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

[LibraryOgre]

(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 about D&D 4e or some other system, ask here
If your question is about real world weapons and armor ask it here.
If your question is about homebrew rulings start a thread here.
If you are looking for the meaning of an acronym or abbreviation look here.
If you want to find a certain feat or ability, Lists of Stuff and X stat to Y bonus are both useful threads.

The Procedure:

Do:
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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.
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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.

[Keld Denar]

Q 1

What is the term called when one mod is faster at putting up the next thread than the other?

[Psyren]

Q 1

What is the term called when one mod is faster at putting up the next thread than the other?

A 1 Minja?

And technically, you posted in the slower one

[averagejoe]

Q 1

What is the term called when one mod is faster at putting up the next thread than the other?

Good service?

The Mod They Call Me: This seems like as good a time as any to bring this up. We have noticed that it seems to have become procedure to double post in this thread when responding to multiple topics. However, note that this is still against the forum rules. As usual, you should multiquote or edit your previous post instead of double posting.

[WarKitty]

From the previous thread:

Q588

Is there any stated time for how long it takes to remove a hand from a two-handed weapon and replace it? Specifically looking at swift or immediate action spells that require a free hand.

Still looking for source on this.

[Hiro Protagonest]

A 588

It's a free action to let go of something.

[Psyren]

From the previous thread:



Still looking for source on this.

A588 Source:

Although the rules don't mention it, letting go of a two-handed weapon with one hand or putting a free hand back on the weapon is a free action for you.

[Hazzardevil]

Q 583

With the following wording.

When you sing or use some other Perform skill.

Does this mean a bard can simply sing a random song, (Not use bardic music) and the effect of a feat would activate

[dextercorvia]

Q 583

With the following wording.



Does this mean a bard can simply sing a random song, (Not use bardic music) and the effect of a feat would activate

We still don't know what feat you are referencing.

[Curmudgeon]

The Mod They Call Me: This seems like as good a time as any to bring this up. We have noticed that it seems to have become procedure to double post in this thread when responding to multiple topics. However, note that this is still against the forum rules. As usual, you should multiquote or edit your previous post instead of double posting.

I think it's worth mentioning that in the past when this de rigueur procedure was followed, it seemed to actually increase the message count, as unrelated answers in a post would get overlooked. Thus we'd have multiple responders to questions already answered, and/or questioners re-posting their queries.

But you set the rules. If you don't want to create a procedural exception for this thread, we'll respect that decision.

And putting that into practice:

From the previous thread:

Q588

Is there any stated time for how long it takes to remove a hand from a two-handed weapon and replace it? Specifically looking at swift or immediate action spells that require a free hand.

Still looking for source on this.

The only RAW source is that dropping an item is a free action, which supports Swiftmongoose's partial answer; "an item" is an ambiguous term, and can include the hand holding a weapon.

However, there's no RAW support for replacing a hand as a free item, so that's a DM's call. Psyren's link is to a Skip Williams house rule. That one strikes me as pretty reasonable, but your DM may disagree. You'll have to ask.

[OMG PONIES]

Q2: How many claw attacks would a thri-kreen totemist with Girallon Arms bound to its totem chakra get in a round?

Q3: If the same character took a level in Soul Eater, would each of their claw attacks drain a level on a hit?

[Keld Denar]

A 2

6. Giralon Claws makes 2 of your limbs into claws (which were consequently already claws, so use the higher of the 2 damages), then gives you 2 shadowy arms that also have claws, and you also have 2 more arms by virtue of being a 'Kreen. Oh, and a bite!

A 3

The short answer is Yes.

The long answer is YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

[Curmudgeon]

A 2 8.

A Thri-Kreen has 4 4-fingered clawed arms, all of which can be used to make claw attacks. Chakra Bind (Totem) for Girallon Arms creates two extra arms and makes you gain 4 claws. Since you already had 4 claws, you now have 8.

Confusion stems from two passages:

All four of your arms are tipped with long claws that no longer seem ghostly, but quite real—and quite sharp.

You can make a single claw attack as a primary attack, using your full attack bonus and adding your Strength bonus on your damage roll. You can make up to three additional claw attacks as secondary attacks, following either a primary claw attack or an attack with a weapon.

Since a Thri-Kreen in this situation actually has 6 arms, reference to "all four" arms is misleading; the text assumes only 2 initial arms. Similarly, the assumption that you had no initial claw attacks leads to confusion in the second passage. If the first quote were taken literally (instead of as commentary on the expected case), you would have two of your base arms disappear when you bound Girallon Arms. If the second quote were taken as applying globally instead of just to the gained claws, all four of your base claws would become nonfunctional upon binding and you would never have more than 4 claw attacks. Both of these are erroneous conclusions.

The distribution of those claws among the various arms is something for DM judgment, but regardless of that distribution the following remain true:

• You have 4 (original) + 4 (gained) claws = 8 claws total.
• Only one claw can be a primary attack; all others are secondary.
• If you have a shield in any of your (many) off hands, you get no secondary attacks.

[Claudius Maximus]

Q3: If the same character took a level in Soul Eater, would each of their claw attacks drain a level on a hit?

A 3

The short answer is Yes.

The long answer is YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

C3

This matter is apparently ambiguous and has seen much debate. There is an argument that the Soul Eater's ability is akin to a touch spell, in that it is activated and grants you a single attempt to touch your opponent. One facet of this argument is the fact that it is a Supernatural ability, and those default to a standard action when no action is listed. Depending on how you read it, you might only be able to touch somebody once per standard action with that ability.

[Everest]

Q 4: If a Druid shapechanged into a hydra and burnt a use of their wild shape to use the feat Serpent's Venom (Complete Divine) to poison their bite attack, does each head (each bite) get the poison added to it, or only one?

[maximus25]

Q5: Does temporal stasis allow you to qualify for the evolved template as an undead? And if so, if say I were in temporal stasis for 3 million years as an undead creature would I also gain the benefits of aging? And do undead even gain the benefits of aging?

[Keld Denar]

A 2 8.

A Thri-Kreen has 4 4-fingered clawed arms, all of which can be used to make claw attacks. Chakra Bind (Totem) for Girallon Arms creates two extra arms and makes you gain 4 claws. Since you already had 4 claws, you now have 8.

This part is not accurate. Rules precident state that if you already have a natural weapon, and gain a similar natural weapon, they overlap and you use the highest damage of the two.

<snip> If you already have claw attacks, use either your normal claw damage or the damage given for this soulmeld, whichever is higher.

If you only have one mouth, you only get one bite. A Fist of the Forest who is also a Bear Warrior who uses Bear Rage AND Feral Trance gains a bite attack from each, but would only gain one actual bite and use the higher of the damages between the two (Bear Warrior in most cases). If you only have one pair of arms, you only get one pair of claws. Girallon Arms only gives you one extra pair of arms, which means that it transforms one of your other pairs of arms into claws. For a human, this is simple. For a creature with multiple arms which also have claws, its slightly more complicated. He would have 6 arms (4 normal, 2 extra from the meld), and of those, they would deal:

• 2 would deal Thri-Kreen claw damage OR Girallon Arms claw damage, whichever is higher.
• 2 would deal Thri-Kreen claw damage, as they are unmodified by the meld.
• 2 would deal Girallon Arm claw damage, since they are the ones granted by the meld.

Q 6

I seem to remember a set of bracers is a book that make your natural weapons count as both magical and silver for the purposes of overcoming DR. Anyone have a name and possibly a source book for this?

[UserClone]

A5a:

NO.
Yes, it would still exist, but it wouldn't be able to evolve because "condition remains fixed" according to the text of the spell.

b:

NO.
The spell explicitly forbids aging of any kind, and also, see the above quote.

c:

NO.
Becoming Undead changes your type. To my knowledge, there are no listed age categories for an undead creature of any kind. Your DM might allow you to use the ones for your previous race, but that would be a house rule, AFAIK.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 2

This part is not accurate. Rules precident state that if you already have a natural weapon, and gain a similar natural weapon, they overlap and you use the highest damage of the two.

I agree that if the soulmeld had included language stating that the new claws overlap with existing claws, or if it said you merely gained claw attacks, that would be the case. However, this soulmeld uses different language:

Incarnum coalesces around your arms and upper torso, forming blue-white fur that seems to enhance your arm and chest muscles. It also extends from your fingers to form ghostly claws that, despite their insubstantial appearance, help you gain purchase while climbing or grappling.
...
You gain four claws that you can use as natural weapons, dealing 1d4 points of damage with each claw.

These are newly gained claws (not merely claw attacks), and do not replace existing claws.

If you only have one mouth, you only get one bite.

Indeed, that makes a good analogy. This is the difference between gaining a bite attack, and gaining an extra mouth.

I stand by my answer.

A 6

You may be thinking of Gauntlets of Weaponry Arcane in Player's Guide to Faerûn on page 123. These have the benefits you specified for "any weapon ... that the wearer grasps while wearing the gauntlets". Depending on your DM, this may apply to natural weapons.

[Thurbane]

A 6 additional

Gauntlets of Weaponry Arcane can also be found in the Magic Item Compendium.

[Hazzardevil]

We still don't know what feat you are referencing.

I am Refrencing Doomspeak (Champions of Ruin).
I didn't repost the rest of the feat because I didn't want to risk getting an infraction. The rest of the feat describes what happens when you use it.

[Curmudgeon]

I am Refrencing Doomspeak (Champions of Ruin).
I didn't repost the rest of the feat because I didn't want to risk getting an infraction. The rest of the feat describes what happens when you use it.

Doomspeak does not contain the phrase "When you sing or use some other Perform skill". In any event, while Doomspeak expends a Bardic music use, it does not require either singing or a Perform skill check. Instead, the target of Doomspeak simply makes a Will save or becomes affected, as per the feat.

[Kornilios]

Q7

When a druid with +1 wilding breastplate and monk's belt wildshapes,he gains +6 AC form breastplate, his wisdom mod and +1 ac from monk's belt.Is that correct?

[Boci]

Q 8

If you fail a UMD check to use a wand, is a charge wasted?

[Yora]

A7: Monks belt grants you the ability of the monk, which only works when not wearing armor. A wild armor is still worn, even when it becomes part of the character during wild shape. So I'd say, you gain only the benefit of the armor, but not the belt.

A8: UMD allows you to be treated as having the spell of the wand on your class spell list. If the check fails, you are not treated as such and you can't even activate the wand. So no charge is lost.

[Kornilios]

[QUOTE=Yora;11448745]A7: Monks belt grants you the ability of the monk, which only works when not wearing armor. A wild armor is still worn, even when it becomes part of the character during wild shape. So I'd say, you gain only the benefit of the armor, but not the belt.

In PHB errata in wild shape says"Any gear worn or carried by the druid melds into the new form and becomes nonfuctional".So I think that if a druid has a monk's belt with a wilding clasp attached,the monk's belt would give it's benefits.

[OMG PONIES]

A7 clarification: The question is moot, since a druid is prohibited from wearing metal armor. A druid who wears breastplate cannot wild shape while wearing the armor or for 24 hours thereafter, as below:

Druids are proficient with light and medium armor but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they may wear only padded, leather, or hide armor....A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield
is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell- like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

[Hazzardevil]

Doomspeak does not contain the phrase "When you sing or use some other Perform skill". In any event, while Doomspeak expends a Bardic music use, it does not require either singing or a Perform skill check. Instead, the target of Doomspeak simply makes a Will save or becomes affected, as per the feat.

Sorry, had the wrong feat, I meant haunting melody.

[Hazzardevil]

A7 clarification: The question is moot, since a druid is prohibited from wearing metal armor. A druid who wears breastplate cannot wild shape while wearing the armor or for 24 hours thereafter, as below:

It isn't moot, it could be made of dragonhide.

[Kornilios]

A7 clarification

In wild armor,nowhere says that it is not becomes nonfuctional.It is just says that it cannot be seen.