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

[mattsdelf]

Q787

Can a level 3 rogue learn Shadow Noose from the ToB with the feat (martial study I think) that lets you learn a maneuver with no prerequisites?

[mattie_p]

A 787: No.

Despite having no pre-requisites, the maneuver described is a level 6 maneuver, which requires initiator level 11. Rogue 3 would have an initiator level of 1.

[Andezzar]

Q 788 A

Does a Cryo-/Pyrohydra gain a number of breath attacks equal to the number of heads? Can for example a ten headed pyrohydra use ten such attacks in round one for 3d6 fire damage each?

Q 788 B

Do all attacks recharge at the same rate (i.e. roll 1d4 only once) or individually?

[NeedsAnswersNao]

Q789: Can a character normally cast Rage on herself and concentrate so it lasts longer than 1 round/level?

[Curmudgeon]

A 789 No.

The effect is otherwise identical with a barbarian’s rage except that the subjects aren’t fatigued at the end of the rage.

While raging, a barbarian cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, and Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can he cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function.

Concentration (for any reason) is explicitly disallowed.

[CardCaptor]

Q790: Does Arcane Dilletante let Factotum use Wizard/Sorcerer scrolls and wands without UMD?

[willpell]

Q791

An Unbodied manifests powers as a 4th-level Telepath. If it takes a level in the Psion class, does it have the option of choosing a discipline other than Telepathy? Does the answer change depending on whether it has chosen Telepath discipline powers? Assuming the answer is "yes" in the first case, how do you calculate Manifester Level and Maximum Power Level known - does it get its full level for all its powers, or is it more complicated than that?

To explain further by way of example, let us imagine an Unbodied character; we'll call it Knowbuddy. Among his powers known at creation are Mind Thrust (a general Psion/Wilder power) and Psionic Charm (a Telepath power). At this point, it manifests both at ML 4. Say it then adds a Psion level and chooses the Shaper discipline, picking Astral Construct as a power known. (Assuming this is legal.)

Which of the following is true?
* a) Knowbuddy manifests Mind Thrust, Psionic Charm, and Astral Construct at ML 5.
* b) Knowbuddy manifests Mind Thrust at ML 5, Psionic Charm at ML 4, and Astral Construct at ML 1.

....And which of these is true?
* c) Knowbuddy's other new power may be a Psion/Wilder 3 power, a Telepath 3 power, or a Shaper 3 power.
* d) Knowbuddy's other new power may be a Psion/Wilder 3 power, a Telepath 2 power, or a Shaper 1 power.
* e) Knowbuddy's other new power may be a Psion/Wilder 3 power or a Shaper 1 power. He can never again learn any new Telepath powers (except with the Expanded Knowledge feat).
* f) Knowbuddy's other new power may be a Psion/Wilder 3 power or a Shaper 3 power. He can never again learn any new Telepath powers (except with the Expanded Knowledge feat).

[KillianHawkeye]

A 791 (probably)

I'm almost certain that you can't multi-class different versions of Psion, just like you can't for Wizard or Cleric. Therefore, an Unbodied who takes levels in Psion is locked into the Telepathy discipline. This has no bearing on whether or not the character has chosen powers known from the Telepathy list.

[willpell]

A 791 (probably)

I'm almost certain that you can't multi-class different versions of Psion, just like you can't for Wizard or Cleric.

Normally this is true, but the Unbodied doesn't actually have the psion class, just an equivalent set of powers that come with his Monstrous Humanoid hit dice. So the question of whether he might be an exception remains open to me. I'm likely to houserule in favor for Rule of Cool reasons, but I always like to know whether I'm breaking RAW, even if I don't really hesitate to do it.

[mattie_p]

A 791: followup

As the psion levels would be an associated class, the levels automatically stack:

A spellcasting class is an associated class for a creature that already has the ability to cast spells as a character of the class in question, since the monster’s levels in the spellcasting class stack with its innate spellcasting ability.

As KillianHawkeye mentioned, you can't multiclass different versions of the same class.

Multiclassing And Variant Classes
Multiclassing between variants of the same class is a tricky subject. In cases where a single class offers a variety of paths (such as the totem barbarian or the monk fighting styles), the easiest solution is simply to bar multiclassing between different versions of the same class (just as a character can't multiclass between different versions of specialist wizards).

So you are locked into telepath, which stacks.

[willpell]

A 791: followup

As the psion levels would be an associated class, the levels automatically stack:

Ah! That was the rule I suspected existed but had never actually read, thank you. I guess Knowbuddy is going to need to take Expanded Knowledge if he wants that Astral Construct power (fortunately he should qualify for it right out of the box since he has ML 4 and 2nd-level powers).

[KillianHawkeye]

Re: 791

Take a look at the Psion Uncarnate prestige class. It gets a lot of the special abilities of the Unbodied (albeit much more limited), but it doesn't require you to be a Telepath.

It's a long shot, but maybe that will suit your needs.

[Andezzar]

Q 792

What is weapon damage with regards to the valorous weapon property? is it only the die or dice the weapon does (e.g. 2d6 for a greatsword) or does it also include the bonuses form STR, the weapon's enhancement bonus, feats and abilities (Power Attack, Sneak Attack) and elemental damage?

Repost time:

Q 521

Is the CON damage from a charge attack doubled on a valorous wounding weapon? What about a valorous wounding lance?

Q 522

Is there a cheaper way to get double damage on a charge and CON damage on a weapon than +1 valorous wounding (32k)?

[willpell]

Re: 791
Take a look at the Psion Uncarnate prestige class. It gets a lot of the special abilities of the Unbodied (albeit much more limited), but it doesn't require you to be a Telepath.
It's a long shot, but maybe that will suit your needs.

I hate that PrC so much. You can be incorporeal for one minute, once a day (twice at level 6 or so). (And then at level 10 you can be corporeal for a minute at a time instead.) So completely and totally not adequate. (Plus the Mind Bridge ability is just utterly bizarre and not at all necessary.) I plan on homebrewing my own take on the concept, and will be tying it fluffwise to my version of the Unbodied, rather than this "Golden Mind" nonsense.

[Curmudgeon]

A 790 No.

Having spell-like abilities provides no insight into the "special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know". The Factotum is not a spellcaster.

[Dude_Here]

Q 793

If a character in combat turns to either side to face an opponent and dispatches him can he return to the direction he was originally facing or does he have to wait till the next round?

[Andezzar]

A 793

Normal D&D does not have facing. A creature can turn as much as it likes (with the exception of flying creatures).

Additional rules for Facing can be found here.

[God Imperror]

Q 794 Can a cloistered cleric trade his knowledge domain for the divine magician ACF?

[Curmudgeon]

A 794 No.

The Divine Magician ACF stipulates what you gain, not what you trade away.

You gain only one domain (including spells and granted power) at 1st level, rather than two.

This applies if you're a regular or Cloistered Cleric.

[DeltaEmil]

Q 795

Do you deal the 1d6 extra damage granted from Punishing Stance (Iron Heart Stance from Tome of Battle) when using a grapple check to deal unarmed damage to an enemy?

[Drynwyn]

Q 795

Do you deal the 1d6 extra damage granted from Punishing Stance (Iron Heart Stance from Tome of Battle) when using a grapple check to deal unarmed damage to an enemy?

Yes, becaue you deal "damage as normal for you unarmed strike." If you were making am unarmed strike as normal, you would get +1d6.

[2gig]

Q796
Would a gestalt Wizard/Ranger that took the ACF to trade their familiar for an animal companion end up with a full druid level animal companion (half from Ranger, half from Wizard) or would they just overlap and still provide a half druid level animal companion?

[Ranting Fool]

Q797

A:

On Wand use.

Say I've a wand of Cure light wounds in my hand. And this turn I want to pull out a wand of Magic Missile (This is a high UMD guy)

Can the second wand be pulled out (as a move action) and cast (standard action) while holding the Cure Light Wounds Wand in the other hand (not casting granted but wand in each hand and swap from turn to turn)

B:

"You don't need a hand free to cure light wounds on people, you just have to touch them and you could do that with back of the hand or kick them"

Are Spells which say "Touch" range requiring a touched by hand or would a foot or headbutt (or other body part) be equal use.

As always thank you and if any source could be quoted to avoid any arguments on this in future.

[Andezzar]

A 797

A: No problem there you can use a wand in your dominant as well as your off hand.

B: This will only work if us use the still spell metamagic. While you do not need to touch the target with your hand you need at least one free hand to provide the somatic component of the spell.

Q 798

Do the free trip attempts granted by Shock Trooper (Domino Rush) start with a melee touch attack or with the opposed STR check?

Q 799

Does a ring of arming work with shields?

[Anodai]

A 799

Yes. Shields fall under the category of armor.

[Andezzar]

Q 800

Do armor/shield spikes need to be masterwork items in their own right? If so does it cost 150 gp (as armor) or 300 gp (as weapons)?

[Curmudgeon]

A 798

Domino Rush: To use this maneuver, you must make a successful bull rush attempt that forces a foe into the same square as another foe. You may make a free trip attempt against both foes at the same rime, and neither foe gets a chance to trip you if your attempt fails.

Making a Trip Attack

Make an unarmed melee touch attack against your target. This provokes an attack of opportunity from your target as normal for unarmed attacks.

"Making a trip attack" and "making a trip attempt" refer to the same operation: a trip attempt begins with a melee touch attack.

A 800

Shield or armor spikes, though attached to armor items, are weapons. Shield/armor enhancements, and weapon enhancements, are independent even when they occupy the same piece of hardware. That applies to shields used for bashing as well: there is no connection between the shield's properties for defense and offense. If you want to enhance a shield for both uses, it must be made a masterwork shield and a masterwork weapon at item creation, paying separately (150 gp for masterwork shield for defense plus 300 gp for masterwork shield for offense) for each use.

[willpell]

A800 additional
Also note that it is not permitted to add the masterwork quality to an existing item, so if you want your shield to be masterwork for bashing purposes, you need to pay in advance. I am not sure whether this remains true for spikes however, as I believe spikes can be added separately, though I may be wrong on that.

[rweird]

Q 801

Does Shadow Blade allow you to add Dex to hit with weapon finessable weapons with the Special section (gaining dex to hit from having weapon finesse, shadow blade makes you count as having weapon finesse for qualifying for feats, prestige classes, or special abilities)?

[Curmudgeon]

A 801 No.

Special: Shadow Blade can be used in place of Weapon Finesse to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. If this substitution allows you to gain a benefit that normally applies to all finesse weapons (those described in the Weapon Finesse feat description), it instead applies only to the Shadow Hand discipline's preferred weapons.

If you used Shadow Blade to qualify for a feat which stated something like "you gain the benefit of Weapon Finesse plus ..." then Shadow Blade would give you that benefit. The Special section does not give you the benefit of Weapon Finesse directly; you are only treated as having WF for qualification purposes.