Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #37: 3d12+1

[St Fan]

Q 336

Mmmm...

Clothier's Closet

Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Bard 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2,
Components: V, S, M, A gem worth at least 100 gp.
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2levels)
Effect: One or more sets of clothes
Duration: 1 hour/level (D): see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

When you and your companions need to attend a gale reception at the last minute, you need not despair over your clothing. When you cast clothier's closet, you conjure a 3-inch-diameter wooden rod up to 10 feet long between any two upright supports you choose. For example, you could summon the rod between two walls of a corridor or alcove. On the rod hang a number of outfits as determined by you, each of a size and type you specify while the spell is cast.

The conjured rod can hold a variety of seperate outfits whose total price does not exceed 100 gp. The outfit types that you can specify include the following: artisan's outfit (1 gp), cleric's vestments (5 gp), cold weather outfit (8 gp), courtier's outfit (30 gp), entertainer's outfit (3 gp), explorer's outfit (10 gp), monk's outfit (5 gp), noble's outfit (75 gp), scholar's outfit (5 gp), or traveler's outift (1 gp).

The conjured clothing is normal in all respects and does not radiate magic. Even after the duration elapses and the rod and hangers disappear, the clothes remain.

Special: A character with any Mark of Hospitality dragonmark, or with the Favored in House feat (Ghallanda), can cast this spell without the material components, but the conjured clothes last only as long as the spell's duration.

A) Considering the clothes created by this spell when cast normally keep existing after the duration is over, should they be considered the result of an instantaneous effect? And thus, be immune to a dispel magic or antimagic field?

B) If the spell is instead cast through the mentioned dragonmark or feat (and thus without material components), are those clothes vulnerable to dispel magic or antimagic field?

C) The spell being a 2nd-level Conjuration (Creation), it can be duplicated by shadow conjuration. In this case, will the quasi-real clothes disappear when the spell duration expires?

[Venger]

A 336a The duration is given and isn't instantaneous, but as far as how they should be treated, you're correct. The spell is no longer in effect (hence specifying the clothes do not radiate magic) and it is impossible to suppress or dispel through dispel magic, amf, etc.

A336b Since the clothes only persist until the spell duration runs out, the spell would be up during this period and it could be dispelled normally. Once the duration runs out, the clothes disappear, so they would not be around to dispel afterwards.

A336c Except as noted, shadow conjuration defaults to the spell's normal variables, so no. They only disappear when you use the mark of hospitality or favored in house. Aping the spell through shadow conjuration or otherwise casting it as a sla ignores this. Nice find.

Beware that anyone who makes their save will see them as "transparent images," so wear a slip or undershirt or something underneath if your character cares about that.

[Inevitability]

Beware that anyone who makes their save will see them as "transparent images," so wear a slip or undershirt or something underneath if your character cares about that.

The emperor has no clothes (but the DC to disbelieve them is pretty high so it's probably fine)

[Venger]

"Your terms sound fine, emissary, but before I sign anything, would you answer one question?"

"Of course, majesty."

"What color is the dress?"

[Khedrac]

Q336 - A336b Query

Venger, the quoted spell states: "The conjured clothing is normal in all respects and does not radiate magic. Even after the duration elapses and the rod and hangers disappear, the clothes remain" so your answer to part b does not make sense. Would you care to have another go?

I don't know the Ebberon stuff, so unless using a dragonmark gives a duration even to created (instantaneous) objects that is?

[Venger]

Q336 - A336b Query

Venger, the quoted spell states: "The conjured clothing is normal in all respects and does not radiate magic. Even after the duration elapses and the rod and hangers disappear, the clothes remain" so your answer to part b does not make sense. Would you care to have another go?

I don't know the Ebberon stuff, so unless using a dragonmark gives a duration even to created (instantaneous) objects that is?

No, because the "special" section, which 336b is asking about says:

Special: A character with any Mark of Hospitality dragonmark, or with the Favored in House feat (Ghallanda), can cast this spell without the material components, but the conjured clothes last only as long as the spell's duration.

[St Fan]

Q 337

Another specific spell question.

Defenestrating Sphere

Evocation [Air]
Level: Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4,
Components: V, S, AF,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: 2-ft.-radius sphere
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

From the pearl you hold between your thumb and ring finger erupts a cloudy gray sphere of whirling air and howling wind that flies to attack your enemies.

When you cast this spell, you create a violently swirling sphere of air. As a move action, you can make the sphere travel up to 30 ft. per round and strike a creature or object you indicate as a ranged touch attack. Any creature struck by the sphere takes 3d6 points of damage from the force of its winds. In addition, Medium or smaller creatures must succeed on a Fortitude save or be knocked prone. Creatures that fall prone must then succeed on a second Fortitude save or be swept up by the sphere and driven 1d8×10 feet into the air, dropping 1d6 squares from their original position in a random direction and taking falling damage as normal. If a window is within range, the subject is automatically thrown in that direction.

If some obstacle prevents the subject creature from reaching its expelled height, it takes 1d6 for every 10 feet of movement it was unable to complete, so that a creature hurled 50 feet up in a room with a 20-foot ceiling would take 3d6 points of damage from the impact, then take 2d6 points of damage when it falls back to the ground.

The sphere can affect a maximum of one creature or object per round, and winks out if it exceeds the spell's range.

Focus: a gray pearl worth at least 100 gp.

I have some difficulties parsing how this spell would affect a swarm.

On the one hand, it targets a single creature each round, and swarms are not significantly affected by single-target spells. On the other hand...

Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures.

So, am I right to think that a swarm of Tiny creatures will be largely unaffected (they probably wave around the sphere and avoid it, except for a few unlucky members getting swept out, but not enough to reduce the swarm's hit points), but that swarms of Diminutive or Fine creatures will actually take damage?

And what about the "fall prone" or "swept up" secondary effects? As a rule, swarms cannot be tripped, but would this apply here? Could a whole swarm be swept up this way?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 337 High winds "such as those created by Gust of Wind" most likely refers to winds with given speed, described in Weather effects. Defenestrating Sphere doesn't create that sort of wind. Even if it did, all the wind effects, from prone to being swept up, are subordinated to being struck by the sphere. So this is an effect affecting a fixed number of creature (only one), and the swarm is unaffected, whatever its size.

[St Fan]

A 337 High winds "such as those created by Gust of Wind" most likely refers to winds with given speed, described in Weather effects.

That's your interpretation, but I honestly doubt it is any RAW. Any spell creating high winds should fall into this category, IMO.

[Thurbane]

Q 338

Are there any rules listed for harvesting poison from a living, or slain, creature?

[St Fan]

Q 338

Are there any rules listed for harvesting poison from a living, or slain, creature?

A 338
There are some mentions in the Book of Vile Darkness, section Evil Equipment - Poison. Since it's a 3.0 book, I'm pretty sure there exist updated rules to 3.5 somewhere, but I can't remember which book (I would have bet on Complete Scoundrel, but didn't find it on a cursory check).

Basically, it is covered by the Craft[poisonmaking] skill. The book explains that you can't create poison just by harvesting toxins from living or slain creatures, but having them at hand as raw material seriously reduces the crafting cost of the poison.

[Inevitability]

A338

Drow of the Underdark has rules, I recall!

[St Fan]

Q 339

Nifty feat from Dragon Magazine:

ARCANE SHORTHAND [GENERAL]
You discovered a shorthand method for recording spells in spellbooks.

Benefit: You scribe spells in a spellbook using a shorthand that lets you transcribe faster and to occupy less space than normal. This shorthand cuts in half the time required to write a spell in a spellbook. Such spells also take up half as many pages and require half as much of the special materials normally used.
The Spellcraft DC to learn or prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook written in shorthand equals 25 + spell level.

Special: A spellbook written with this method holds more spells and is thus worth more than a normal spellbook of the same number of pages.
A wizard may take Arcane Shorthand as a wizard bonus feat.

Normal: The Spellcraft DC to learn or prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook equals 15 + spell level.

A) If I read correctly, 0th- or 1st-level spells copied with this technique only take half a page of a spellbook, right? Hence, you could scribe two such spells on one page...

B) Since it only covers the part about scribing the spells, and it is possible to learn or prepare spells written in shorthand without the feat (just with a higher Spellcraft DC), if a wizard takes the feat, scribes some spells in shorthand in her spellbook, and then retrains the feat for another, she still will have no trouble preparing those spells, right?

[Venger]

A 339a Yes.
A 339b Yes.

[ciopo]

Q340

is the feat shape soulmeld enough to qualify for the feat double chakra, if the creature taking it has 18 or more HD / is taking it with his 18th level feat?

[NecroDancer]

Q 341

So a third level cleric will be able to cast 3 first level spells and 2 second level spells

While a third level wizard will only be able to cast 2 first level spells and 1 second level spell?

It just seems odd to be that a cleric will be able to out-magic the wizard. Am I missing something from the rules?

[Gorthawar]

Q342
Does the improved summoning ability a master of shrouds gets at level 5 increase the strength damage a summoned shadow deals to 1d6+2? Would desecrate increase it further to 1d6+3 or 4? Or is the extra damage just negative energy?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 340 Yes.

A 341 Among other things‚ wizards can specialize in a school and gain bonus spells at each spell level.

A 342 Desecrate and Improved Summoning are not bonus damage‚ but bonus to damage rolls (even "bonus damage deals negative energy damage" only applies to Sneak Attack RAW). They do deal additional ability damage (or drain‚ in the case of an allip‚ for example).

[Shockwave]

Q343

N00b question here.

What is the caster level in the following scenario

Beguiler 5 with additional 11 Spell progression levels (Mindbender 1, Ultimate Magus 10 )
Enchanter 5 with 14 Spell progression levels (5 Master Specialist, 7 Ultimate Magus, 2 Racial Paragon)
with Feat - Theurgic Specialist

When casting
A, Beguiler Spells (20? )
B, Enchanter Spells (23? )
C, Enchantment Spells ?

[Beni-Kujaku]

A 343 Your total number of level is Wizard 5/Beguiler 5/Racial Paragon 2/Mindbender 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Master Specialist 5, equivalent character level 28. In the general case, you'd cast your Beguiler spells at level 16 (5+11), your wizard spells at level 19 (5+14), and your enchantment spells at level 35 (16+19).

But since you seem to have Practiced Spellcaster (since you think your Beguiler spells are cast at level 20), then your caster level (and only it, Practiced Spellcaster doesn't allow your Beguiler side to cast 9th level spells) increases by 4. You cast Beguiler spells at CL 20 and wizard spells at level 23. Practiced Spellcaster doesn't apply to your enchantment spells since their caster level is already higher than your character level. You cast your enchantment spells at CL 35.

[Shockwave]

A 343 Your total number of level is Wizard 5/Beguiler 5/Racial Paragon 2/Mindbender 1/Ultimate Magus 10/Master Specialist 5, equivalent character level 28. In the general case, you'd cast your Beguiler spells at level 16 (5+11), your wizard spells at level 19 (5+14), and your enchantment spells at level 35 (16+19).

But since you seem to have Practiced Spellcaster (since you think your Beguiler spells are cast at level 20), then your caster level (and only it, Practiced Spellcaster doesn't allow your Beguiler side to cast 9th level spells) increases by 4. You cast Beguiler spells at CL 20 and wizard spells at level 23. Practiced Spellcaster doesn't apply to your enchantment spells since their caster level is already higher than your character level. You cast your enchantment spells at CL 35.

There is no Practised Spell here, just the +4 CL bonus from Arcane Spell Power (Ultimate Magus 10)

[Beni-Kujaku]

There is no Practised Spell here, just the +4 CL bonus from Arcane Spell Power (Ultimate Magus 10)

In that case‚ same‚ but 39 for enchantment spells. That bonus isn't part of a class‚ so it doesn't get added by Theurgy

[St Fan]

Q 344

Unlike Carmedine Monk, which is stricter, the Kung Fu Genius feat has one single effect: "You use your Intelligence modifier rather than Wisdom modifier for all monk special abilities that normally rely on Wisdom."

I have seen this interpreted as also concerning feats if they are taken as Monk bonus feats, such as Stunning Fist. Is it fully RAW? Are bonus feats really "monk special abilities"?

[Thurbane]

Q 345

Sorry if I've asked this before, but can you sneak attack with alchemist's fire? It's a ranged touch attack for a direct hit, so I assume yes (if you are within 30 feet and meet other SA criteria)?

[Venger]

A 345 Correct. Alchemist's fire is not different from any other weapon, so can be used as a precision damage vector normally assuming the other conditions are met.

[St Fan]

A 345 Correct. Alchemist's fire is not different from any other weapon, so can be used as a precision damage vector normally assuming the other conditions are met.

Oh boy, you're right... That also means you can sneak-attack an undead with holy water if coupled with the grave strike spell...

Wait...

Q 346
Does a Ranger also add his favored enemy bonus to damage on an alchemist's fire or holy water attack?

[Venger]

A 346 It's a weapon damage roll, so yes.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Q 347 Do precision damage apply to splash damage?

[Troacctid]

Q 347 Do precision damage apply to splash damage?

No, only to target that you struck directly.

[Nezkrul]

Q 348

Splatbook Interraction Complete Warrior + Races of Stone

Bear Warrior prc (Complete Warrior, pg 16) and Mountain Rage class feature of Goliath Barbarian racial substitution (Races of Stone, pg 150)

Assume my character is level 1 Bear Warrior and at least level 1 Goliath Barbarian

When he rages, is he a large-sized black bear (with just the stat gains afforded by each individual class feature, and nothing more)?

Or is he just a medium black bear, with the +2 extra strength from mountain rage?