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

[Arkusus]

Q 693

As I understand it, even with 4 arms, you cannot do multiple attacks with multiple 2-handed weapons, or get any bonus for more than 2 hands holding a single weapon in standard 3.5.

My question is this, if you (specifically, a raised monster) have 4 arms, can you equip 2 2-handed weapons anyway, and just choose which one you attack with each round? Say, a spear in one pair for reach, and a greataxe in the other for up close? If so, would one pair suffer from the off-hand penalty, and would that be compensated for by the "Multidexterity" feat?

And, as an afterthought... Could a creature with 3 or more hands just equip a shield in one of his extra hands and still use a 2-handed weapon without penalty?

[Ditto]

Q694

Question about the High Sword Low Axe feat.
It requires Weapon Focus (PH) (bastard sword, longsword, scimitar or shortsword), and Weapon Focus (PH) (battleaxe, handaxe, or dwarven waraxe)

If you hit the same creature with both your sword and your axe in the same round, you may make a free trip attempt against that foe.

Does the 'your sword' need to be the same weapon type as the Weapon Focus you chose? If you chose WF in Longswords and Battle axe, and are attacking with a Longsword and Handaxe, would you still gain the benefit of the feat?

[Elric VIII]

Q 695

a. Do you need item creation feats in order to upgrade your Ancestral Relic (from the feat in BoED)?

b. Do you need to provide the prerequisite spell components?

c. Is there a version of Ancestral Relic for non-good characters that does not require item creation feats to upgrade?

[willpell]

Q 695

a. Do you need item creation feats in order to upgrade your Ancestral Relic (from the feat in BoED)?

b. Do you need to provide the prerequisite spell components?

c. Is there a version of Ancestral Relic for non-good characters that does not require item creation feats to upgrade?

a. Pretty sure this is a no; the text of AR says nothing about you requiring those feats, so I believe it's no different than if you were buying the enchantments. Presumably the "spirits in your weapon" are the ones that would need the feats.

b. No clue what you mean here; I'm not very familiar with ICFs but I've never heard that an item which has an effect similar to a prerequisite spell requires all the components, though this might be true. I'm only sure the components are needed for scrolls and wands and such, which actually cast the spell.

c. The only other version of this ability which I know of in RAW is the Oriental Adventures Samurai class, who ancestral daisho swords have the sacrifice-for-enchantments thing as a class feature. Talk to your DM about whether the alignment prerequisite can be waived; IMO it would make more sense for it to be Lawful rather than Good in the first place, but even a True Neutral or Chaotic Evil character could probably be fluffed in such a way as to make this appropriate.

A689 A dragon uses its age category hit dice to determine the base damage, range and save DC for its breath weapon, the save DC is then modified by its CON modifier. Note that the listed save DCs include the modifier for the listed Con.

Q689a
So you're saying that as a dragon PC gains dragon HD (along with dragon levels which don't include an HD), his breath weapon doesn't improve until he hits a new age category? I don't recall Draconomicon having clarified this one way or another, but it seems counterintuitive.

[Kuulvheysoon]

A689 A dragon uses its age category hit dice to determine the base damage, range and save DC for its breath weapon, the save DC is then modified by its CON modifier. Note that the listed save DCs include the modifier for the listed Con.

Q689a
So you're saying that as a dragon PC gains dragon HD (along with dragon levels which don't include an HD), his breath weapon doesn't improve until he hits a new age category? I don't recall Draconomicon having clarified this one way or another, but it seems counterintuitive.

A 689a

I believe that he means only racial hot die (IE the ones obtained by aging) are factored into the equation for determining the breath weapon DC, not RHD+class HD.

Reading the section of the Draconomicon, Dragons as Player Characters, the sample Dragon PC (Keryst) advances in both RHD and Paladin levels. As it levels him through both 'classes', it specifies that as he increases RHD, even if he does not age an age category, the DC for his breath weapon increases at a rate of 1 for every 2 RHD that he obtains.

[Thurbane]

Q690a & Q690b

I suspect my group has been playing this wrong - with Magic Circle Against Evil, does the AC bonus apply against missile weapon attacks by evil creatures that originate from outside the circle? Also, does the save bonus apply against spells cast by an evil creature (the spell says attacks and effect, so I assume yes)?

Q691

When making a concentration check to cast a spell when damaged during casting, do you make one check against the total amount of damaged taken, or 1 check against each source of damage. For example, if a group readies against casting, then hits the caster with an arrow, a Magic Missile spell and a sword blow, does the caster make one concentration check against the combined damaged total, or three separate checks?

[OMG PONIES]

A690a & A690b Yes and yes.

A691 The rules I found seem to point to 1 check against each source of damage:

Also, damage stemming from an attack of opportunity or readied attack made in response to the spell being cast (for spells with a casting time of 1 action) or the action being taken (for activities requiring no more than a full-round action). (See also Distracting Spellcasters, page 160.)

You can ready an attack against a spellcaster with the trigger “if she starts casting a spell.” If you damage the spellcaster, she may lose the spell she was trying to cast (as determined by her Concentration check result).

[Kol Korran]

Q692 stacking different marshals auras.

Supposing a military unit has a low ranking officer, and a high ranking one, both marshals with different auras.

If they are both 60 ft from a soldier, does he get the effects of both their auras (If they give bonuses to different fields of course). for the example lets say the lower officer have "art of war" (grants bonuses to combat maneuvers) and the higher one has "force of will" (bonus to will save).

Can multiple marshals stack multiple auras on the same units?

thanks!

[Curmudgeon]

A 692

Yes, multiple different Marshal auras will stack. Multiple auras of the same type (i.e., bonuses from the same source) do not stack; only the higher bonus in such a case applies.

[dextercorvia]

Q 693

a. If a Level 24 cleric with Zone of Animation uses that ability, what is the largest HD creature that he can make a skeleton out of? Is it 12HD, the same as his command limit?

b. Does this mean that if he makes a Zombie using Zone of Animation, that he must start with a creature that has no more than 6HD, so the zombie ends up with 12?

[Bakkan]

Q 694

What is the rule for how to handle a spell that is printed in multiple books you are using, but where the more recent book doesn't include some of the classes that were in the older book, and the spell has changed between the versions?

Case in point: the spell forceward appears in both Player's Guide to Faerun and the Spell Ccompendium. In PGtF, it is a Paladin and Initiate of Helm spell. In Spell Compendium, it is a Sorcerer/Wizard spell. Which of these options are correct?

A The Spell Compendium version overrules the PGtF version completely; as a result, the spell is not available to Paladins, though clerics taking the Initiate of Helm feat would gain access to the Spell Compendium version.

B The Spell Compendium version overrules the mechanics of the spell but not the class/level entries for classes that do not appear in the new version. In this case, Paldins or Initiates gain access to the Spell Compendium version.

C Which version of the spell you use depends on the most recent place where the spell was printed with your class in its description; thus, Paladins and Initiates would use the PGtF version and Sorcerers and Wizards would use the Compendium version. If this is the correct answer, how to you deal with, e.g. prestige classes gaining access to spells printed in the same book they were but without their class name in the spell description?

D Another option I haven't considered.

[Flame of Anor]

Q694

Question about the High Sword Low Axe feat. Does the 'your sword' need to be the same weapon type as the Weapon Focus you chose?

A694

No. The description text for High Sword Low Axe does not mention the prerequisites; all it says is "your sword and your axe". So, as long as you hit the opponent with a sword and an axe which are both in your possession, you're in the clear.

Taking this a bit further, they don't have to be on the lists of weapons that could fulfill the prerequisites--you could use the feat with a ratchetsword and a monkeyaxe. If I'm reading this right, it doesn't even have to be a melee attack--you could trip an enemy by throwing your sword and axe! Of course, by the text of Improved Trip, you wouldn't get another attack on the enemy if that trip attempt succeeded.

[Andezzar]

A 694 Bonus question:

Wouldn't that mean that you cannot use the style with a scimitar? The word scimitar does not include the word sword.

[Curmudgeon]

Q 694

What is the rule for how to handle a spell that is printed in multiple books you are using, but where the more recent book doesn't include some of the classes that were in the older book, and the spell has changed between the versions?

That's

D Another option I haven't considered.

Spell Compendium lists only core classes for spell lists. It doesn't remove the spells from any of the previous non-core lists, so you can assemble the updated spell information from Spell Compendium plus the class lists from other sources. That means Forceward is removed from the Paladin class list, and added to the Sorcerer/Wizard class list.

There is one exception, though. Initiate of ... spells aren't simple spell list items. Instead, they are granted as benefits of particular feats. Spell Compendium does not change any feats, which means it cannot update any spell which is granted as a feat. Initiate of Helm still grants exactly the Forceward listed in Player's Guide to Faerûn. The Spell Compendium version updates normal spells, so it replaces all instances of Forceward when acquired as a normal spell.

[willpell]

Q695
What is the best way of representing a character with a significant physical impairment, such as being blind or having only one arm? The Flaws of Unearthed Arcana are not sufficiently severe to represent this level of debility; is there a template or something that can be taken to represent a permanent and significantly-negative effect to a character?

[Ditto]

Q696

Undead have 'Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).' Does this include making them COMPLETELY unaffected by effects that are only Fort (partial)? There's an argument to be made that the (partial) part of the spell that affects you even on a passed save does cannot be avoided, so the Fort Immunity doesn't enter into it for that part of the effect. Thus, Immunity is functionally the same as 'always passes a Fort save' - which could still have consequences.

[Ditto]

Q697
The Arc of lightning spell deals damage to 2 creatures, and any creatures in a line between them. If you target Ogre + Orc that is grappling Friend, does Friend get hit by the spell?

[Psyren]

Q697
The Arc of lightning spell deals damage to 2 creatures, and any creatures in a line between them. If you target Ogre + Orc that is grappling Friend, does Friend get hit by the spell?

A697: Yes. See below:

Area: A line between two creatures
...
This bolt deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 15d6) to both creatures and to anything in the line between them.
...
Draw the line from any corner in one creature’s space to any corner in the other’s space. The bolt affects all squares in this line.

No matter which corner you choose, the square containing Orc will be included. As Orc is grappling Friend, Friend will be in Orc's square.

A possible exception is if Orc is Large or larger, and thus able to shield friend from the area with his bulk depending on the corner(s) you chose.

[dextercorvia]

A 658

You may choose which to apply first, however, one ability will overwrite the other.

Martial Arcanist sets your Caster level equal to your BAB. Sublime chord sets it equal to the sum of certain class levels.

If you apply Martial Arcanist first, then Sublime Chord's caster level determination, you CL will be equal to the sum of your Sublime Chord level and your level in one other arcane spellcasting class.

If you reverse it, then your CL will be equal to your BAB.

[Endelehia]

Q 698

Anyspell allows you to read a arcane spell from spellbook/scroll and prepare it in your domain slot.

A
Can you apply metamagic feats that you already know on the selected arcane spell? ( as long as the modified spell level isn't greater than 2 )

B
You take on the Spontaneous Domain ACF for the spell domain.Would it be reasonable to assume that when you spontaneously cast Anyspell,you consult a spellbook much like a wizard does and cast the spell you choose at the same round?

[OMG PONIES]

A693A: Yes.
A693B: Yes.

A 695: In the case of blindness, you could have someone cast blindness/deafness, or at least follow the effects of the spell, which leaves a character permanently blinded. This imposes the following rules considerations:

Blinded: The character cannot see. He takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), moves at half speed, and takes a –4 penalty on Search checks and on most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Spot checks) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) to the blinded character. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.

In the case of having only one arm, I don't know any RAW references to help there.

A 696 Yes, as worded the only caveats to effects that require Fort saves are those that affect objects or are harmless. There is no such caveat regarding the (partial) indicator.

A 698A As long as the metamagic'd spell is still 2nd level or lower, yes. For example, an Extended Mage Armor would be a valid selection for Anyspell, whereas an Empowered Burning Hands would not.
A 698B No, given the 15-minute casting time of Anyspell, you cannot prepare and cast your selected arcane spell in the same round.

[DementedFellow]

Q 699

How do you say Dweomer? Can someone put it phonetically?

[Andezzar]

A 699

Not a RAW question but here you go.

[MulletMonk]

Q 700

Are their any race of dragon that has rage as a central theme?

[Flame of Anor]

A 694 Bonus question:

Wouldn't that mean that you cannot use the style with a scimitar? The word scimitar does not include the word sword.

A 694 bonus

Unclear. If I recall correctly, there is no precise definition of "sword" or "axe". Defining "sword" as a weapon with 'sword' in the name is no more valid than defining it by the real-world criteria.

(Someone correct me on this if there actually is a RAW definition somewhere.)

Q 699

How do you say Dweomer? Can someone put it phonetically?

A 699

Either DWIM-er or DWEE-mer. The first is closer to how it was pronounced a couple of centuries ago; the second is closer to the original Old English pronunciation.



ALSO, GUYS, CHECK YOUR COUNT.
YOU'RE DUPLICATING NUMBERS.

[Akal Saris]

Q701: Is there a [Polymorph] sub-school spell on the cleric spell list at any level in any 3.5 legal book/Dragon Magazine?

Reason: I would like to take advantage of the Minor Shapechange reserve feat in COmplete Mage, which is powered by Polymorph sub-school spells prepared, and I do not want to lose my current domain choices.

[Amphetryon]

Q 702: If you are an undead, and the capstone of your prestige class says it "changes your type to outsider", does that means you are an outsider now and no longer undead?

If so, what happens to your "-" con score?

[Akal Saris]

A 702:

According to Savage Species 143, undead and constructs do not have a Con score and therefore cannot become any other creature type.

[Curmudgeon]

A 701

Incarnation of Evil is such a Cleric spell. Other than that you would need to acquire a [Polymorph] spell via one of the many domains which include them, such as the Alteration domain (Dragonlance Campaign Setting, page 102).

A 702

The Savage Species type pyramid with its limitations on type changes was repudiated by the 3.5 Monster Manual, so the type pyramid has no bearing on 3.5 rules. The simple answer is that you do change type as specified. Whether that immediately kills your character (and then if that's irrevocable) is up to your individual DM to adjudicate.

[willpell]

Q 700

Are their any race of dragon that has rage as a central theme?

A700
Monster Manual 3 offers the Rage Drake, although they're a long way from being true dragons given that they have an Intelligence of 4, no wings, and a habit of eating their treasure. But they do in fact Rage much like barbarians.