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

[inexorabletruth]

That reminds me...

Q1036
Generally speaking, what does it mean to "interact" with an illusion? Is it usually a matter of touch? Can, say, a Disguise Self which makes your skin lighter or darker without changing anything else ever be detected through "interacting" and thus prompt a Will save?

A1036
Disguise self doesn't alter mannerisms, tactile, audible, or combat properties. (PHB, pg. 222) Therefore if you disguise your skin tone enough to appear to be of a different race or culture and were interacting with a person familiar to that culture, your mannerisms, and theoretically your accent (audible) may give away your true nature, and therefore provoke a Will Save.

[Sith_Happens]

A 1037-1039

Attacks with natural weapons are handled via separate rules from those with manufactured weapons, as detailed here. For this purpose, a monk's unarmed strike is treated as a manufactured weapon.

Generally, a creature gets exactly one attack with each natural weapon it posseses, provided that that limb is free*. If, during a given round, you attack with only your natural weapons, then one of them is the "primary" natural weapon and the others are all "secondary" (the creature/class feature's description should say which is which). If you attack with both a manufactured weapon and one or more natural weapons in the same turn, then all of the natural weapons are considered secondary.

A primary natural weapon uses your full attack bonus and receives your full strength bonus to damage, or strength-and-a-half if it is the only natural weapon you posses. A secondary natural weapon takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls (which can be reduced to -2 with the Multiattack feat) and receives half your strength bonus to damage.


* I have no idea whether a limb you use for an unarmed strike is still considered "free" to make a natural attack with that turn. As a monk, however, you can circumvent this issue via your ability to make unarmed strikes with any body part.

[Zombimode]

Q 1040

Is there a DC to hit a specific square with a ranged attack?
Like throwing an Alchemists Fire at a specific square instead of a creature.

[Lateral]

A 1040

Squares have AC 5, I believe.

Q 1041

When one is attacked by a creature with greater invisibility, does one automatically know from which square the attack comes?

Q 1042

If torch bug paste (Complete Scoundrel pg. 120) is thrown at an empty square, does it hit all creatures adjacent to that square?

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 1040

AC 5 = 10 (base) -5 (Dexterity 0)

A 1041 No.

Without a successful Listen check (see here) you have no clue that you've been attacked from any particular square or direction. You don't know if a hit was a melee or ranged attack, or a magical effect. If you are hit multiple times you don't know if they're from one attacker or several.

A 1042 Yes.

That assumes the attack hits the intended square, naturally.

[Lord_Gareth]

Q1030 - Can the Scorpion Parry maneuver be used to block/deflect spells that require an attack roll?

Reposting.

[Curmudgeon]

A 1030

Yes, you can deflect (but not block) a spell attack via Scorpion Parry. Note that the deflected attack target must be both adjacent to you and within your opponent's threatened area, so this will limit the applicability against spell attacks.

[Lord_Gareth]

A 1030

Yes, you can deflect (but not block) a spell attack via Scorpion Parry. Note that the deflected attack target must be both adjacent to you and within your opponent's threatened area, so this will limit the applicability against spell attacks.

EXCELLENT! Thank you!

[willpell]

Q1043
Can a Mind Flayer wear a Ring of Sustenance and avoid the need to eat brains indefinitely?

[Lord_Gareth]

Q1043
Can a Mind Flayer wear a Ring of Sustenance and avoid the need to eat brains indefinitely?

A1043 - Yes, within the limits imposed by the ring itself. It should be noted that Lords of Madness and other supplements also present alternates to eating brains.

[willpell]

I didn't recall the Ring having any limits. "You need not eat", full stop, was my recollection of its effect (along with only needing 2 hours of sleep). There's also the Sustenance psychic power, which psionic MFs easily have access to if they so choose.

[Lord_Gareth]

Sustenance

This ring continually provides its wearer with life-sustaining nourishment. The ring also refreshes the body and mind, so that its wearer needs only sleep 2 hours per day to gain the benefit of 8 hours of sleep. The ring must be worn for a full week before it begins to work. If it is removed, the owner must wear it for another week to reattune it to himself.

There's an attunement period, is what I was driving at.

[Seharvepernfan]

Q1044

Say I have a fighter with a high dexterity score, combat reflexes, and great cleave. Let's also say that he is being attacked by a horde of orcs. If, on their individual turns, the orcs move up and attack the fighter in melee, can he choose to not attack Orcs 1 and 2, saving his first AoO for orc 3, then (if dropping orc 3 in one hit) great cleave 1 and 2? Could he then do the same thing with orcs 4, 5, and 6 with a second AoO? And so on?

[Silvanoshei]

A 1044

Yes. Be careful on the rules on AoO however. It would seem you think entering the threatened zone gives AoO, this is not correct, it's when a enemey leaves a threatened zone can you get one off.

[Sith_Happens]

Q 1045

Is there a way for a Sorcerer to get Bardic Music (preferably including Inspire Courage) without multiclassing into Bard?

Q 1046

Are there any theurge classes besides Fochlucan Lyrist that progress Bardic Music?

[Seharvepernfan]

A 1044

Yes. Be careful on the rules on AoO however. It would seem you think entering the threatened zone gives AoO, this is not correct, it's when a enemey leaves a threatened zone can you get one off.

... O.o

Every person I have ever played with has thought that moving into a threatened square provokes an AoO, myself included.

[willpell]

There's an attunement period, is what I was driving at.

Ah. Which leads to still another question, one applicable to more than mind flayers.

Q1047
Say you're in the process of starving to death and you've begun to take damage as a result. You find a Ring of Sustenance and put it on; through a combination of good Fortitude saves and ridiculous amounts of hit points, you survive the subsequent week of remaining food-less, and the Ring's effect commences. Does the nonlethal damage and resulting fatigue from your time starving remain, and you simply don't take any more? Or does the Sustenance effect actually count as receiving food and water?

[qwertyu63]

Q1048:

Can you use Quick Draw to change weapons in the middle of a Full Attack?

Q1049:

Can you use Quick Draw to change weapons in the middle of a Full Attack, if you are switching between a sword and a bow?

[KillianHawkeye]

A 1048 & 1049

Absolutely. This ability is a key facet of thrown weapon builds.

Note, however, that the Quick Draw feat does not provide you an increase to the speed of sheathing your weapon, which remains a Move Action. In order to complete this mid-attack weapon change maneuver, you will likely have to drop your first weapon onto the ground (a Free Action)--or find another means of disposing of it as a Free Action--before you can Quick Draw a second one.

[willpell]

I am now picturing a sort of Poor Man's Wall of Iron where you walk onto the battlefield carrying as many weapons as will physically fit onto your body without counting as "stored", and then spend like 80 free actions quick-drawing and dropping daggers and such to form a little pile in front of you large enough to use as cover. Maybe even drop spears point-first in an interweaving pattern, to construct a makeshift fence as a free action?

... O.o

Every person I have ever played with has thought that moving into a threatened square provokes an AoO, myself included.

Nope! That would make fighter-types who win initiative a LOT more powerful, because the only way anyone could ever enter melee without taking an AoO would be if their opponent was still flat-footed from not realizing a fight had started. With the AoO happening when you leave (unless it's to spend the entire round running for the hills), it's hard to disengage from a fight without giving the opponent an opening, which was exactly the designers' intent; it was an admirable, though inadequate, attempt at making the Fighter be able to Hold the Line by whacking anyone who tries to get past him. It was very definitely NOT intended to make trying to approach a fighter instant suicide, as doing that makes fighters weaker, not stronger, since they never dare be the first one to close to melee range, and thus can't really do anything.

[Silvanoshei]

... O.o

Every person I have ever played with has thought that moving into a threatened square provokes an AoO, myself included.

It's the most misinterpreted rule in 3.5 I think.

Moving

Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from the threatening opponent. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 5-foot-step and the Withdraw action

Having said that, the best method for a melee going AoO build... I would suggest the Improved Trip feat and the Spiked Chain with reach. So you threaten 5ft and 10ft away from you... a incoming foe will leave your threatened square before they reach you. Trip, get another free attack.

[Silvanoshei]

A 1048 & 1049

Absolutely. This ability is a key facet of thrown weapon builds.

Note, however, that the Quick Draw feat does not provide you an increase to the speed of sheathing your weapon, which remains a Move Action. In order to complete this mid-attack weapon change maneuver, you will likely have to drop your first weapon onto the ground (a Free Action)--or find another means of disposing of it as a Free Action--before you can Quick Draw a second one.

Added Note: Another example, you could attack with your sword, drop it, take a 5 foot step, quick draw your bow, and continue your attacks.

[cd4]

Q1050 What methods exist to move all of spellcasting to another stat? Specifically I want my warmage to use intelligence.

[Lyndworm]

Q 1051:
I can't think how to phrase this question intelligently at the moment, so I'll provide an example.

Creature A is walking through a forest, believing himself to be alone.
Creature B is hiding in that same forest, and hits A with a ranged attack.

A is not aware of B's presence prior to the attack. Does A learn anything about B's presence, such as direction, after/during the attack?

[Kalirren]

Q 1052:

Caster A starts casting a spell, as a full-round action, upon a target location.
While Caster A is still casting, A's line of effect to the target location is blocked by a wall of stone by Caster B.

What is the result of A's spell upon spell completion? Does the spell
a) fizzle completely
b) take effect at the near side of the wall
c) take effect on the far side of the wall
d) take effect at the target location, as intended
e) It matters what sort of spell it was

It was a summon spell, for the record.

[Douglas]

A1052

f) none of the above

You make all pertinent decisions about a spell (range, target, area, effect, version, and so forth) when the spell comes into effect.

Until the casting is completed, the location for its effect is still undecided. Caster B blocks Caster A's line of effect, and Caster A responds simply by waiting for his spellcasting to finish and then at that time choosing a location that isn't blocked.

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 1053

The "Saving Throw" line of the Undetectable Alignment spell reads: "Will save negates (object)."

Does this mean that if I make a Will save, I can detect the alignment of an enemy warded by this spell?

(For a longer presentation of this question, refer to Q 1005 in comment #2020.)

[Khedrac]

A1053
No - the "Will save negates (object)" is for the target of the spell which can be an object. This means you can attempt to resist the spell if you don't want it cast upon you. It has nothing to do with those trying to discern the alignment of the target.

[Curmudgeon]

A 1051

If the attacker (B) becomes visually apparent after the attack, the clueless character (A) gets the standard reactive Spot check if they had never previously had line of sight to B. However, if A had had line of sight to B but failed their reactive Spot vs. Hide, A could not discern anything without a move action Spot retry ─ on their (A's) turn, of course.

Action: Varies. Every time you have a chance to spot something in a reactive manner you can make a Spot check without using an action. Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action.

If B does not become visually apparent after the attack (due usually to Hide in Plain Sight), there is no chance of A discerning anything until some later round.

[Cicciograna]

Q 1052

Sorry if I ask this dumb, dumb question, but it has been bugging me for ages.

In the stats blocks of the monsters provided in the various sourcebooks, do the values in the Skills section include Racial bonuses?

For example, one of the monsters that have always puzzled me is the Lizardfolk which has a +4 bonus on Balance, Jump and Swim: however it has Balance +4, Jump +5 and Swim +2, which leads me to think that the racial bonuses are not included. I'm sure, however, that I'm missing something: would anyone be kind enough to show me the exact calculations behind the Lizardfolk's skills?