Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #36: The Triple Dozen

[Troacctid]

Q417: If you put on a Necklace of Adaptation, and then jump into the water, do you get wet?

As far as I'm aware, the only mechanical effect of wetness is to make you more vulnerable to hypothermia. Since the necklace provides no special protection against freezing water beyond preventing you from drowning in it, it's reasonable to assume you still get wet, despite being sheathed in a thin shell of fresh air.

[ciopo]

Q418

is there some proper, RAW compliant way to assign skill ranks to level-adjusted animal companions? it bothers me a lot that a lot of them don't have starting skill ranks that match with how many skill ranks they're supposed to have for the amount of HD they have, do I just accept that they have more/less skill ranks that they are supposed ot have and add the appropriate amount of ranks depending on how many HD it's being advanced for?

[Thurbane]

A 418

I think the only real answer to this is "Ask your DM".

Personally, I think it would be a fairly reasonable request to ask a DM to correct a stat block error by assigning the correct number of skill ranks that a creature is supposed to have by its type, HD and Int modifier, so long as the skills selected are inline with what already appears in the stat block.

[St Fan]

Q 419

As far as the description of a spell goes, are "the spell fail if X" and "the spell has no effect if X" the same thing?

For example, if a caster cast a wings of the sea spell (which gives a speed swim bonus, but only if you already have swim speed) on a creature that has no swim speed, does the spell fail, or does is it still active for its duration, simply having no effect?

In this case, if the subject uses some transformation afterward, such as alter self, to gain a swim speed, does he receive the wings of the sea bonus?

[Debatra]

A 419

A spell that fails does nothing. It fizzles out, or whatever other flavor text you may wish to assign similar to a spellcaster being interrupted or what have you.

A spell that has no effect also "does nothing", but is still active and may potentially have an effect later, such as a Contingency.

For your specific Wings of the Sea example, it is in the latter category.

[Morof Stonehands]

Q420

Lightning bolt has an area of 120 ft. line.

Player's Handbook pg. 175-176 says: A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a line in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and extends to the limit of its range or until it strikes a barrier that blocks line of effect. A line-shaped spell affects all creatures in squares that the line passes through.

So if a character fires their lightning bolt straight ahead, does it affect a 10 ft. wide line 120 ft. long, since both squares on either side touch the line, or do you choose a side for it to affect?

[Khedrac]

A420 Both - i.e. 10' wide.

[Thurbane]

Q 421

Is a spellcaster using the effect of a Spider Climb spell (say, hanging from a wall or ceiling) hampered in casting spells with somatic or material components?

[Venger]

A 421 No. ten characters

[Khedrac]

A 421 extra Spider climb requires the recipient to use at least one hand to hang on to the surface which leaves one free for spellcasting, however if they are holding something in that hand (e.g. a weapon or a lantern) then they no longer have a hand free for spellcasting.

[bekeleven]

I was looking for ways to create (using some base materials and Fabricate) several items required to help me cast spells: Components, foci, etc. Along the way I ran into a few RAW ambiguities and I've been bashing my head against them since.

The main issue is that some Transmute X to Y (or equivalent spells, like Stone Metamorphosis or PaO) are Duration: Permanent while others are Duration: Instantaneous and I have this nagging feeling that that's significant. The main difference is that something permanently transmuted isn't really the new thing, you know? It's just so good at pretending that it can keep pretending as long as nobody calls it out. So, onto my questions.

1. Q422A I take some stone. I cast Transmute Stone to Sand (Duration: Permanent). I cast Transmute Sand to Glass (Duration: Permanent). Is this legal?
2. Q422B (assuming yes,) I cast Dispel Magic. It dispels the Transmute Stone to Sand, but not Transmute Sand to Glass. What happens?
3. Q422C If a spell "Pocket Sand" has a material component "A pocket of sand," can I use transmuted stone to fulfill that? Assume that the original stone wasn't created by one of the spells that says "This can't be used as a material component."
4. Q422D What if I need sand as a focus for a spell, instead? Again, neither components nor foci were called out in any of the involved spells, but it does feel like components are called out enough more that their rulings could be more restrictive.

[ciopo]

Q423 Can a rage mage use Tome of battle manouvers that require concentration checks while in a spell rage? more in general, are there ways to be allowed to use diamond mind manouvers while raging?

[Venger]

A 422a Yes
A 422b Nothing
A 422c Yes.
A 422d You may use it normally.
A 423 There is no restriction on any use of the concentration skill while in a spell rage, so you can use tob maneuvers normally while spell raging.

As to your second question, if they use concentration, rage precludes using them. For diamond mind maneuvers that do not require concentration, they work normally.

[Thurbane]

Q 424

Can a Favored Soul with the Magical Training feat (and has selected Sorcerer-type casting for the feat) use the Arcane Preparation feat to memorize Sanctified spells in their Favored Soul spell slots?

[Arparrabiosa]

Q 425

What happens when I cast Deeper Darkness near a character that has Luminous Armor active?

[Troacctid]

Q 425

What happens when I cast Deeper Darkness near a character that has Luminous Armor active?

Since it sheds light as daylight, otherwise prevailing light conditions exist in the overlapping area, per the former's spell description.

Q 424

Can a Favored Soul with the Magical Training feat (and has selected Sorcerer-type casting for the feat) use the Arcane Preparation feat to memorize Sanctified spells in their Favored Soul spell slots?

No. While this trick allows you to sneak Arcane Preparation onto a divine caster, it still only allows you to prepare spells you know. You'd have to find a way to get sanctified spells on your spells known list.

[ShurikVch]

Q 426

On the base of one old question:

Q 352

Is there a Gith or Githyanki subtype, for races such as Githyanki?

Q 352 B

Does every humanoid race have a racial subtype?

Here is the relevant rule.

Various subtypes further differentiate creatures of the humanoid type. These subtypes include the likes of dwarf, elf, human, orc, and so on. Although a creature of a specific race might not have a subtype noted in its statistics, it has the subtype associated with its race.

A) What's to do with humanoid races which are descendants from two different races (such as numerous "Half-<something>") if they don't have the subtype listed? Which one should we use?
B) Incarnate Construct, Create Faux Human, and Greater Humanoid Essence spells are all producing Humanoids (even if just temporary - like in latter case). Should those newly-created Humanoids get subtypes? (And, if "yes", which ones?)
C) Lesser Planetouched are Humanoids too - thus, similar question...

[St Fan]

Q 427

Rereading the section of the Augment Crystals on the Magic Item Compendium, I realize I had assumed that said crystals being affixed to a weapon or armor was a magical property of them, but that isn't so clearly indicated in the text.

So, does an augment crystal magically sticks to its armor or weapon, or does it have to be actually fixated with string, clamp, glue, or some other mundane method?

[Venger]

A 427 They are self-adhesive. You are not required to hold them on with string, glue, tape, etc.

[St Fan]

A 427 They are self-adhesive. You are not required to hold them on with string, glue, tape, etc.

Thanks.

Q 427 B: If it's the case, though, does that mean an Augment Crystal will un-stick from its weapon or armor if you enter an anti-magic field?

[Venger]

A 427b No. ten characters

[Asmotherion]

Q 428:

Would Mind Blank prevent an undead from being controled by a Control/Command Undead spell? What about a Cleric's Rebuke?

[Venger]

A 428 No and no.

[Merovech]

Q429 Are there any ACFs or other rage replacements that a barbarian would still be able to use after becoming lawful, besides the one from Unearthed Arcana that replaces rage with favored enemy and archery combat style?

Thank you!

[Zaq]

Q429 Are there any ACFs or other rage replacements that a barbarian would still be able to use after becoming lawful, besides the one from Unearthed Arcana that replaces rage with favored enemy and archery combat style?

Thank you!

A 429 Not directly, but there are several ways to get rage or a rage-like ability on a lawful character without using barbarian and therefore avoiding the clause about ex-barbarians. (Be warned, these methods are generally annoying in one way or another.)

[bekeleven]

A429 I looked around a little and I don't see any issues with having Berserker Strength or Ferocity.

[St Fan]

Q 430

Spell immunity and greater spell immunity grant "[t]he warded creature effectively has unbeatable spell resistance regarding the specified spell or spells."

However, what happen if the spell selected specifies "Spell Resistance: No" in its stat block? Can spell immunity still protect against such?

[Venger]

A 430 No: ten characters

Naturally, that immunity doesn’t protect a creature from spells for which spell resistance doesn’t apply.

[sreservoir]

A 430

The warded creature effectively has unbeatable spell resistance regarding the specified spell or spells. Naturally, that immunity doesn’t protect a creature from spells for which spell resistance doesn’t apply.

No.

[Thurbane]

Q 431

Looking for a rules citation. My current DM is ruling that you must have material components in hand and a free hand to manipulate them to cast spells which require material components.

I was almost certain that simply having them on your person, such as in a spell component pouch, sufficed.

Am I wrong? If I'm not wrong, can I please have citations to present to my DM?