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Thespianus
2009-09-21, 07:59 AM
While looking for level 3 spells for my arcane rogue, I stumbled upon the spell Bite of the Wererat in SpC.

The spell gives +6 to Dex, +3 to natural armor and +2 to Con. It also gives me the Weapon Finesse feat (which I already have) and an extra Bite attack.

However, the spell description ends with: "If your base attack bonus is +6 or higher, you do not get additional attacks"

Does this refer to additional attacks with the bite attack? Or does it cut down on my number of actual attacks during a full round attack?

I'm not sure what to make of this last phrase, so please help me out here.

I'm a TWFing arcane rogue. At the next level, I will get 3rd level spells, and I also reach BAB 6, so I was hoping this spell would give me one more attack with the bite during a full round attack, ie Two attacks with my main weapon, one attack with my off-hand weapon (from TWF) and one bite attack. Is this correct?

Yuki Akuma
2009-09-21, 08:00 AM
It means with the bite attacks. It's just a reminder that natural weapons don't get iterative attacks from having a high BaB.

Thespianus
2009-09-21, 08:04 AM
It means with the bite attacks. It's just a reminder that natural weapons don't get iterative attacks from having a high BaB.

Ok, sweet. It looks like a very very very nice spell, then. :)

Thrawn183
2009-09-21, 10:20 AM
Pretty much all of the Bite of the X spells are very, very, very nice spells. Curse you Druids!

Sophismata
2009-09-22, 09:34 PM
Strictly speaking, you shouldn't get iterative attacks (only main/off/bite), but the bite spells are... oddly worded.

Myrmex
2009-09-22, 09:50 PM
Strictly speaking, you shouldn't get iterative attacks (only main/off/bite), but the bite spells are... oddly worded.

Yeah, due to the poor wording, I get this interpretation as well.

Thespianus
2009-09-24, 03:20 AM
Yeah, due to the poor wording, I get this interpretation as well.

Would be very odd with a buffing spell that cuts down on your number of attacks, but yes the wording is very very poor. Hence, this thread. ;)

Giving the caster less attacks can't possibly be the intended effect of the spell, can it?

Draz74
2009-09-24, 12:10 PM
Actually, I think it is.

It would make the spells a little more balanced, no? Not to mention -- focus them on what they were intended to do, namely make weak casters a little more competent in melee temporarily.

I mean, if you're a Wizard, losing your iterative attack isn't exactly a big concern. Even if you're high enough level to have an iterative attack. So the Bite of the X spells are pure win.

They also appear on the Druid list ... but Druids don't typically really care about their iterative attacks either. Natural weapons galore and all that.

So I always thought these spells actually were intended to mean "you don't get any iterative attacks," and were intended not to be as good for Gishes as they are for pure casters.

Thespianus
2009-09-24, 12:33 PM
If that's the case, I will pout for a while ;)