In the Beginning Was the Word, and the Word Was Suck: A Guide to Truenamers

[loky1109]

Does having a weapon mean you don't have access to IAS and Stunning Fist? Honestly, I have no idea.

No it doesn't. With sword, with axe, with bow, being paralyzed, doesn't matter. You still have this feats.
As like you still have weapon focus and weapon proficiency while you're unarmed or armed with different weapon.

Plus, greatsword doesn't prevent you from unarmed strikes.

[pabelfly]

No it doesn't. With sword, with axe, with bow, being paralyzed, doesn't matter. You still have this feats.
As like you still have weapon focus and weapon proficiency while you're unarmed or armed with different weapon.

Plus, greatsword doesn't prevent you from unarmed strikes.

That seems pretty reasonable. Thanks for clarifying.

What about medium armor and Evasion?

[loky1109]

What about medium armor and Evasion?

You can't use it, but you still have it, so it depends on wording. I'm now out of books, can't say clearly.

[Zombimode]

Does having a weapon mean you don't have access to IAS and Stunning Fist?

Why would you think that?

Wielding a weapon does not prevent you from making Unarmed Strikes.

[pabelfly]

Why would you think that?

Wielding a weapon does not prevent you from making Unarmed Strikes.

Thanks for the clarification. You can tell I don't normally play unarmed martials, I'm either using a two-handed weapon or going with multiweapon fighting.

[pabelfly]

While doing some research for some other resource lists, I found that Dragon Magazine 346, p88 has a section for Truenamers. The main part of this is Denouncements, which are feats that you can take them in place of a recitation feat (which you get at levels 8 and 15). However, since they require 12 ranks of Truespeak and a Recitation feat to pick up, they're likely level 12 or 15 options (I suppose you can take a Recitation feat, plus the Favored and Primary Contact feats to get one of these at level 8).

There are two really good options here:

Denouncement of Focused Aggression (requires 12 ranks Truespeak) - as an immediate action, you can designate one of your allies as someone your foe cannot attack with melee or ranged attacks until the end of their turn. It only works for one round, but you can activate it after the opponent has designated their attack target, and you can use the same combo of enemy and ally three times in a combat.

Denouncement of Unleashed Spell (requires 12 ranks Truespeak) - as an immediate action, you can designate one of your allies as someone your foe cannot target with spells or spell-like abilities until the end of his turn. Does not protect against area effects. Again, you can only use the same combo of enemy and ally three times in a combat.

Here are the other options, which are markedly worse and included for completion's sake:

Denouncement of Energy (requires 12 ranks Truespeak) - you can lower a creature's energy resistances by 5 for three rounds.

Denouncement of Garbled Words (requires 15 ranks Truespeak) - (presumably) a standard action to confuse a target, but it explicitly works on creatures immune to mind-affecting effects.

Denoucement of Untouchable Form (requires 12 ranks Truespeak) - lower a creature's damage reduction by 5. This stacks if you somehow feel like using multiple turns to do this instead of anything that's more useful.

The rest of the article has two metamagic options that increase both spell DC and caster level to overcome spell resistance for spellcasters that want to spend their resources boosting their Truespeak skill check, and another way to research the truenames of creatures. It might be a cheaper, and it's certainly far quicker than what's listed in Tome of Magic.

There's also an article on Truenaming in Dragon 317, p38, which don't seem to be compatible with Truenamer from Tome of Magic, which I only mention while on the subject of Drag Mag and Truenames.

[Telonius]

There's also an article on Truenaming in Dragon 317, p38, which don't seem to be compatible with Truenamer from Tome of Magic, which I only mention while on the subject of Drag Mag and Truenames.

Dragon 317 was published in March 2004, so it's probably talking about True Names and Words of Creation from Book of Exalted Deeds (August 2003). Dragon 346 was published August 2006, after Tome of Magic was released in March 2006.

[ShurikVch]

Dragon 317 was published in March 2004, so it's probably talking about True Names and Words of Creation from Book of Exalted Deeds (August 2003).

No - it's completely different way to use True Names, not related to neither Words of Creation, nor Tome of Magic

[Chronos]

Are these based on the ally's Name, or on the enemy's? That is, which sets the DC for the True Speech check?

[pabelfly]

Are these based on the ally's Name, or on the enemy's? That is, which sets the DC for the True Speech check?

Enemy sets the DC. So, you'll get them about the time you want to be quickening utterances. You should hopefully meet the DCs to use the Denouncements on most enemies except enemies with highly inflated hit dice.

[Gemini476]

More importantly... it requires you to know the target's personal truename.

You know, the thing that takes ½HD 15+(2xCR) knowledge checks with each one requiring one week and 1,000gp.

So in other words, it's useful against the big boss villain that's been foreshadowed for the last ten sessions but not really anyone else.

---

Also, for reference, the other feats...

Named Spell [Metamagic]: Truespeak 6 ranks. Say their personal truename, increase spell DCs and caster level spell resistance checks by +2, can't be used on area/multitarget spells.

Greater Named Spell [Metamagic]: As above. Stacks with Named Spell.

Truename Scholar [General]: Truespeak 4 ranks, Skill Focus (Truespeak), must know own personal truename. Can perform a three-day ritual (500gp x CR) to permanently get +4 competence bonus to say that creature's truename. (This is the same as the +4 you get for saying your own name.)

[pabelfly]

More importantly... it requires you to know the target's personal truename.

You know, the thing that takes ½HD 15+(2xCR) knowledge checks with each one requiring one week and 1,000gp.

So in other words, it's useful against the big boss villain that's been foreshadowed for the last ten sessions but not really anyone else.

Ah, can't believe I missed that. They could have emphasized that a bit more in the abiltiies. Thanks for correcting me.

[Aquillion]

The writers clearly understood the design principles behind the Truenamer: Truenamers do not get nice or functional things, ever, unless they're actually literally broken in some other way.