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

[kardar233]

A597: Curmudgeon has said that you cannot Shapechange into a templated form, as it references Polymorph which then references Alter Self saying you cannot take a templated form. I personally believe that Shapechange's "any non-unique creature" overrides the Alter Self wording, and I would rule that you can Shapechange into any templated creature that there is more than one of.

[Hazzardevil]

Q593
Book of Vile Darkness has an interesting suggestion to Bestow Curse, which increases a target's Age Category by One. What happens when this is used on a creature that gets stronger as it ages, such as a Dragon? Does it gain all those abilities?
Raw says yes.

Q595
With an item which causes a caster to be "Unable to cast spells" as a flat wording, would an Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil be able to use his Veils and/or Kaleidoscopic Doom? Would he be able to use it on himself in order to suppress said magic item for 1d4 rounds?
Those are Spell-like Abilities so you can use them.

Q596
It's actually a combination of the first and second. Sort of. Say you polymorph yourself into a dragon, and have someone else cast bestow curse on you to advance your own age categories until you're some advanced yadda yadda mega elder great grand wyrm - what happens when you exit PaO? Do you age to death? What if this was used on something that couldn't age? Does it still retain it's HD given from being a dragon? Same goes for levelling, if you fit the requirements for a class while you are under the affects of PaO, can you take a level and keep it? Would a Familiar be able to gain HD through this method?
I think that you would end up aging to death or if you're ageless I don't believe you gain anything other than mental abilities.

Q597
Can you use Shapechange or PaO to change into a creature with a template? Could you do that to turn into a creature with class levels, or would it at this point qualify as "Unique"?
No, because once they have a template or class levels, they are no longer generic monsters.

Answers Bolded and Underlined.

Q598
Can you enchant a living breasplate (ECS page 299) as a magic item to be a +1 Living Breastplate.

[Curmudgeon]

A 592

The restrictions of Simulacrum still apply because Polymorph Any Object's description does not override them. The creature cannot increase its level or abilities, and regaining lost hit points is included in that restriction.

[Andezzar]

Q591
How do you know which of a character's various moving parts care about his current Ability score and which ones require the innate value? For example, a Headband of Intellect doesn't give you more Skill Points or more wizard spells, but it does benefit your skill checks and the save DC on your wizard spells. My specific question is with the Paladin, who adds her Charisma to all saving throws, her Smite Evil attacks, her Lay on Hands, and uses it thrice when turning undead - once to determine the uses per day, once as a check for HD of undead affectable, and once as a bonus to the turning "damage". Out of all of these six applications, does a Cloak of Charisma benefit all of them, or only the turning check, or something in between?

The Headband of intellect only does not provide extra skill points, because the text says so. It does everything else a higher INT score does (Spell DC, spells per day, damage bonus for swashbucklers etc.), just like any other item that provides an enhancement bonus to an ability score.

Like other spellcasters, a wizard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on Table: The Wizard. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Intelligence score.

It is irrelevant how this INT score is calculated.

Intuitively it seems weird that the Cloak would add to her Lay on Hands while a Periapt of Wisdom doesn't help her cast more Cure spells. Since I am prone to coming up with such intuitive answers which may not agree with the RAW, on those occasions I can even manage to comprehend the RAW's labyrinthine text, I'm asking not only about my Paladin but about a more general rule for knowing how you tell, like how did they decide about the Wizard's Headband thing?

The periapt of wisdom does all of the above including extra spells per day.

[killem2]

Q 599: Can a creature with powerful build, wield two medium sized two-handed weapons with out penalty for using a weapon to big for themselves (outside of the need for TWF feats)

[Douglas]

Q591
How do you know which of a character's various moving parts care about his current Ability score and which ones require the innate value? For example, a Headband of Intellect doesn't give you more Skill Points or more wizard spells, but it does benefit your skill checks and the save DC on your wizard spells. My specific question is with the Paladin, who adds her Charisma to all saving throws, her Smite Evil attacks, her Lay on Hands, and uses it thrice when turning undead - once to determine the uses per day, once as a check for HD of undead affectable, and once as a bonus to the turning "damage". Out of all of these six applications, does a Cloak of Charisma benefit all of them, or only the turning check, or something in between?

Intuitively it seems weird that the Cloak would add to her Lay on Hands while a Periapt of Wisdom doesn't help her cast more Cure spells. Since I am prone to coming up with such intuitive answers which may not agree with the RAW, on those occasions I can even manage to comprehend the RAW's labyrinthine text, I'm asking not only about my Paladin but about a more general rule for knowing how you tell, like how did they decide about the Wizard's Headband thing?

For the Wizard's Headband, it actually does give additional bonus spells per day from a high ability score. Similarly, a Periapt of Wisdom could grant a Paladin additional spells per day which could be used for Cure spells.

The general rule is that everything uses the current score including any and all modifiers without exception. You can tell when this is not the case by the presence of a specific statement to the contrary - such as the Headband of Intellect magic item explicitly stating that it does not increase skill points, and the Fox's Cunning spell explicitly stating that it does not increase spells per day.

Note that the rules regarding skill points gained on levelup include this clause:

Use your character’s current Intelligence score, including all permanent changes (such as inherent bonuses, ability drains, or an Intelligence increase gained at step 4, above) but not any temporary changes (such as ability damage, or enhancement bonuses gained from spells or magic items, such as a headband of intellect), to determine the number of skill points you gain.

This and some of the short-duration buff spells not affecting spells per day are the only exceptions I am aware of.

[Tortoise262]

A 598

No. Living Armor is not masterwork.

[OMG PONIES]

Q600: What bonuses does a small creature (for purposes of our exercise, let's say a Whisper Gnome) gain from manifesting Compression on herself?

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From the SRD, Compression grants you:

• +2 size bonus to Dexterity
• -2 size penalty to Strength (to a minimum effective Strength score of 1)
• +1 size bonus on attack rolls
• +1 size bonus to Armor Class due to your reduced size.

If I understand correctly, she'd gain the DEX bonus and STR penalty (since previous adjustments to attribute scores were racial bonuses/penalties, rather than size bonuses/penalties. However, since she already reaps the rewards of a +1 size bonus to attack & AC, would this power not give her any further bonuses...or would she reap the rewards of a Tiny size? The power clearly states that your size category is reduced to the next one down, but the only mention it makes of Tiny creatures is:

If your new size is Tiny, you have a space of 2 1/2 feet and a natural reach of 0 feet (meaning that you must enter an opponent’s square to attack).

[Tortoise262]

A 599

A Medium Greatsword is designed for a medium-sized creature to use with two hands. A medium-sized creature cannot wield it in one hand, and a large-sized creature using a Medium Greatsword in one hand suffers a -2 penalty. (source) It is implied that you can treat a half-giant as a large-sized creature to wield a Medium Greatsword in one hand with a -2 penalty. (Though explicitly, it just says they can use larger weapons without penalty.)

However, you can achieve the same effect without the above inference (and without the penalty!) by wielding a Large Longsword (2d6 damage) in each hand. You could then dual-wield them with only the standard penalties: -6/-10, or -4/-4 with TWF.

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At first I thought that "without penalty" just meant that a half-giant could use a Large Longsword without the -2 penalty, but would still need two hands. However, the fact that the listed half-giant uses a Large Greatsword suggests otherwise.

EDIT: I take that part back. Powerful build would not affect how a half-giant would wield a Medium-sized weapon. For further reading, here's a short discussion on the matter. (The "Weapon Equivalencies" Variant is on page 27 of the DMG.)

[SanusCompleo]

Q601
Can a conjured monster be affected by PaO or anything of that sort?

Addendum to Q596
While under the affects of PaO (Is there an errata'd version I don't know about?) into the shape of a dragon, could one gain bonus HD and the effects of the bonus HD if the duration were permanent and still in effect?

I read somewhere that one could basically PaO into themselves at a younger age to avoid the max age penalty, DM willing - but I don't think by RAW.

[Tortoise262]

A600

The description clearly states: "This decrease changes your size category to the next smaller one." The section about the size bonus to attacks and AC is worded poorly, and the general game rule would take precedence in this case: Small creatures have a +1 size bonus to AC, and Tiny creatures have a +2 bonus.

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And if you were a Large creature, your size modifier would go from -1 to 0. I can see that the text could sound like you would be a Medium creature with a +1 size bonus, but that clearly violates the general rule. It would make more sense if the text says "your size modifier increases by 1," but even then, it wouldn't be taking into consideration a Huge or Tiny creature using the power. Hell, even for the first Augment, the writer didn't stop to consider that a Small creature would be changing to Diminutive, increasing his size bonus to AC and attacks by 3.

[Kobold-Bard]

Q602

Is there any way to get spell slots higher than 10th level other than the Improved Spell Capacity feat?

Specifically a 17th level spell slot without having to take the Feat 8 times.

[TypoNinja]

A 596 Note:

Stacking rules would prevent you from getting more than 2 age categories out of bestow curse, one for bestow, and one for greater bestow.

[Piggy Knowles]

Q603: If a Totemist uses the Shape Soulmeld feat to gain access to an Incarnate soulmeld that allows for a saving throw, does he use his Constitution or Wisdom to determine the DC?

Q604: Is there any way to gain access to a familiar, mount or animal companion with the Share Spells ability without being a spellcaster or taking any levels in a class that grants it? (Wild Cohort explicitly does not give Share Spells.)

[Rubik]

Q605 Does anyone know of a way to (preferably substantially) increase the area of effect for a racial emanation Supernatural ability?

[Jasdoif]

A586 - followup Q586a
I meant to say Wild Talent; I can never remember which is which. Regardless my original question remains - can you take Psionic Talent along with your first psion level, having not previously possessed power points other than the ones you're gaining at the same time as the feat? If so, why would anyone ever take Wild Talent, since it gives you no ability to spend the power points it provides?

A586a

Yes; since you select the class prior to selecting the feat when leveling, you should meet the requirement for Psionic Talent.

Wild Talent allows an otherwise non-psionic character to become a psionic character, becoming able to gain a psionic focus and take psionic feats.

[Tortoise262]

Q605 Does anyone know of a way to (preferably substantially) increase the area of effect for a racial emanation Supernatural ability?

A 605
http://dndtools.eu/feats/tome-of-mag...ability--3139/

[nyjastul69]

Q606 Is Precocious Apprentice a RAW feat, or is it an example of what can be done with house ruling?

[SchmittyRexus]

Q607 If a prestige classes grants a specific bonus spell or power which the character already has, do they get a different one or something else in exchange? The specific example I'm thinking of is the Thrallherd prestige class, which grants Psionic Charm and Psionic Dominate as bonus powers known, but several levels later than when a character would normally take them from leveling up.

[Gurgeh]

A606: Your phrasing is confusing. By the phrasing of the sidebar, the Collegiate Wizard and Precocious Apprentice are both feats that should only be allowed at the DM's discretion. The content of the feats is RAW, but it is not legal RAW unless the DM chooses to allow them.

[nyjastul69]

A606: Your phrasing is confusing. By the phrasing of the sidebar, the Collegiate Wizard and Precocious Apprentice are both feats that should only be allowed at the DM's discretion. The content of the feats is RAW, but it is not legal RAW unless the DM chooses to allow them.

I understand that the content is structured as an example of what a feat might be if one were to create one's own feat. Your term 'legal RAW' is a bit confusing. I think what you mean is: 'that which the the DM allows'. That applies to every written rule however. My question is: Is it an actual rule, or is it an example of what a rule could be? It seems to me a example of a rule, and not a rule per se.

I also see, upon further review, that this subject is probably more appropriate for it's own thread. I apologize. I may start one.

[KillianHawkeye]

A 607

There is no general rule for such a replacement. Certain abilities may operate that way, but only if it is specifically mentioned.

[willpell]

Q608
Following up on the Headband of Intellect topic, if Owl's Wisdom does in fact allow you to gain more Wisdom-based spells, then what happens (to either a Cleric/Druid who prepares or to someone who sponcasts based on Wisdom, assuming there is such a class; for that matter let's throw in the Psychic Warrior and get all the answers) when the Owl's Wisdom expires? Do you lose prepared spells, and if so, which ones? Is there any negative effect if you managed to blow the entire boosted supply of spells or power points before the effect wears off?

Q609
Per RAW, every suit of Medium armor other than a Breastplate comes with Gauntlets included. A suit of Elven Chain is Chainmail (normally Medium and Gauntlet-equipped) made out of Mithral (which reduces it to Light armor in functional terms). Does it come with Gauntlets? (The included illustration appears to say "no", but can hardly be taken as authoritative.)

Q610
Is there any additional surcharge for adding an enhancement bonus to special-material armor/weapons/etc.? For instance a chain shirt is 100 gp, +1000 to make it out of mithral, +1000 more to give it a +1, for a final price of 2100 gp? Or do you have to pay extra because you're stacking multiple beneficial effects, even if not all of them are magic?

Q611
Can spikes be added to any form of armor? Studded leather, chainmail, etc.? Or does the armor have to have a rigid base to attach the spikes to?

[Curmudgeon]

A 608

Clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers (and other Wisdom-based spellcasters) who receive owl’s wisdom do not gain any additional bonus spells for the increased Wisdom, but the save DCs for their spells increase.

There is no increase in bonus spells with Eagle's Splendor (Charisma), Fox's Cunning (Intelligence) or Owl's Wisdom (Wisdom).

A 609 No.

There is no general requirement for armor to include gauntlets. If a particular suit includes gauntlets there is a statement explicitly saying so.

A 610 No.

A 611 Ask your DM.

There are no general rules for this, so check with your individual DM.

[Andezzar]

Q609
Per RAW, every suit of Medium armor other than a Breastplate comes with Gauntlets included. A suit of Elven Chain is Chainmail (normally Medium and Gauntlet-equipped) made out of Mithral (which reduces it to Light armor in functional terms). Does it come with Gauntlets? (The included illustration appears to say "no", but can hardly be taken as authoritative.)

The description says it is a suit of chainmail. That suit should have all the features of a suit of chainmail unless noted differently. If your GM gives you problems, just get Mithral Chainmail instead of the Elven Chain.

Q610
Is there any additional surcharge for adding an enhancement bonus to special-material armor/weapons/etc.? For instance a chain shirt is 100 gp, +1000 to make it out of mithral, +1000 more to give it a +1, for a final price of 2100 gp? Or do you have to pay extra because you're stacking multiple beneficial effects, even if not all of them are magic?

Not unless the description of the material says so. Cold iron for example is more expensive to enchant.

Q611
Can spikes be added to any form of armor? Studded leather, chainmail, etc.? Or does the armor have to have a rigid base to attach the spikes to?

I have not read such a rule, even though it would make sense.

[Andezzar]

Q609
Per RAW, every suit of Medium armor other than a Breastplate comes with Gauntlets included. A suit of Elven Chain is Chainmail (normally Medium and Gauntlet-equipped) made out of Mithral (which reduces it to Light armor in functional terms). Does it come with Gauntlets? (The included illustration appears to say "no", but can hardly be taken as authoritative.)

The description says it is a suit of chainmail. That suit should have all the features of a suit of chainmail unless noted differently. If your GM gives you problems, just get Mithral Chainmail instead of the Elven Chain.

Q610
Is there any additional surcharge for adding an enhancement bonus to special-material armor/weapons/etc.? For instance a chain shirt is 100 gp, +1000 to make it out of mithral, +1000 more to give it a +1, for a final price of 2100 gp? Or do you have to pay extra because you're stacking multiple beneficial effects, even if not all of them are magic?

Not unless the description of the material says so. Cold iron for example is more expensive to enchant.

Q611
Can spikes be added to any form of armor? Studded leather, chainmail, etc.? Or does the armor have to have a rigid base to attach the spikes to?

I have not read such a rule, even though it would make sense.

[cd4]

Q612 With the Anima Mage (ToM p50) if I use the 4th level ability Vestige Metamagic on a Vestige I used the 2nd level ability Exploit Vestige on what happens to the spell slot gained from the 2nd level ability?

[Douglas]

A 608 There is no increase in bonus spells with Eagle's Splendor (Charisma), Fox's Cunning (Intelligence) or Owl's Wisdom (Wisdom).

This is true because each of these three spells specifically notes that it does not increase spells per day. There are other short duration spells that increase these ability scores and lack such a note, however, so a more general answer would be appropriate.

I'm not sure if there is any actual RAW on exactly when and for how long you need to have the bonus in order to gain bonus spells, but the official FAQ includes a ruling that you must have the bonus during your entire resting period prior to preparing spells and also through the spell preparation process. Further, if you lose the bonus you immediately lose the bonus spells that came from it, and you cannot choose to "lose" prepared spells that you have already cast. The ruling in question is actually in response to a question about magic items increasing ability scores, but it applies equally well to buff spells. In practice, this means you are unlikely to get bonus spells per day from any spell with a duration less than an hour/level unless you apply the Persistent Spell metamagic feat to it.

[killem2]

Q 613: Are there any other work animals for hauling besides the horse that is available to buy? Like perhaps Bison, caribou.

[Metahuman1]

Q 614: What book and page is the Psionic Artificer printed in?