Simple Q&A D&D 3.5 (by RAW) XXI

(This is a fairly high procedure thread; please read the entire instructions carefully before posting. Thanks.)

Ever have a simple, straight-forward rules question that you can’t figure out the answer to? Ask it here. No question is too simple. No more worrying about whether your question is “worth” starting a thread. Ask here and receive an answer. You are, of course, welcome to start a thread for your question, and if you think your question is subject to many interpretations or will start a debate, you are encouraged to start a new thread for it.

This thread will serve as a catch-all for simple, discreet questions that can be answered quickly according to the RAW (Rules As Written). This thread is for all simple RAW questions about D&D 3.5. If your question is not about the RAW for 3.5, please look in the appropriate threads in the appropriate forums.


The Procedure:

Do:
Label your questions with bold Q#s.
Label your answers with the bold Q# that you are responding to and/or quote the question.
Be sure that your answer is correct before you post it; if you are the least bit uncertain, just let it pass and get the next one.
Try to give your answers in as clear and straightforward terms as possible.
Feel free to quote or link to relevant rules in the SRD, Errata, or FAQ that supports your answer. (You may want to give your answer and then modify it to add support – otherwise someone else may answer while you’re assembling yours.)
Specify if your question is for a system other than D&D (the default for this thread).

Don’t:
Ask Homebrew rules questions here.
Ask trick questions or attempt to “stump the panel,” so to speak.
Answer a question that’s already been answered.
Offer contradictions, clarifications, exceptions, or extensions of prior answers unless, in your opinion, the answer give is plainly and completely wrong.
Post to debate the answers given.
Post to carry on other conversations whether tangentially related or wholly unrelated.

Dispute Resolution Procedure:
If you dispute someone’s answer – meaning that they got it wrong in a critical fashion – post your answer and suggest that the original questioner start a thread to discuss it further if they want it hashed out.
If someone disputes your answer, don’t respond. Just wait to see if the original questioner starts a new thread to discuss it.
If your question leads to a disputed answer, start a new thread if you’d like it discussed further.

Here are some sample questions. “Bad” questions just mean they should be asked in their own thread where you can get many answers and opinions. “Good” questions just mean that these are the types of questions that are amenable to a quick straightforward answer (probably).

Sample “Bad” Questions:
How do I play D&D? (Great question, but not for this thread.)
What is a good 10 level TWF build? (Far too broad and requires much opinion)
What +2 LA race should I take for my sorcerer build? (Again, an opinion question)
Which is better GURPS or D&D?

Sample “Good” Questions:
Q.1. Are there any Large +0 LA races?
Q.2. As a sorcerer/rogue, do I get to add sneak attack damage to my attack spells?
Q.3. What effect would Dispel Magic have on a golem or similar construct?
Q.4. Is there a feat that allows me to get a familiar?

{The first several versions of this thread seemed to run pretty efficiently, but if you have any comments about how this thread could be improved please PM me.}

Please start over with the numbering. Thanks.

Q 1

By RAW, if you make a minor image of wailing ghosts, when does interaction occur and when does the save need to be rolled? Is it as soon as the wailing is heard? If so, what about a major image of a marching army. The audio would be heard, thus need to save?

A 1
There is no strict RAW definition for 'interaction' with illusions - it is up to the DM. Skip Williams, one of the designers, has posted a number of articles on Illusions in Rules of the Game. The section governing interaction is here.

A 001

There is no interaction involved in simply seeing or hearing illusions; that's dictated by the nature of the reactive skill checks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Spot

Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to spot something in a reactive manner you can make a Spot check without using an action. Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Listen

Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to hear something in a reactive manner (such as when someone makes a noise or you move into a new area), you can make a Listen check without using an action. Trying to hear something you failed to hear previously is a move action.

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Saving Throws and Illusions (Disbelief)

Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion.

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A saving throw would be required if a character tried to interact with the illusion (either physically, or by attempting to engage it verbally), or if they took the time to study it carefully (used move action Spot and/or Listen checks to notice anything they missed in their reactive checks). Reactive checks take no action and thus occur when the sights or sounds initially occur (usually someone else's turn: in this case, that of the spellcaster casting the illusion). Studying carefully is done on the character's turn.

Q 2

Are there any outsiders that represent guardians/spirits/forces of nature or animals that have druid casting or SLAs of Druid-esque spells?

Is it possible to change a creature's type by using wish/miracle? For example I am an human wizard 20 and I want to be an outsider (or anything else). Can I cast wish and ask to become an outsider?

A 003 Maybe.

Changing creature type is beyond the listed capabilities of Wish and thus subject to DM whim. From page 150 of Savage Species:

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Casting wish to become a new kind of creature, with full access to all extraordinary, spell-like, and supernatural abilities (see End Result, below), while retaining Intelligence, memory, and personality, falls under the “wishing for greater effects” rules in the spell description. While this is the quickest method of transformation and potentially the least expensive, it has substantial risks.

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Miracle is a request to a deity, and as such is also subject to DM judgment. Unlike Wish, Miracle does not have a perverted outcome chance.

Q 4

If you fail a Use Magic Device check, does the scroll become useless/the wand lose a charge?

Q 5

Can you take 20 on a UMD roll?

A 4

Not generally. If you roll a natural 1 on your UMD check and fail to activate the item, you cannot try to activate that item again for 24 hours. Failing to activate a wand does not cost you a charge.

A 5

No, because there are sometimes consequences if you fail (see above). As a side note, you normally cannot even Take 10 on Use Magic Device.

A 4 Only if you fail the UMD check to activate the device by 10 or more

From the SRD:

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If you fail by 10 or more, you suffer a mishap. A mishap means that magical energy gets released but it doesn’t do what you wanted it to do. The default mishaps are that the item affects the wrong target or that uncontrolled magical energy is released, dealing 2d6 points of damage to you. This mishap is in addition to the chance for a mishap that you normally run when you cast a spell from a scroll that you could not otherwise cast yourself.

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Scroll mishaps can be avoided by a DC 5 wisdom check, on which a natural 1 always fails.

A 5 No.

Taking 20 can only be done when, among other things, the the skill being attempted carries no penalties for failure. In addition to the chance for mishap above, rolling a natural 1 means the character cannot attempt to use the device again for 24 hours.

A 4 Addendum

The Failing by 10 or more mishap only applies to activating an item blindly (i.e. not knowing the command word). It does not apply to scrolls and wands.

The avoidable scroll mishap only happens if the user matches all requirements except caster level and fails the caster level check. If use UMD you never make a caster level check.

A003 - additional

The reincarnate spell specifically says that, if reincarnation resulted in a character becoming a form than his/her original, Wish can be used to reinstate the original form. This does not apply to the Q003 scenario as stated.

Q 6
Is there any way for a cleric to do ranged healing spells?

A6
Several - for example there's the Reach Spell metamagic feat - but that means you will need to make ranged touch spells to target your party at a distance.
There are the ranged healing spells - Insignia of Healing, Mass Cure X, Healing Spirit etc.
Technically a Warweaver who also knows healing magics can pump them through the weave.

If you want more ideas this is probably worth its own thread in the forum, the scope is a bit on the broad side to cover here.

Q 7

Is here a way for a sorcerer to quicken his spells? Can he use a metamagic rod of quicken?

A 7

Yes, if you use the alternative spontaneous metamagic systems described on p.151 of Unearthed Arcana.

The rules for metamagic rods specify that a sorcerer must still take a full-round action when using one, so a quicken metamagic rod would be fairly useless to a sorcerer.

q8
If a Universal Item gives use of a Power (such as a Skin of the Claw), what is the augmentation considered to be? None? PP=Manifester level (as a Psi-like ability)?

Q9

On Warlocks and Spel-llike abilities (But also others)

A: Can a person use Spellcraft to know what a Warlock is casting is (or any other spell-like ablities)

B: Also "Spel-llike ablilities can be dispelled but not counted" Does this mean that if you "Ready" a Dispell magic to counter would it work?

Cheers

A7 part 2 suggestion
There's a feat somewhere "Rapid Metamagic" that shortens their metamagic time I think - with that you might be able then to quicken. I do not have books to hand so cannot be certain.

A9
A: Yes, but the DC will be harder than for a spell, probably DM's call for how much - may just get what spellthe SLA is the equivalent of but not the full details.
B: If you ready a Dispel Magic to oppose a warlock's spell like ability then you make a dispel check to see if you dispel it as it takes effect. The DM may rule that instantaneous ones still get to take effect (though I would not).

A 9B correction

Instantaneous effects cannot be dispelled. The magic is already gone.

Also, you cannot Ready an action to dispel because your action preemts the enemy's casting. That's what counterspelling is all about. What you CAN do is wait until after a spell or spell-like ability with a duration is used and then dispel it.

Q10

I was wondering - how many feats or class features let you substitute one ability score for another? I heard there are few of them, but what exactly are their names? What are their prequisities? In which books I can find them?

A10: see the "X Stat to Y bonus" thread for details.

A 8The skin of the claw does not grant the use of a power, it grants a specific benefit as per the item description. It cannot be augmented.

The Skin of the Claw, although it grants an ability similar to the claws of the beast power, does not specify that you are granted a use (or uses) of the power. The item has the exact effect specified. Even if an item specifically grants the use of a power (for example, a power completion item like a dorje), it usually cannot be augmented, unless the item explicitly permits you do to so or you have a feat that allows you to do so (usually by expending additional charges) (although I do not think such feats exist for powers, only spells).

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Originally Posted by mattie_p

A 8The skin of the claw does not grant the use of a power, it grants a specific benefit as per the item description. It cannot be augmented.

The Skin of the Claw, although it grants an ability similar to the claws of the beast power, does not specify that you are granted a use (or uses) of the power. The item has the exact effect specified. Even if an item specifically grants the use of a power (for example, a power completion item like a dorje), it usually cannot be augmented, unless the item explicitly permits you do to so or you have a feat that allows you to do so (usually by expending additional charges) (although I do not think such feats exist for powers, only spells).

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I think you misunderstood the question. I asked if Universal Items with a CL higher than needed to manifest a power (like Boots of Stomping), have that power augmented alreddy like a dorjes ("However, dorjes can be created at a higher manifester level than required to manifest the power. In this case, the dorje that holds an augmentable power is augmented, to the limit of the manifester level and the power’s augmentation maximums"), not if they can be augmented by a users PP ("A dorje’s wielder cannot augment the power contained within the dorje").

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Originally Posted by KillianHawkeye

A 9B correction

Instantaneous effects cannot be dispelled. The magic is already gone.

Also, you cannot Ready an action to dispel because your action preemts the enemy's casting. That's what counterspelling is all about. What you CAN do is wait until after a spell or spell-like ability with a duration is used and then dispel it.

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so you can not dispell an eldrich blast or a spell-like ability that has an instant effect?

Q 11

Does the Blindsense ability allow you to detect incorporeal creatures? The description of incorporability mentions lack of smell, sound and a physical body, while Blindsense suggests the use of scent or echolocation. I´m stumped.

A 011 Usually no.

Blindsense lets a creature detect something it cannot see. Incorporeal creatures generally have no manifestations except visual. However, an incorporeal creature manifesting on the Material Plane can decide to create sounds, and in that case blindsense will work as specified.

A 9 Clarifications

Lets start with the counter spell section of the SRD for handyness, then I'll get on the answers.

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Counterspells

It is possible to cast any spell as a counterspell. By doing so, you are using the spell’s energy to disrupt the casting of the same spell by another character. Counterspelling works even if one spell is divine and the other arcane.

How Counterspells Work

To use a counterspell, you must select an opponent as the target of the counterspell. You do this by choosing the ready action. In doing so, you elect to wait to complete your action until your opponent tries to cast a spell. (You may still move your speed, since ready is a standard action.)

If the target of your counterspell tries to cast a spell, make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the spell’s level). This check is a free action. If the check succeeds, you correctly identify the opponent’s spell and can attempt to counter it. If the check fails, you can’t do either of these things.

To complete the action, you must then cast the correct spell. As a general rule, a spell can only counter itself. If you are able to cast the same spell and you have it prepared (if you prepare spells), you cast it, altering it slightly to create a counterspell effect. If the target is within range, both spells automatically negate each other with no other results.

Counterspelling Metamagic Spells

Metamagic feats are not taken into account when determining whether a spell can be countered

Specific Exceptions

Some spells specifically counter each other, especially when they have diametrically opposed effects.

Dispel Magic as a Counterspell

You can use dispel magic to counterspell another spellcaster, and you don’t need to identify the spell he or she is casting. However, dispel magic doesn’t always work as a counterspell.

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You cannot "dispel" an instant effect, because there is nothing left to dispel, it already happened.

Dispel magic however can be used to counterspell when readied as an action, to interrupt spellcasting, even if you've failed to identify the spell. However unlike when using the correct (or correctly opposed) spell, a dispel magic counter spell attempt might fail.

This doesn't matter for the eldritch blast example however since you can not counterspell SLA's, or Su's.

SLA's are like spells in all other ways, so you could identify with a spellcraft check as normal. Su's are not, and would probably be some other kind of knowledge check, but here we stray into "ask your DM" territory.

Q12
Can I enter the Ultimate Magus PrC from Complete Mage if I have taken Eidetic Spellcaster from Dragon Magazine?

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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks.
Feats: Any metamagic feat.
Spellcasting: Able to spontaneously cast 1st-level arcane
spells, able to prepare and cast 2nd-level arcane spells
from a spellbook.

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In my mind the Eidetic still prepares spells the same way, just without the book itself.

Q13
I remember hearing about a Rogue variant (either an ACF or an entirely altered class similar to the Unearthed Arcana variants, though not in that book) which gives up some amount of Sneak Attack to gain some fighter bonus feats and possibly a d8 or so hit die. Does anyone know where I can find such a class? UA gives the Fighter variant "Thug" which gets more skills than a normal fighter but still no Sneak Attack; I was looking for something one step closer to Rogue on the same continuum.