Dysfunctional Rules VI: Magic Circle Against Errata

[Chronos]

The only dysfunction with the Beloved of Valarian's unicorn is that the writers didn't know the difference between "chaste" and "celibate". All Beloved of Valarians are female, and if they "ever willingly couple with a mortal, the unicorn leaves her company without hard feelings or regret".

[Fax Celestis]

I've always chalked that up to the Beloved being...betrothed to the unicorn.

[Necroticplague]

The only dysfunction with the Beloved of Valarian's unicorn is that the writers didn't know the difference between "chaste" and "celibate". All Beloved of Valarians are female, and if they "ever willingly couple with a mortal, the unicorn leaves her company without hard feelings or regret".

The addition of "mortal" to that sentence has some disturbing implications. It's also rather redundant, given that it has vow of chasity as a prereq. When you combine the two, though, it means that immortal objects are fair game. Make of it what you will.

[Inevitability]

It is possible to have the same subtype twice. A human can take the Human Heritage feat (which, even when not dysfunctional, is still pretty weird), gaining the human subtype while keeping his old subtypes. He'd now be a Humanoid (human) (human).

[Erik Vale]

Well Mortal is used to both describe creatures who age, and creatures who aren't gods. So, are you stuck with Elan's and Killoren's [Ignoring Warforged and Necropolitins for obvious reasons and Neraph's because Neraph... but then again, Humans, also ignoring most other fey/outsiders due to access difficulties], or are you stuck with just gods?

[Necroticplague]

Well Mortal is used to both describe creatures who age, and creatures who aren't gods. So, are you stuck with Elan's and Killoren's [Ignoring Warforged and Necropolitins for obvious reasons and Neraph's because Neraph... but then again, Humans, also ignoring most other fey/outsiders due to access difficulties], or are you stuck with just gods?

Like I said, vow of chasity says "any other creature", so all of those are out. Objects are still fine.

[Lightlawbliss]

Like I said, vow of chasity says "any other creature", so all of those are out. Objects are still fine.

Spoiler: image

Show

[Fax Celestis]

Well Mortal is used to both describe creatures who age, and creatures who aren't gods. So, are you stuck with Elan's and Killoren's [Ignoring Warforged and Necropolitins for obvious reasons and Neraph's because Neraph... but then again, Humans, also ignoring most other fey/outsiders due to access difficulties], or are you stuck with just gods?

Weeeeellll....

Lichloved [Vile]
By repeatedly committing perverted sex acts with the undead, the character gains dread powers.

Prerequisite: Evil Brand

Benefit: Mindless undead see the character as an undead creature. Becoming more and more like an actual undead creature, he gains a +1 circumstance bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and disease.

[Curmudgeon]

Double disfunction, subtractions always leave you with at least 1, so ...

Not a general rule. There are a bunch of specific rules regarding things like hit points and damage, but there's no such rule for caster level AFAIK.

[illyahr]

Like I said, vow of chasity says "any other creature", so all of those are out. Objects are still fine.

You better have access to an Effigy Master. Just saying.

[Fax Celestis]

The Obscure Personal Truename feat:

The DC to speak your personal truename increases by 4 (this stacks with the +2 bonus that normally applies to a DC to speak a personal truename). Your normal truename--the one a truenamer would use if he didn't know your personal truename--is unaffected by this feat. In addition, those attempting to research your personal truename find doing so much more difficult. The DC of any checkmade to research your personal truename increases by 4.

...makes it harder to speak your own truename. Apparently this is intentional, because the Acolyte of the Ego's similar class feature:

Alter Personal Truename (Su): At 7th level, you can alter your own truename slightly—just enough to make it difficult or impossible for others to utter it correctly. Any creature other than you that attempts to speak your truename takes a —4 penalty on the Truespeak check. At 9th level, this penalty increases to —8.

...includes text for making sure it doesn't affect yourself.

[Ksheep]

The purported Beloved of Valarian issue also affects the Healer class, from Miniatures Handbook. Healers of 8th level get a Celestial Unicorn companion, for use as a mount and aide. However, there are no clauses which allow for non-human/elven non-female non-pure-of-heart Healers from obtaining said companion, and the only requirement for the class is for the character to be of Any Good alignment.

Of course, you then have the minor dysfunction of someone choosing to play a Healer class to begin with…

Then again, the DM could easily argue that the passage saying that Unicorns allow Elven or Human maidens of pure heart to tame them is just flavor text and not in the actual rules for Unicorn… although going by that logic, the part saying that you can sell Unicorn Horns for 2000 GP is also just flavor text and not part of the rules.

EDIT: Note to self, re-read what I type and make sure I don't use the exact same phrase to start two different paragraphs…

[Sith_Happens]

You better have access to an Effigy Master. Just saying.

Constructs are creatures.

The Obscure Personal Truename feat:

...makes it harder to speak your own truename. Apparently this is intentional, because the Acolyte of the Ego's similar class feature:

...includes text for making sure it doesn't affect yourself.

First rule of the Truenaming chapter: Never attribute to malice what could instead be incompetence.

[Seppo87]

Factotum's Cunning Strike does not specify a duration. RAW, the sneak attack die lasts forever.

[Curmudgeon]

Factotum's Cunning Strike does not specify a duration. RAW, the sneak attack die lasts forever.

Not exactly.

You must spend the inspiration point to activate this ability before making the attack roll.

It's good for the next (single) attack roll.

[Lightlawbliss]

Factotum's Cunning Strike does not specify a duration. RAW, the sneak attack die lasts forever.

If no "general" rule stops this, the same is true for cunning surge.

Spoiler: cunning surge

Show

Cunning Surge (Ex): Starting at 8th level, you learn to push yourself when needed. By spending 3 inspiration points, you can take an extra standard action during your turn.

yep, that's right, extra standard action on all your turns forever for a renewable resource. Totally balanced.

[Brookshw]

Then again, the DM could easily argue that the passage saying that Unicorns allow Elven or Human maidens of pure heart to tame them is just flavor text and not in the actual rules for Unicorn… although going by that logic, the part saying that you can sell Unicorn Horns for 2000 GP is also just flavor text and not part of the rules.

Huh. And yet a unicorn only costs 900gp per the lords of madness equation I believe.

[Ksheep]

Huh. And yet a unicorn only costs 900gp per the lords of madness equation I believe.

Are you basing that off of the "Trading with the Neogi" section? If so, it states that "unusual or marketable qualities in a slave, such as great strength, great beauty, valuable skill, or exotic origin, can multiply the price by two, three, or four." I would think that a Unicorn might qualify for the Exotic Origin multiplier, at the very least… so 1,800 GP? More likely 2,700+ GP, and that's assuming they have a Unicorn for sale.

EDIT: Would a STR of 20 qualify for the "Great Strength" multiplier? Would CHA of 24 count as "Great Beauty"? Would the Cure Light/Moderate Wounds SLA count as a "Valuable Skill"? If so, Unicorns have most, if not all, of the multipliers applied to them, so we'd be looking at 3,600 GP for a Unicorn.

[Brookshw]

Are you basing that off of the "Trading with the Neogi" section? If so, it states that "unusual or marketable qualities in a slave, such as great strength, great beauty, valuable skill, or exotic origin, can multiply the price by two, three, or four." I would think that a Unicorn might qualify for the Exotic Origin multiplier, at the very least… so 1,800 GP? More likely 2,700+ GP, and that's assuming they have a Unicorn for sale.

EDIT: Would a STR of 20 qualify for the "Great Strength" multiplier? Would CHA of 24 count as "Great Beauty"? Would the Cure Light/Moderate Wounds SLA count as a "Valuable Skill"? If so, Unicorns have most, if not all, of the multipliers applied to them, so we'd be looking at 3,600 GP for a Unicorn.

Don't actually have the book in front of me but that would make much more sense.

[Inevitability]

A 1st-level monk's unarmed strike damage is higher than that of a spiked gauntlet. Or to put it differently, having spiked gloves covering your hands and then punching someone is a worse combat tactic than simply punching someone.

[Lightlawbliss]

A 1st-level monk's unarmed strike damage is higher than that of a spiked gauntlet. Or to put it differently, having spiked gloves covering your hands and then punching someone is a worse combat tactic than simply punching someone.

Not dysfunctional. Not only are the rules perfectly clear on what is the case, but no house rule is needed and it is perfectly logical that somebody trained to use their fist would be able to hit harder with their hands then with spikes mounted on thin metal plates an some padding.

[Seppo87]

Not exactly. It's good for the next (single) attack roll.

It's either The attack roll which beenfits from Sneak Attack or The attack roll that is required to activate this ability.

[Curmudgeon]

It's either The attack roll which beenfits from Sneak Attack or The attack roll that is required to activate this ability.

There's no such thing. Here's the rule from the Combat chapter:

Attack Roll

An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent on your turn in a round.

So Cunning Strike is good for the next (single) attack roll on your turn in a (single) round. No opponent that you attempt to strike = no Cunning Strike.

[Erik Vale]

Not a general rule. There are a bunch of specific rules regarding things like hit points and damage, but there's no such rule for caster level AFAIK.

Don't misquote me, I was saying you would roll negative Damage, due to damage rules that would convert to 1 as subtractions always leave you with one, which results in you doing more damage than if you had 0 CL.

[Curmudgeon]

Don't misquote me, I was saying you would roll negative Damage, due to damage rules that would convert to 1 as subtractions always leave you with one, which results in you doing more damage than if you had 0 CL.

I wasn't misquoting you. You said subtractions always leave you with at least 1, without restricting the context of that statement to damage. I pointed out that you made an overstatement. Because the primary topic was about caster level, your statement was easily read as applying to subtractions of CL always leaving you with at least CL 1.

[Erik Vale]

I wasn't misquoting you. You said subtractions always leave you with at least 1, without restricting the context of that statement to damage. I pointed out that you made an overstatement. Because the primary topic was about caster level, your statement was easily read as applying to subtractions of CL always leaving you with at least CL 1.

Ahh, my mistake then, I apologise.

[Curmudgeon]

Ahh, my mistake then, I apologise.

No problem. I care a whole lot more about getting to the clearest understanding of the rules than I do about bruised egos. I can sometimes come across as being overly harsh because of that, though that's not my intent.

[Seppo87]

No opponent that you attempt to strike = no Cunning Strike.

that's what I'm saying. No attack roll = no cunning strike. Still, it does not say that the extra die only applies to that attack.

"By spending 1 dollar, you gain a lighter. You must spend the dollar before sucking air through the cigarette"
This sentence means that
-I need to be about to suck air from a cigarette in order to buy the lighter.
-Once I bought the lighter, it's mine. It does not say it's lost after I'm finished smoking

[deuxhero]

Charging never gets better (or worse) if you are really fast (or slow) except if you use a lance on a mount (even if it is slower than you are on foot).

[Lightlawbliss]

Charging never betters better (or worse) if you are really fast (or slow) except if you use a lance on a mount (even if it is slower than you are on foot).

I think the lance part is more having a 1 ton horse moving with you then speed (this isn't worthy of killing cat girls over, it would take moving at a speed of over 100 ft/rd for a 200 lb creature to mimic the energy gained from adding a horses mass to your own)