Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #36: The Triple Dozen

[Blue Jay]

A196

A creature's size category is determined by its length or height, as seen on this chart: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/mov...aturesInCombat

A196 Addendum

To be clear, size category isn't strictly determined by length or weight: the chart really just shows general patterns. There are plenty of outliers. A few examples from the MM:

• Long, snakelike creatures, like the nagas, frost worm and purple worm, frequently exceed the listed length limits for their size category.
• Magmins are Small creatures that weigh 400 lbs.
• The four standard elementals are almost always too heavy or too light for the size category (depending on element), and the greater and elder versions are too tall.
• Mimics count as Large, but their length is in the Medium range, and their weight is in the Huge range.
• And course, incorporeal creatures are all weightless entirely.

Basically, there isn't a solid, RAW method for back-converting a length or weight into a size category: it will often have to be left to a judgment call.

For ShurikVch (the original asker), the PHB only has stats for animated objects down to Tiny size, but Dragon Magazine #341 has stats for a Fine animated object (p. 65), for things like an ink pen, vial, coin or key. I think an animated ring sized for a Medium creature would fit in that size category (but that's still a judgment call). And yes, size as an animated object would depend on the size of the intended wielder/wearer.

[St Fan]

Q 201

The rules for weaponlike spells, fully developed on the Complete Arcane, cover what happen with spells inflicting ability damage or energy drain in case of critical hits. However, what about special attacks doing such without being spells?

A) For example, a high-level rogue with the crippling strike special ability inflicts 2 points of Strength damage in addition to sneak attack damage. If the attack is also a successful critical hit, does it double the Strength damage?

B) Likewise, Disemboweling Strike is an Ambush feat that exchanges some sneak attack damage for 1d4 points of Constitution Damage. If it's a critical hit, does it inflict 2d4 Constitution Damage?

C) If it is the case but the weapon has a higher crit multiplier than x2, is the ability damage also multiplied by x3 or x4?

[RNightstalker]

Q202:

A player retrains the only level of Druid in their build. Can they still speak Druidic or do they lose that too?

[St Fan]

Q202:

A player retrains the only level of Druid in their build. Can they still speak Druidic or do they lose that too?

A 202

First off, you can't "retrain" a class level (unlike feats, class features, skills, etc.). You need the character rebuilding rules.

Second... it's unclear. Languages are considered part of a character's skills, and those are not usually retroactively affected by such changes to a character. However, druidic might be a special case as it is more of a class feature than a mere language. Can depend on the DM.

[Bobur]

Q 203

In the Dragonlance books is a feat that gives you +1 dmg per size difference
How would that interact with a crit multiplier? Does that get multiplied or only the pure dmg from the weapon itself?

[Thurbane]

Q 203

In the Dragonlance books is a feat that gives you +1 dmg per size difference
How would that interact with a crit multiplier? Does that get multiplied or only the pure dmg from the weapon itself?

A 203

Without being familiar with the specific feat, the general rule about criticals is you multiply all additional damage that isn't expressed as dice. So if the feat gives you a +1, +2 etc. bonus, that should be multiplied on a critical, same way Weapon Specialization bonus damage would be.

[Elves]

A 202Second... it's unclear. Languages are considered part of a character's skills, and those are not usually retroactively affected by such changes to a character. However, druidic might be a special case as it is more of a class feature than a mere language. Can depend on the DM.

Languages can be learned through the Speak Language skill, but in this case the language is granted as a class feature so would not carry over.

[Venger]

A 201 The rules for weaponlike spells cited apply in the same way to similar non-spell special abilities. For example, when critting on an attack which drains energy, you drain twice as many levels as normal and replenish twice the hp.

a Yes.

b Yes.

c Yes.

[Elves]

A 201 b contested

"Exception: Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage is not multiplied when you score a critical hit."

Crippling strike would be multiplied but disemboweling strike wouldn't. (Which makes sense since disemboweling strike is a stand in for SA which also isn't multiplied.)

[Dimers]

Q 204

The DMG states that cold iron weapons cost twice as much to make and that magical enhancements cost an extra 2000gp. The MIC, on the table on page 27, reverses those: magical enhancements cost double, and the material itself costs an extra 2000gp. Which is correct? -- or are both wrong?

[Elves]

A 204

MIC says "see Special Materials, DMG 283, for more details." so it's acknowledging DMG as primary source. The error is on a table so text would take precedence anyway.

[hamishspence]

It's worth noting that the cost of the masterwork component is not covered by "costs twice as much to make".

The market price of longsword is 15 gp, the market price of a masterwork cold iron longsword is 330 gp, not 630 gp as would be the case if the cost of the masterwork component was doubled as well:

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItem...dIronLongsword

[Bowbreaker]

Q 205
Can I use a ToB strike (like Lead the Attack for instance) as part of a charge, +2 to attack included?

[Bobur]

Q206 True strike: "Your next single attack roll" - What does that mean when I use a full attack action?
I would assume the first attack gets the +20 and the rest is resolved normally.

[hamishspence]

A 205: Not normally (a charge is a special attack, like bull rush or sunder, and those are specifically disallowed under most circumstances) but, some strikes specifically say "As part of this manuever, you make a charge" - and those work.

[KillianHawkeye]

A 206

That's correct. True strike only applies to the first attack roll you make after casting it (within the limits of its duration), regardless of how many other attack rolls you might make afterward.

[Elves]

Q 207

"Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage are not multiplied when you score a critical hit."

is there a generalization of this for non-critical damage multipliers like spirited charge and leap attack?

[Korahir]

Q 208
Is there a method to change or add a single spell to a domain?

[Zaq]

Q 208
Is there a method to change or add a single spell to a domain?

208 Clarification

Can you please be more specific about what you mean? Are you talking about a permanent substitution, a way to cast a different spell out of a domain slot, or something else? (I'm not aware of a way to make a permanent substitution except by asking the GM nicely, but there might be a way to accomplish something else if we know what you're after in particular.)

[Korahir]

208 Clarification

Can you please be more specific about what you mean? Are you talking about a permanent substitution, a way to cast a different spell out of a domain slot, or something else? (I'm not aware of a way to make a permanent substitution except by asking the GM nicely, but there might be a way to accomplish something else if we know what you're after in particular.)

Permanent Substitution is what I'd look for.
I'd need to be able to cast Battering Ram, Bigby's Striking Fist or a similar bull rush spell of low level as a divine crusader.

[Troacctid]

Q 208
Is there a method to change or add a single spell to a domain?

Customize Domain, Dragon #325.

[Venger]

A 208 If you need a domain with a spell which allows bull rushing as a divine crusader:
blast of force (force 3)

and though I know you said low level, for completeness's sake:
obedient avalanche (cold 9)
mastery of the sky (sky 8)
bigby's clenched fist (strength 8)
bigby's grasping hand (strength 7, tyranny 7)
bigby's crushing hand (strength 9, force 9)

While it's not strict RAW and I couldn't find any spells that fit these parameters, if you could locate an abj, div, or necro "bull rush spell" on the sor/wiz list, you might ask your gm to create a custom domain a la divine magician, since spells inside these bounds are rules to be equivalent in power to a clerical domain.

What is it exactly you're trying to do? As Zaq said, I know of no way to accomplish what you've described specifically.

[Vaern]

Q 209
What happens when a character under the effects of reduce person or a similar effect puts on a suit of armor made for a creature of his reduced size returns to his original size?
For example, a reduced human puts on a breastplate sized for a halfling while he is small, and then returns to his original medium size while wearing the armor. What happens to him and the armor?

[Elves]

A 209
I would look to the text of Enlarge Person

If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it

If applying this rule, the creature would be "constrained without harm" by its armor. Whether it can then take its armor off normally, or whether the armor must be destroyed, would be up to the DM in absence of a rule for it.

This is the closest rule I know to what you're asking, if there's something more specific elsewhere please contradict me.

[ApologyFestival]

Q 210
Can a convert spell to power erudite benefit from anything that takes effect on casting a spell?

For example, would an erudite manifesting web have their save DC increased by the feat Spell Focus (conjuration)? Sorry, I know this is an incredibly awful and badly-written class feature.

[Ritaelyn]

Q 211

Can a player who is stunned activate a Third Eye Clarity item after the stun condition is in place?

The item has two activation clauses that seem to conflict:

You can activate this crystal to negate any one of the following conditions affecting you: confused, dazed, fascinated, or
stunned.

You can activate the eye in response to an effect that would impose one of these conditions (for instance, after failing your save against a monk’s Stunning Fist attack but before the stun takes effect).

This ability functions once per day.

Situation is a enemy caster stunned a player character. The player character has an immediate action available. A couple of turns/actions later in the same round the enemy caster's mooks attack the stunned character. Character wants to use third eye clarity now to get rid of stun so they'd have their AC back, not be denied dex ac, etc. The stun condition says "can’t take actions".

Under RAW - is the second clause specifying exactly how the item gets around being able to take no actions by using the immediate action at the perfect minute before you become stunned?

I'm having a hard time making this ruling. If the item was just printed with the first clause then I'd rule yes, they would get rid of the stun whenever they want. If the item was printed with only the second clause (and obviously listing the conditions in it) then I'd say no - you should have used it as soon as the stun condition was placed and it's too late now that other actions have happened.

Thanks!

[Elves]

A 211
As the item says, "You can activate the eye in response to an effect that would impose one of these conditions (for instance, after failing your save against a monk’s Stunning Fist attack but before the stun takes effect)."

If the stun has already taken effect that doesn't apply.

--

Customize Domain, Dragon #325.

Wow, the Magic benefit is insane.

[Thurbane]

Q 212

What happens if a Dweomerkeeper casts Miracle as a Supernatural Spell, then uses the Miracle to duplicate a spell that allows SR (say, Fire Storm)?

Is SR allowed against the Fire Storm effect, or not?

[Troacctid]

Q 212

What happens if a Dweomerkeeper casts Miracle as a Supernatural Spell, then uses the Miracle to duplicate a spell that allows SR (say, Fire Storm)?

Is SR allowed against the Fire Storm effect, or not?

No spell resistance is allowed. Dweomerkeeper provides an exception to the spell's normal text.

[Thurbane]

No spell resistance is allowed. Dweomerkeeper provides an exception to the spell's normal text.

So that carries over to the spell mimicked/created by the Miracle?

I know if I was casting Fire Storm directly, that would be the case, but wasn't sure if there was an extra step in the middle, such as Miracle.