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

[Canine10]

Q746

A. Can a dragon(great wyrm) use detect gem to locate a demilich?

B. Would the Heighten Breath feat plus the spell Rebuking Breath use the reflex
save vs breath weapon? And would the demilich be able to use their plus 20
bonus against turn/rebuke?

C. If a rebuked undead creature is attacked will that end the rebuke effect?

[Curmudgeon]

A 746 A. Yes.

That ability is limited to 60' range, though.

A 746 B.

Rebuking Breath rebukes undead unless they succeed on the breath weapon's saving throw (a Reflex save for Dragons). Heighten Breath increases the DC of that saving throw. A Demilich's Turn Resistance increases their effective HD for a Cleric's turn/rebuke attempt, which is not the mechanism used by Rebuking Breath.

A 746 C. No.

There is no interaction between being rebuked and being attacked except for the creature doing the turning/rebuking.

You can attack them with ranged attacks (from at least 10 feet away), and others can attack them in any fashion, without breaking the turning effect.

[Getsugaru]

Q 747

Does anyone have a source for the Half-Construct Template?

EDIT: Never mind, found it in the MM2 starting on page 209. Thanks anyway.

[willpell]

Repost and new question.

Q740

If a creature has Psi-Like abilities which are automatically augmented to its Effective Manifester Level, does the creature have the ability to choose among all the augmentation options that the EML allows it, or does it always produce the PLA with a particular augmentation option? Most psionic creatures' statblocks seem to list one particular version of a power as the PLA, but it isn't clear whether this is meant to be a default, typical choice or the only legal option.

For example, Psionic Dominate offers the option to augment it in a wide range of ways. When an aboleth uses its Psionic Dominate PLA, augmented up to its EML of 13, does it always have to affect "any creature, 24 hours", or can it choose, say, "humanoids only, two targets, one day per manifester level", and enslave an entire six-person party for almost two weeks within three rounds?

Q748

How does a Pearl of Power interact with metamagic? If I have a Pearl for 2nd-level spells, and the Still Spell feat, which (probably two) of the following cases are correct?

* I prepare Still Hypnotism (a 1st-level spell in a 2nd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. I now have Still Hypnotism prepared again.
* I prepare Still Hypnotic Pattern (a 2nd-level spell in a 3rd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. I now have Still Hypnotic Pattern prepared again.
* I prepare Still Hypnotism (a 1st-level spell in a 2nd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. I now have a regular Hypnotism prepared again; it is no longer Still.
* I prepare Still Hypnotic Pattern (a 2nd-level spell in a 3rd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. I now have a regular Hypnotic Pattern prepared again; it is no longer Still.
* I prepare Still Hypnotism (a 1st-level spell in a 2nd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. The attempt fails, and my daily usage of the Pearl has been squandered.
* I prepare Still Hypnotic Pattern (a 2nd-level spell in a 3rd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. The attempt fails, and my daily usage of the Pearl has been squandered.
* I prepare Still Hypnotism (a 1st-level spell in a 2nd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. The attempt fails, or cannot be attempted in the first place; I am still free to use the Pearl today.
* I prepare Still Hypnotic Pattern (a 2nd-level spell in a 3rd-level slot). I cast it, and then attempt to re-prepare it with the Pearl. The attempt fails, or cannot be attempted in the first place; I am still free to use the Pearl today.

[Andezzar]

A 748

You need a pearl corresponding to the final version of the spell (including metamagic) If you use the pearl it is exactly as if you hadn't cast the spell.

So if you prepare a still spell (in a +1 slot) you need a pearl of power (spell level +1) to use the spell again. this spell is still in both castings.

There is no mention what happens if you use the wrong pearl AFAIK.

[willpell]

A 748

You need a pearl corresponding to the final version of the spell (including metamagic) If you use the pearl it is exactly as if you hadn't cast the spell.

So if you prepare a still spell (in a +1 slot) you need a pearl of power (spell level +1) to use the spell again. this spell is still in both castings.

There is no mention what happens if you use the wrong pearl AFAIK.

So in other words a level 2 pearl will work for a Level 1 spell with +1 in metamagic. That's what I considered the most likely scenario but I figured I should be sure, since anything other than Heighten Spell doesn't change the spell slot, and I didn't recall the Pearl saying "spell's effective level" or "level of spell slot" or anything.

749

If someone is slain in a way that prevents the use of resurrection spells which you have available, but they've gone to an Outer Plane upon death as is assumed to occur in default D&D metaphyics, is it possible to rescue them from that afterlife and return them to the living world via Plane Shift? (Cast once on yourself to get to Hades or wherever, then cast it on them to send them back to the PMP, and optionally cast a third time to get back yourself.) Or would they return to the PMP as a corpse, or would the spell fail altogether, or what? Do any of these answers change for any other mechanisms of getting from plane to plane (other than Astral Projection, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work in any case)?

[Thurbane]

A 749 (maybe)

Looking at the "The Nature of the Dead" section of MotP (p.89) and the "What happens after you die?" section of CD (p. 125-130), there is nothing that specifically says you cannot use planar travel to transport souls, although both are fairly specific about what spells are required to return a soul to it's former body (and Plane Shift doesn't get a mention).

In absence of any specific rules I can find, I can only assume that an attempt to shift a disembodied soul through the planes using magic would fail, since it isn't listed anywhere as an option to return a character to life.

Also, refer to whatever specifically caused the character to die - that will generally spell out exactly what is required to return the character to life.

[MrLemon]

Q 750
Do the effects of Pharaoh's Fist and Pain Touch Stack?
Reasoning for "yes": Pain Touch does not specifically state a "Stunning Fist attack", but only "victim of a stunning attack". Pharaoh's Fist is a "stunning attack" (that in being an attack that stuns the enemy)

Followup: Does it work on every enemy that is stunned, or just the one in the center that was actually hit by an attack?

[dextercorvia]

A 750

Yes. Assuming you mean the CW feat Pain Touch, any creature that is stunned by your pharaoh's fist attack will be affected by the nausea from pain touch. (Excepting immunities of course.)

[Cruiser1]

Q751:

A spell stacking question: I cast Protection From Energy (Fire) on myself twice. Since this spell doesn't say castings replace themselves, I should have two instances of this spell on me, set to absorb 120 fire damage (e.g. both need to be dispelled to remove the protection). A Red Dragon breathes on me in two consecutive rounds, rolling 140 fire damage both times. How much damage do I take, and more importantly why? Options include but aren't limited to:

1. 0 damage in round 1 (the 1st breath uses up and discharges the 1st casting, and the rest of the damage is absorbed by the 2nd casting), and 40 damage in round 2 (the 2nd breath uses up and discharges the remainder of the 2nd casting).
2. 20 damage in round 1 (the 1st breath uses up and discharges the 1st casting and the rest gets through), and 20 damage in round 2 (the 2nd breath uses up and discharges the 2nd casting and the rest gets through).
3. 20 damage in round 1 (the first breath uses up and discharges both castings simultaneously and the rest gets through), and 140 damage in round 2 (since neither spell is active anymore).

[Curmudgeon]

A 751

Option 1. is correct. The Player's Handbook example in Stacking Effects (pages 171-172) is:

For example, two bless spells don’t give twice the benefit of one bless. Both bless spells, however, continue to act simultaneously, and if one ends first, the other one continues to operate for the remainder of its duration.

When the spell absorbs 12 points per caster level of energy damage (to a maximum of 120 points at 10th level), it is discharged.

The first Protection from Energy spell is discharged when it absorbs 120 points of energy damage. The second casting of Protection from Energy continues to act simultaneous to the first casting, so it absorbs the remaining 20 points of damage in the first round.

[Getsugaru]

Q 752

Are there any prestige classes specific to the Sorcerer, like how the Master Specialist is specific to the Wizard?

[Kuulvheysoon]

A 752

The only sorceror-only prestige class that leaps to mind is the Pact-Bound Adept (Dragon Magic), as it requires a dragonpact.

Dragonpacts, introduced in the same book, can only be entered by a sorceror, not any spontaneous caster.

[123456789blaaa]

Q 753

Is there any reason you couldn't use the psionic power "call weaponry" to get colossal or colossal+ weapons?

[Andezzar]

Q 754

I think I remember reading somewhere that with 5 ranks in Balance you can get up from prone without provoking AoOs. Where was that?

[Khedrac]

A 754
Sorry no. 5 ranks in balance permit one to retain one's dexterity bonus to AC while balancing.
There are a number of ways of standing without provoking (e.g. DC 35 tumble check) but not with balance.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Q 753

Is there any reason you couldn't use the psionic power "call weaponry" to get colossal or colossal+ weapons?

A 753: There doesn't seem to be. Note, however, that you can't actually wield the weapon you call unless you're almost equally large (and since the power says "You call a weapon “from thin air” into your waiting hand..." that may be grounds to prevent you from doing it, but that's less RAW and more a DM thing, which is out of the purview of this thread).

[willpell]

A753 additional
The examples they give of weapons that you can call do not specify a size, so a DM might very well rule that it's impossible to ask for a given size of weapon. Certainly if you are Colossal yourself you will call a Colossal weapon by default, but otherwise the text says nothing specific about size but by omission implies that no option exists to determine the size of weapon you get. Remember that D&D rules are generally a list of things you can do, with an assumption that anything unlisted cannot be done (save when Rule Zero is applied of course). If it says nothing, the default answer is generally "no".

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 754 [correction]

There are a number of ways of standing without provoking (e.g. DC 35 tumble check) but not with balance.

Making the DC 35 Tumble check for Free Stand still provokes AoOs. From page 103 of Complete Adventurer:

Free Stand: With a DC 35 Tumble check result, you can stand up from prone as a free action (instead of as a move action). This use of the skill still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

There's no listed provocation if you move from prone to kneeling (a move action), and no listed provocation if you move from kneeling to standing (another move action). So taking two move actions should get you from prone to standing, slowly but safely. Other than that you would need some special ability like the Thief-Acrobat's Kip Up (Complete Adventurer, page 83).

[St Fan]

Q 755

Can a character with 10 levels of Dragon Disciple (thus having the half-dragon template) then take levels in the Half-Dragon Paragon class?

For that matter, could he still take another Paragon class, the one for his original race?

[mattie_p]

A 755: Yes, a Dragon Disciple can take levels in half-dragon paragon.

The SRD has a paragraph that makes this clear:

It's possible for a powerful magic effect such as shapechange, reincarnate, or wish to change a character's race. If a character has already taken racial paragon levels in his original race, he can never become a paragon of another race. However, such shapechanging and form-altering magics also cause no loss of a paragon's class abilities—the class abilities gained from racial paragon levels are affected no more or less drastically than benefits gained from having levels in any other class.

Thus if you have already taken racial paragon levels, you cannot take racial paragon levels in your new race. If you have not, then you are free to take racial paragon levels in your new race (as a half-dragon).

But as a member of your new race, you are ineligible to take racial paragon levels in your previous race.

[JoeNobody]

Q. 756

I apologize in advance if this question has been asked before. My question is: what happens if you cast magic jar at a ghost?

[Curmudgeon]

A 756

By casting magic jar, you place your soul in a gem or large crystal (known as the magic jar), leaving your body lifeless. Then you can attempt to take control of a nearby body, forcing its soul into the magic jar.

You place your soul in the gem, but all further steps fail if the nearby creature does not have a body.

[willpell]

Q757
Is there ever any game-mechanical difference between "the save DC of your spells is increased by 2" and "the target of your spells takes a -2 penalty on saving throws"? To me the use of the latter just seems like awkward grammar.

[Andezzar]

Time for a Repost:

Q 728

Do you gain the damage bonus from Blade Meditation with all strikes or only those of the chosen school?

For example, if you took Blade Meditation (Devoted Spirit) and used a Falchion, would you gain the bonus with any maneuver or only those of the Devoted Spirit school?

Q 758

Can you stack moment of alacrity several times in the same encounter (if you refreshed it in between)?

[Gandariel]

Q 759: can monsters and animal companions grapple you without provoking?

if i'm a druid, do i need to have my companion take any feats to be ablr to grapple? does he need Imp unarmed strike and Imp grapple?

[willpell]

Q 759: can monsters and animal companions grapple you without provoking?

if i'm a druid, do i need to have my companion take any feats to be ablr to grapple? does he need Imp unarmed strike and Imp grapple?

A 759 partial

Several monsters have the Improved Grab special attack, which allows them to grapple without provoking an AoO. I don't know of any animals that have this ability, though some may. Note that if you're asking about having your elephant pick you up with its trunk or something, whether the attack provokes is not relevant, since you can just choose not to take the AoO, and train the animal to recognize that it can safely make the attempt.

[KillianHawkeye]

A 757

Mathematically, there's no difference between adding 2 to the DC or subtracting 2 from a roll.

However, there are non-mathematical reasons why you might want to do one or the other. For example, if you don't want the target to know that the power is unusually difficult to resist. Or if you have somebody who is bad at math, it's usually just faster not to bother them with the extra mathematical steps.

[mattie_p]

Q 728: All strikes with chosen weapons from that discipline.

There are several caveats in the phrasing of the benefits of that feat.

• +1 bonus on damage rolls with all the preferred weapons of your chosen discipline when using a strike combat maneuver
• +2 bonus on checks involving the discipline’s key skill
• save DCs of any maneuvers that you perform from the chosen discipline are increased by 1

Chosen discipline is mentioned in each of the three potential bonuses from the feat, but the +1 on damage applies during any strike combat maneuver.

A 758: No

Refer back to stacking, from the SRD:

In most cases, modifiers to a given check or roll stack (combine for a cumulative effect) if they come from different sources and have different types (or no type at all), but do not stack if they have the same type or come from the same source (such as the same spell cast twice in succession). If the modifiers to a particular roll do not stack, only the best bonus and worst penalty applies.

This maneuver, despite providing an untyped bonus, would not then stack with itself.

A 757 additional:

Do note that increasing the DC of your spells by 2 only affects your spells that target others, while the literal wording you quoted: "the target of your spells takes a -2 penalty on saving throws" could affect other saving throws the target makes, depending on the exact wording.

[Gandariel]

A 759 partial

Several monsters have the Improved Grab special attack, which allows them to grapple without provoking an AoO. I don't know of any animals that have this ability, though some may. Note that if you're asking about having your elephant pick you up with its trunk or something, whether the attack provokes is not relevant, since you can just choose not to take the AoO, and train the animal to recognize that it can safely make the attempt.

Q 759 ADDENDUM
The thing i was thinking about is: can a Dire Eagle companion grapple an enemy, fly up and then drop him for massive damage?

but the question is extended to every monster and animal. is grapple possible for monsters? or do they provoke every time as well?