points from two applications of the same effect stack? What about from different effects? If I have temporary hit points from multiple sources, how should I apply damage?
Temporary hit points from two applications of the same
effect don’t stack; instead, the highest number of temporary hit points applies in place of all others. Temporary hit points from different sources stack, but you must keep track of them separately.
...
If the character then cast false life on herself, she would add the full benefit of that spell to the temporary hit points from the aid spell.
...
Temporary hit points are “first-in, first-out.” Damage
should be taken off the oldest temporary-hit-point-granting effect first; when that effect is exhausted, apply damage to the next oldest effect. For this reason, you must track each supply of temporary hit points separately.

[Nekoshodan]

Q75

I have been looking at lycanthrope templates for characters, and I am a bit confused by the level adjustment. All that is listed is +3 for a natural lycanthrope, or +2 for afflicted.

Does a human WereRat:
+0Str, +6Dex, +2Con
1d4 claw and 1d6 bite in hybrid form(medium)
+1HD (d8)
extra feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse
Additional Saves: fort+2, ref+2, will+2

Really have the same level adjustment as a human WereTiger?:
+12str, +4Dex, +6Con
1d6 claw and 1d8 bite in hybrid form(large)
+6HD (d8)
extra feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack(both bite and claw)
Additional Saves: fort+5, ref+5, will+2

I did not list the special qualities that would be identical for any lycanthrope.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 075

Yes.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +2 (afflicted) or +3 (natural). In addition, a lycanthrope’s character level is increased by the number of racial Hit Dice the base animal has.

Remember that ECL = HD + LA

[ski309]

Q76
If a person rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll against an enemy with concealment, does the attack hit regardless of the concealment chance or does the concealment chance still come into play?

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 076

Concealment still comes into play.

[njero]

Q. 077

By RAW, when do 20s and 1s result in automatic successes and failures. My group keeps switching back and forth on this one.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

A. 077

Saving Throws and Attack Rolls

[Douglas]

A77
Attack rolls and saving throws only. Note that critical confirmation rolls are described as "another attack roll", so automatic success and failure rules for attack rolls also cover critical confirmation rolls. Same with anything else that uses an attack roll or saving throw for some purpose other than the usual.

The most common misconception/houserule (I think) is that skill checks automatically succeed or fail on 20s and 1s, which is incorrect. If someone has to make a DC 15 skill check and his bonus is +14, he doesn't need to roll because even a 1 will meet the DC and succeed.

[ColdFire]

Q78: Do Stairs count as difficult terrain? Or is there a set movment modifier for stairs somewhere in the rules?

- Coldfire

[Shhalahr Windrider]

A 078

Rules for stairs are in the SRD: http://www.systemreferencedocuments....terrain#stairs

Movement modifiers depend on the type of stairs.