Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #36: The Triple Dozen

[Kayblis]

A 226

You apply bonuses and abilities in the order you choose, usually the most beneficial to you. Unless they have text explicitly saying so, they don't affect any abilities later applied. So you can pick all those feats and have Quicken at +0.

[Vaern]

What the fudge? The question was whether net is "one-handed" or "two-handed"?

Does net require one or two hands to use? The rules seem unclear on this and I thought someone might shed some more light on this, with perhaps having the knowledge of an earlier discussion that I am unaware of.

I can assure you I wasn't trolling or anything. I'm dead serious.

I'm not having much luck turning up a definite answer, though Complete Warrior has a net & trident style feat... It's not exactly a direct RAW statement that nets are one-handed, but it does seem to imply that they are one-handed since the sole purpose of the feat is to grant additional options to a character using TWF to wield a net in conjunction with another weapon.

[Zaq]

Q 228

Quick reference:

A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.

An exhausted character moves at half speed and takes a -6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.

The exhausted condition is linked to the fatigued condition (fatigued + fatigued = exhausted; exhausted + rest = fatigued), but it doesn't say that it includes the effects of fatigued.

228 Subquestion 1: Can a character be fatigued and exhausted at the same time (for example, by being subjected to an exhaustion effect and then subsequently being subjected to a fatigue effect)? If not, why not?

228 Subquestion 2: Can an exhausted character run or charge?

[Troacctid]

What the fudge? The question was whether net is "one-handed" or "two-handed"?

Does net require one or two hands to use? The rules seem unclear on this and I thought someone might shed some more light on this, with perhaps having the knowledge of an earlier discussion that I am unaware of.

I can assure you I wasn't trolling or anything. I'm dead serious.

It's not one-handed or two-handed. Those categories only apply to melee weapons.

Q 228

Quick reference:





The exhausted condition is linked to the fatigued condition (fatigued + fatigued = exhausted; exhausted + rest = fatigued), but it doesn't say that it includes the effects of fatigued.

228 Subquestion 1: Can a character be fatigued and exhausted at the same time (for example, by being subjected to an exhaustion effect and then subsequently being subjected to a fatigue effect)? If not, why not?

228 Subquestion 2: Can an exhausted character run or charge?

1. Being fatigued and exhausted at the same time is the same as being exhausted. It's an escalating condition, similar to fear.
2. Yes, it's an effect of both conditions.

[Zaq]

1. Being fatigued and exhausted at the same time is the same as being exhausted. It's an escalating condition, similar to fear.
2. Yes, it's an effect of both conditions.

Q 228 clarification

This seems to be implied, but I cannot find an actual citation for it in the rules. Can you please elaborate with rules text? My current feeling is that what you described is RAI (and also how I play at a real table) but, in another example of a rules dysfunction, RAW disagrees and never actually makes exhausted mutually exclusive with fatigued, nor does it explicitly roll the effects of fatigued into exhausted.

[YellowJohn]

Q229

What is the range of Warlock Invocations such as Cocoon of Refuse (Cityscape)?
I've hunted through the books but can't find a set range for anything except Eldrich Blast. Even the Handbooks haven't helped Me

[hamishspence]

Q229

What is the range of Warlock Invocations such as Cocoon of Refuse (Cityscape)?
I've hunted through the books but can't find a set range for anything except Eldrich Blast. Even the Handbooks haven't helped Me

A229: IMO, since it duplicates the entangle spell (it says "target is entangled" in italics) it uses that spell's range.

[Arkhios]

It's not one-handed or two-handed. Those categories only apply to melee weapons.

Again doesn't answer to my question, so I'll repeat

Q230a how many hands do you need to make the so-called attack with a net? Although net is not a melee weapon, surely you need to know how many hands you need to throw the net? I guess I could assume that unless it specifically says otherwise, like most projectiles do, all ranged weapons require only one hand to use effectively. But am I correct to assume so?

Q230b Likewise, how many hands do you need to control the rope of a net?

Q230c Can you use two-weapon fighting with a net and another weapon by RAW, without needing to take a feat from a certain book other than the one that introduced said weapon?

[H_H_F_F]

Again doesn't answer to my question, so I'll repeat

Q230a how many hands do you need to make the so-called attack with a net? Although net is not a melee weapon, surely you need to know how many hands you need to throw the net? I guess I could assume that unless it specifically says otherwise, like most projectiles do, all ranged weapons require only one hand to use effectively. But am I correct to assume so?

Q230b Likewise, how many hands do you need to control the rope of a net?

Q230c Can you use two-weapon fighting with a net and another weapon by RAW, without needing to take a feat from a certain book other than the one that introduced said weapon?

I thought both these answers were helpful

In 3.0, all weapons were thrown one-handed. Even weapons that were two-handed in melee, were one-handed at range. And took longer to throw - a full round action instead of a standard action - page 97, 3.0 PHB. Since the Net was Medium rather than Large, it took a standard action instead of a full round action to throw - which makes it the equivalent of a one-handed melee weapon.

3.5, however, removes all the "It is automatically thrown one-handed even if it's a two-handed weapon" text (But keeps "two handed weapons are more time consuming to throw").

However, if you extrapolate forward from 3.0, it's reasonable to conjecture that like in 3.0, nets are the equivalent of "Medium thrown weapons" which is "One-handed thrown weapons".

And to have them take a standard action, instead of a full-round action, to throw

I'm not having much luck turning up a definite answer, though Complete Warrior has a net & trident style feat... It's not exactly a direct RAW statement that nets are one-handed, but it does seem to imply that they are one-handed since the sole purpose of the feat is to grant additional options to a character using TWF to wield a net in conjunction with another weapon.

I'll add that the net and trident feat doesn't use language that implies TWFing with a net is unusual.

[Arkhios]

I thought both these answers were helpful

Oh, I must've missed hamishspence's response, as it wasn't replied directly to the original question.

I'll add that the net and trident feat doesn't use language that implies TWFing with a net is unusual.

Thanks. I didn't have the time to look it up myself yet.

Although, knowing that people behind different books have made mistakes before in how certain rules are supposed to interact with each other according to earlier books, I'm slightly suspicious of the implication, or lack thereof. But, RAW is RAW, and should be enough for this matter.

[Debatra]

A229: IMO, since it duplicates the entangle spell (it says "target is entangled" in italics) it uses that spell's range.

A 229 Contention Entangled is not just a spell, but also a condition. It doesn't specify, so there's no reason to think it duplicates the spell rather than just causing the condition.

[Silent Alarm]

Q231 Do Dedicated Wrights allow a character to overcome the limitation on crafting multiple magical items at once, or no?

A character can work on only one item at a time. If a character starts work on a new item, all materials used and XP spent on the under-construction item are wasted.

Item Creation (Su): A dedicated wright can perform the daily tasks related to item creation on behalf of its master. The master must meet (or emulate) all the prerequisites to create the desired item normally, and pays the gold and XP cost himself. The only cost a dedicated wright can help with is time. The master spends 1 hour initiating the process, channeling spell prerequisites into the dedicated wright, and paying the XP cost to make the item. He may then leave, allowing the wright to carry the process through to completion.

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 229 Contention Entangled is not just a spell, but also a condition. It doesn't specify, so there's no reason to think it duplicates the spell rather than just causing the condition.

Actually, there is even reason to think it does not duplicate the spell. If it was the case, the word would be spelled with its real name "entangle", not an adjective. When an invocation reproduces a spell, the vocabulary used is along the lines of "Can use name of spell, like the spell", with the spell always having its real and complete name written (afaik). It is even more evident with the numerous differences between the spell and the invocation (only one target, can get out with a standard action instead of a full-round one, 1 rd/level instead of 1 min/level... Cocoon of refuse is really the poor man's Entangle).

About the range, there is really no clear-cut range description in Cityscape, nor a default range for invocations. It is then up to you and your DM to decide that. (I would recommend long range, 400+40/lv, since the effect is already that much worse than Entangle, at least let the warlock spam it to prevent someone from escaping after a battle).

A 231
A character/creature can indeed only work on one item at a time, but a Dedicated Wright is a creature all its own, hence it can work on an item creation while its creator works on another.

[Blue Jay]

Again doesn't answer to my question, so I'll repeat

Q230a how many hands do you need to make the so-called attack with a net? Although net is not a melee weapon, surely you need to know how many hands you need to throw the net? I guess I could assume that unless it specifically says otherwise, like most projectiles do, all ranged weapons require only one hand to use effectively. But am I correct to assume so?

Q230b Likewise, how many hands do you need to control the rope of a net?

Q230c Can you use two-weapon fighting with a net and another weapon by RAW, without needing to take a feat from a certain book other than the one that introduced said weapon?

A 230
Here's a subsection of text from the "Two-Weapon Fighting" section of the Combat chapter (PHB, p. 160):

Ranged Weapons: The same rules apply when you throw or fire a weapon from each hand. Treat a dart or shuriken as a light weapon when used in this manner, and treat a bolas, javelin, net, or sling as a one-handed weapon.

At least for the purposes of TWF, a net count as a one-handed weapon.

[Elves]

A 229 Contention Entangled is not just a spell, but also a condition. It doesn't specify, so there's no reason to think it duplicates the spell rather than just causing the condition.

The word is italicized, so it is referencing a spell.

[Elves]

Q 232

Does an Iaijutsu Focus skill check have to be made after making your attack roll for the triggering attack? Is there any rule to help adjudicate this?

[St Fan]

Q 232

Does an Iaijutsu Focus skill check have to be made after making your attack roll for the triggering attack? Is there any rule to help adjudicate this?

A 232
Considering there would be no point in making the check if the attack roll is failed, it would naturally be made after the attack roll.

The text says "If you attack a flat-footed opponent immediately after drawing a melee weapon, you can deal extra damage, based on the result of an Iaijutsu Focus check." It quite clearly imply the check applies after with the "you can deal extra damage". (You don't have to, you make the check if you want and if the attack succeeded.)

[St Fan]

Q 233

The Expanded Knowledge class feature (notably of the Recaster prestige class, but from a few others too) adds a spell to the character's class list, with the limitation it has to be one level lower than the highest level of spell she can cast.

If the character takes the epic feat Improved Spell Capacity, and thus gain a 10th-level spell slot, upon gaining an even level of Recaster, can she thus pick a 9th-level spell with Expanded Knowledge?

Q 234
Without even tackling the Chameleon floating feat shenanigans, if a wizard pick the Extra Spell feat and thus write a spell from his spell list to his spellbook, can he retrain the feat next level with the spell staying unaltered on his spellbook?

[Troacctid]

Q 233

The Expanded Knowledge class feature (notably of the Recaster prestige class, but from a few others too) adds a spell to the character's class list, with the limitation it has to be one level lower than the highest level of spell she can cast.

If the character takes the epic feat Improved Spell Capacity, and thus gain a 10th-level spell slot, upon gaining an even level of Recaster, can she thus pick a 9th-level spell with Expanded Knowledge?

I would personally rule that if taking Improved Spell Capacity multiple times gives you access to 11th level slots, then taking it once should give you access to 9th level expanded knowledge, since they use the same wording. If you take the reading that says you need Improved Heighten Spell in order to count as being able to cast 10th or 11th level spells before you can use Improved Spell Capacity to gain slots above 10th level, then the same restriction would apply to expanded knowledge. Both interpretations are valid.

Q 234
Without even tackling the Chameleon floating feat shenanigans, if a wizard pick the Extra Spell feat and thus write a spell from his spell list to his spellbook, can he retrain the feat next level with the spell staying unaltered on his spellbook?

Yes, but only if you actually spent the time and materials to scribe it in there for reals. The "free" version you gained through the feat would be gone.

[loky1109]

Q235

About Control Shape skill.

Check (Involuntary Change): An afflicted character must make a check at moonrise each night of the full moon to resist
involuntarily assuming animal form. An injured character must also check for an involuntary change after accumulating enough damage to reduce his hit points by one-quarter and again after each additional one-quarter lost.

If afflicted lycanthrope takes damage enough to reduce his hit points by three-quarter with one single hit, how many checks does he need to make, one or three?

[ApologyFestival]

Q 236
About the psionic power psychic chirurgery.

Transfer Knowledge:If desired, you can use this power to directly transfer knowledge of a power you know to another psionic character. You can give a character knowledge of a power of any level that she can manifest[...]

If a psionic character has some means of manifesting powers of a level higher than their normal maximum power level known, can psychic chirurgery impart knowledge of powers of those higher levels?

As an example: Assume a psion is in a game where the 3.0 feat Heighten Power or the Mind Mage class feature of the same name are available, and has taken one them. The psion is 16th-level, and their normal maximum power level known is 8, but they have a manifester level of 20. Using Heighten Power, they can manifest one of their powers as a 9th-level power.

Since they can evidently manifest 9th-level powers, can psychic chirurgery give the psion knowledge of a 9th-level power?

[Troacctid]

Q235

About Control Shape skill.

If afflicted lycanthrope takes damage enough to reduce his hit points by three-quarter with one single hit, how many checks does he need to make, one or three?

One. You only check once each time a triggering event occurs.

Q 236
About the psionic power psychic chirurgery.



If a psionic character has some means of manifesting powers of a level higher than their normal maximum power level known, can psychic chirurgery impart knowledge of powers of those higher levels?

As an example: Assume a psion is in a game where the 3.0 feat Heighten Power or the Mind Mage class feature of the same name are available, and has taken one them. The psion is 16th-level, and their normal maximum power level known is 8, but they have a manifester level of 20. Using Heighten Power, they can manifest one of their powers as a 9th-level power.

Since they can evidently manifest 9th-level powers, can psychic chirurgery give the psion knowledge of a 9th-level power?

It depends on how you update Heighten Power to 3.5, since 3.0 psionics pretty much universally require revision. In 3.0, it would not have worked.

[Heavenblade]

Q237
Can you use the truespeak skill with telepathy? what about Ventriloquism spells etc.?
Basically, can you make a truespeak check without having a physical body or voice?

[Zaq]

Q237
Can you use the truespeak skill with telepathy? what about Ventriloquism spells etc.?
Basically, can you make a truespeak check without having a physical body or voice?

A237
No, you must speak in a voice as strong as a spellcaster using a verbal component.

[St Fan]

Q 238

A) I have seen on an Archivist Handbook that some posters were under the impression that, if you pick a prestige class adding a bonus domain while you are an archivist, that you'd gain bonus domain spells. But I seriously doubt it is RAW at all. Looking at the rules for Extra Domains in the Complete Divine, I've always thought that an extra domain for an archivist wouldn't have advantage spellwise (since all domain spells are already accessible), only adding the granted power. Which reading is correct?

B) On the other hand, another Archivist Handbook mention the Holt Warden prestige class, whose Plant Affinity feature is worded differently than an extra domain:

If you do not already have bonus domain spells, you now gain bonus spells from the Plant domain (see the cleric spellcasting feature, PH 32) as if you were a cleric with access to that domain.

So, does an archivist with a level of Holt Warden would get bonus domain spells in addition to their normal spells?

C) If B is correct, however, could such a character switch those bonus domain spells with a substitute domain spell (assuming access to other domains with other classes/prestige classes)? It is different from a standard domain, and the wording seems to restrict it strictly to Plant Domain spells.

[Thurbane]

Q 239

Not really a RAW question, but not worth it's own thread.

One of the Eberron books has a table of minor magical effects that can be added to magic items, and a flat cost for each. Minor stuff like "Wielders eyes glow, gain +1 to intimidate checks" and things like that.

Can anyone tell me which book and page(s) please?

A 239

Secrets of Xendrik p.157.

[Elves]

Q 240

Can energy drain or negative levels reduce your RHD?

If no, are there ways to reduce your RHD?

[loky1109]

Q 240
If no, are there ways to reduce your RHD?

A 240

Petitioners from MotP.

[Khedrac]

A 240 Yes if a negative level becomes permanent (e.g. you fail your save) it will reduce Racial Hit Dice (if you have no other hit dice).

Using this to get rid of unwanted hit dice and then level up in a class instead of hit dice is a standard medium to high-end optimisation technique; however the rules are silent on what happens when you level up in this situation so expect DM variation.

[Thurbane]

Q 241

Bit of a weird one, but may come up soon in my game: an intelligent Ioun Stone can use cure moderate wounds on wielder 3/day. Does the stone have to make contact with it's owner to use the power, or is the owner considered to be the "wielder" with the stone orbiting their head?