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

[Preaplanes]

Q1684: How do the effects of Freedom of Movement interact with the effects of Spider Climb?

[mattie_p]

A 1684: They really don't.

Spider climb gives you the ability to climb on walls or ceilings, provided your hands are free. Freedom of movement gives you the ability to ignore magic that impedes movement, and allows you to move and attack normally underwater. As spider climb enhances your movement, freedom of movement has no effect on spider climb's abilities. I suppose if you were grappled while climbing or climbing while underwater there would be some interaction, but I think it would be pretty clear based on the spells what those effects would be.

[Zonugal]

Question 1685

In a build like: Human Unarmed Swordsage 1/Enchanter Wizard 1/Urban Ranger 1/Unarmed Swordsage 2/Chameleon 1, could I pick up Academic Priest and apply its benefits to the Chameleon's divine casting?

If not, why so?

[Curmudgeon]

A 1683

Exceptional Deflection [Epic] is a 3.0 feat. As such, it refers to the 3.0 Deflect Arrows, which had a DC-based mechanic. Some of the feats from Epic Level Handbook have been updated to 3.5 rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide, Complete Adventurer, and other supplements, but not all. This is one of those not officially updated. Deflecting spells as if they were arrows, where deflecting arrows does not have a DC, should logically also have no DC, but confirmation of that is up to your individual DM. Note this important reminder from page 4 of the 3.4 Dungeon Master's Guide:

This is an upgrade of the d20 System, not a new edition of the game. This revision is compatible with all existing products, and those products can be used with the revision with only minor adjustments.

Your DM's idea of "minor adjustments" will determine how Exceptional Deflection actually works in their game.

A 1685 No.

You can't pick up Academic Priest at all because it's not a D&D feat. Instead, it's a Dragonlance feat in Legends of the Twins, a Sovereign Press publication. Dragonlance is based on D&D, but only the Dragonlance Campaign Setting book is integrable into a D&D campaign; all other Dragonlance books are only for the Dragonlance game. If you look at page 7 of Dragonlance Campaign Setting under "Where to Begin" you'll find instructions of how to integrate that book's contents into a D&D game. There is no similar instruction in Legends of the Twins.

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 1683

EXCEPTIONAL DEFLECTION [EPIC]
Prerequisites: Dex 21, Wis 19, Deflect Arrows, Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit: The character can deflect any ranged attacks (including spells that require ranged touch attacks) as if they were arrows.

I think the SRD counts as an official update.

[Nettlekid]

Q 1686
Is there any way to get a permanent Psionic Tattoo that works a few times/day, like many magic items do? If so, is there a way to get an augmented form of that power? My goal is to get a permanent Psionic Tattoo of Expansion, augmented to 7 PP for the two sizes.

[Clistenes]

Q 1687

By RAW, if a character is using Mind Blank, and another tries to find him using Miracle, Commune or Contact Other Plane the divination always fail, despite the direct intervention of a deity or powerful outsider.

Does that mean that Mind Blank protects you against the deity's Portafolio Sense and Divine Senses?

[mattie_p]

A 1687: No. Mind blank protects against "information gathering by divination spells or effects." The Portfolio Sense divine characteristic is not extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like, and is therefore natural, and is not a divination. Likewise, the Remote Sensing divine characteristic is supernatural, and therefore is not a divination.

[Clistenes]

A 1687: No. Mind blank protects against "information gathering by divination spells or effects." The Portfolio Sense divine characteristic is not extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like, and is therefore natural, and is not a divination. Likewise, the Remote Sensing divine characteristic is supernatural, and therefore is not a divination.

But, shouldn't Miracle and Commune work then? If your god can find your target, and you can directly ask for his help, then your god can just tell you where to find your target.

I guess that Bingo, the Demigod of Maple Syrup, can't find you because you never eat Maple Syrup and never walk close to one of his few priests or temples, but, what if the spellcaster asks Bob, the God of Trousers? Since you wear trousers, Bob should find you using his Portafolio Sense.

By the way, if a god uses Remote Sensing to "touch" an object, does that count for the purpose of finding that object in the future using Discern Location?

[mattie_p]

But, shouldn't Miracle and Commune work then? If your god can find your target, and you can directly ask for his help, then your god can just tell you where to find your target.

I guess that Bingo, the Demigod of Maple Syrup, can't find you because you never eat Maple Syrup and never walk close to one of his few priests or temples, but, what if the spellcaster asks Bob, the God of Trousers? Since you wear trousers, Bob should find you using his Portafolio Sense.

By the way, if a god uses Remote Sensing to "touch" an object, does that count for the purpose of finding that object in the future using Discern Location?

If you are asking what should occur, you need to speak with the designers of 3.5. If you are asking what occurs by RAW, I just explained it. For whatever reason, Mind Blank blocks divination attempts, including commune, wish, and miracle. However, it does not block using gate to travel to the realm of your chosen deity and asking them directly. If you believe this to be silly, there is a thread for that. However, I believe I have adequately explained the RAW.

Regarding remote sensing:

As a standard action, a deity of rank 1 or higher can perceive everything within a radius of one mile per rank around any of its worshipers, holy sites, or other objects or locales sacred to the deity.

Perception is not touch. I do not believe that a deity could solely use their remote sensing divine characteristic to count as touching an object for the purposes of discern location.

[Ruethgar]

Q 1688

What defines a creature? The glossary definition would include inanimate plants but I know they are considered objects.

[TuggyNE]

A1688: Mostly, the Special Abilities listing for Nonabilities.

Wisdom
Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no Wisdom score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has no Charisma score.

Charisma
Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.

Inanimate plants have no Wis score or Cha score; they have no conscious ability to distinguish self and non-self, nor any conscious ability to perceive their environment. (RAW-wise, they have no Wis or Cha score because none is defined for them, in sharp distinction to their defined size, HP, hardness, thickness, weight, and so on and so forth, per the general rules for materials.)

[Ruethgar]

Q 1688 B

But plants can perceive their environment and the difference between themselves and others if only to a minor degree. Ah w/e I knew I would have to get creative to pull it off. Ty for the response.

[Arael666]

Q 1689

How do I add a template to a creature with fractional CR?

I only came up with a few options, but I cant decide between them:

• The LA of the template is the new CR of the creature. Such as, a kobold (CR 1/4) with the half dragon template (LA+3) would be CR 3;
• The creature CR is counted as "0", so the kobold half dragon would be CR 2
• The creature advances his fractional CR, so the kobold half dragon would go 1/4>1/3>1/2>1, resulting in a CR=1

[Chronos]

A 1689 partial:

LA and CR are two different numbers, and need not have any particular relationship to each other. LA is never used in a CR calculation.

For the rest of your question, though, I'm not sure. A similar issue applies to creatures with a fractional hit die gaining additional hit dice.

[Curmudgeon]

A 1689

There are no rounding rules for Challenge Ratings, so you simply add the numbers together, retaining any compound fractions (AKA mixed numbers).

[Thurbane]

A 1689

Your second point is the correct answer. The default rule for 3.5 is to round fractions down.

CR ¼ added to CR +2 is CR 2 ¼, rounded down to CR 2.

[edit]Missed in the Half-Dragon template, minimum CR is 3, so that would be the CR[/edit]

[Thurbane]

Q1690

The Mage Slayer feat says enemy casters know that they cannot cast defensively if they are threatened by you. Does this still apply if you are Invisible or otherwise undetectable by the caster? If yes, does this allow the caster to identify your presence/location?

[Curmudgeon]

A 1690 Yes; no.

Knowing that someone is threatening them does not let them know who or where.

[Failed Phantasm]

Q 1691:
If a familiar is acquired by means of the Obtain Familiar feat, does one count only the levels one has in base classes and PrCs with their own arcane spellcasting progression (such as the Suel Arcanamach)? Or do PrCs that advance an existing arcane class's spell progression also count when determining the familiar's abilities?

[Andezzar]

A 1691

The former. Classes that advance existing spellcasting do not "allow you to cast arcane spells stack" per se.

Q 1692

Is there a class that grants a spellcasting progression similar to that of the urpriest but for arcane spells (preferably Sorc/Wiz)?

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 1692

Sort of. I can only think of two candidates at the moment.

There is the beholder mage from lords of madness. One of the prerequisites is being a true beholder which is normally impossible for PCs outside of polymorph any object shenanigans. It is even harder to convince sane DMs to let you play it.

The next best thing i can think of is sublime chord from complete arcane. It requires bardic music and 3rd level arcane spells. It also requires 13 ranks in a couple skills so you probably won't enter it until lv 10. It only has lv 4 - 9 spells but they are from the sor/wiz and bard lists.

[Andezzar]

Q 1693

Can the plane of positive energy raise/(true) resurrect a dead creature?

[Curmudgeon]

A 1693 No.

The fast healing properties of minor and major positive-dominant planar regions only act on creatures. Corpses are unaffected.

[Heilmut Von L.]

Q 1694

Lance is a reach weapon but not a tripping one.
If a foe passes through my threatened area (10 ft. away) and assuming that I have Improved Trip, can I attempt to trip him?

[Curmudgeon]

A 1694 No.

You can only perform operations within your own and your equipment's capabilities. Improved Trip allows you to avoid attacks of opportunity when attempting a trip operation, but does not give you any greater capabilities in performing trip attacks: your reach is the same, and your reliance on weapons designated for tripping remains the same if you want to trip with a weapon. If a foe exits a space you threaten but only with a non-tripping weapon, you have no way to attempt to trip them.

[Heilmut Von L.]

A 1694 No.

You can only perform operations within your own and your equipment's capabilities. Improved Trip allows you to avoid attacks of opportunity when attempting a trip operation, but does not give you any greater capabilities in performing trip attacks: your reach is the same, and your reliance on weapons designated for tripping remains the same if you want to trip with a weapon. If a foe exits a space you threaten but only with a non-tripping weapon, you have no way to attempt to trip them.

Thank you! One more favour: take a look at Sir Didymus build in this handbook:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109429

I guess he choose to pick Improved Trip only to get the +4 bonus on the trip attempt given by the Knockdown feat, am I right? But the question is: can he make the free trip attempt from Knockdown using the lance?

[Sliver]

Q 1695

What do beguilers, warmages and dread necromancers need to do to regain their daily spells?

[Preaplanes]

Q1696: Is there any way to rapidly age someone else to death?

[Curmudgeon]

A 1696 No.

As far as I know, there are also no ways to rapidly starve someone to death, bore them to death, annoy them to death, ...