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

[JKTrickster]

Q399. Do Erudites pay XP for learning General powers (beyond the 2 powers they automatically learn each level).

[willpell]

A399 (partial at least)
The text isn't very clear, but I'm fairly sure the section about discipline powers is meant to be more of a sidebar and not to actually introduce the rules on how an erudite learns a new power....because otherwise, there would be no way for them to learn such powers. It is fairly obvious that the XP payment applies to any power learned through the method described, so if that method is only for discipline powers, then there isn't a method for learning general ones.

Addendum: Am I correct in assuming that the "if the power is not the general list or one of the 'specified' discipline lists" part is just a fancy way of saying an erudite can't learn Psychic Warrior, mantle, or Lurk powers unless they're also Psion powers?

[Muktidata]

Q400. How does Legacy Champion (WoL) interact with Runescarred Berserker (UE) for advancing runescars? Would you get 6th-level spells as runescars if your character was Barb7/RSB10/LC3? If so, what would the list of available spells look like?

[Norin]

Q401:

What is the duration of the effects of Rod of Wonder (where duration is not listed in the table)?

Should the effect be assumed to be a same (or similar) spell cast by a CL10?

If so why is the fireball and lightning bolt just 6 d6 and not 10d6?

[DangerDanger]

Q 402
What I want to know is: if I built an Arcane Duelist to have crazy battle jumping power attacks and then I decided to make 5 of me (Flurry of Swords) would crazy jump power attack multiplication x5 happen?

Can trickery devotion make this even more silly?

EDIT: I answered my own question. Things can get x5 silly (or x10/x15 given trickery)

[rockdeworld]

A400
No. Runescarred Berserker does not get 6th level runescars, so advancing class abilities with Legacy Champion cannot give them to you.
Legacy Champion advances runescars as though you had taken another level in Runescarred Berserker. It says "you gain class features and increase in effective level," ergo it advances Runescars Known/Runeslots.
For example: Barb 7/RSB3/LC9 would get Runescars Known/Runeslots as a 10th level RSB.
Barb 7/RSB3/LC10 would also get Runescars Known/Runeslots as a 10th level RSB, because RSB only has 10 levels.

A401
Every effect references a spell (so use that duration) or lists a duration except for the following:
{table]34-36|Summon an animal—a rhino (01-25 on d%), elephant (26-50), or mouse (51-100).
59-62|Grass grows in 160-sq.-ft. area before the rod, or grass existing there grows to ten times normal size.
63-65|Turn ethereal any nonliving object of up to 1,000 lb. mass and up to 30 cu. ft. in size.
88-90|10-40 gems, value 1 gp each, shoot forth in a 30-ft.-long stream. Each gem deals 1 point of damage to any creature in its path: Roll 5d4 for the number of hits and divide them among the available targets.[/table]
Given the wording, they are instantaneous (permanent). They should not be assumed to be cast at CL 10.

[Norin]

Q402:

"96–97 Wielder (50% chance) or target (50% chance) turns permanently blue, green, or purple (no save). "

What spell or other effect would remove (or reverse) this result of using the Rod of Wonder?

[TuggyNE]

Q402:

"96–97 Wielder (50% chance) or target (50% chance) turns permanently blue, green, or purple (no save). "

What spell or other effect would remove (or reverse) this result of using the Rod of Wonder?

A402 partial: Limited wish, wish, or miracle could do this; break enchantment probably could as well.

[Zombimode]

Q 403

For area damage spells and effects, do you roll damage separately, or do you roll once and use the result for all affected targets?


Q 404

Could you take Ability Focus (Stunning Fist) to improve the save DCs for your stunning fist attacks?

[Norin]

a403
One roll by default.

[mattie_p]

A 404: Yes. Stunning Fist offers a saving throw, and is eligible to have the DC of that saving throw increased by Ability Focus.

[willpell]

a403
One roll by default.

Source? I would have figured the opposite - everyone rolls separately to save, so everyone would get a separate damage roll. Though one roll does make for a good time-saver.

[Andezzar]

Q 405

Are there other ways to tumble in heavy armor besides being a dwarf and taking the tooth of savnok?

[mattie_p]

Source? I would have figured the opposite - everyone rolls separately to save, so everyone would get a separate damage roll. Though one roll does make for a good time-saver.

A: PHB, p169-170 and sidebar in Rules Compendium, p 135.

The PHB is as follows (not in the SRD):

Mialee wants to cast burning hands on some Small centipedes, and she wants to hit as many of them as she can... She chooses a direction and casts her spell. A cone of magical flame shoots out 15 feet, catching the three centipedes in its area. Mialee’s player rolls 1d4 to see how much damage each centipede takes and gets a result of 3. The DM makes a Reflex save (DC 13 for one of Mialee’s 1st-level spells) for each centipede, and only one succeeds. Two centipedes take 3 points of damage each and drop. The lucky one takes half damage (1 point) and survives.

[Stannum (IV)]

Q406
If one is completely unaware of an effect requiring a reflex save, does one still get a save?
What I was thinking here is dropping an invisible object on someone, which would require a reflex save normally, but wouldn't make a great deal of sense if they were completely unaware of it until impact (I'd silence it as well if need be). I want to know if there are rules supporting this.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Q407 How do I determine the class skills for a character with monstrous humanoid RHD? I recall reading somewhere that monster treated all skills in their entry as class skills; but I am not sure or do I have to reverse engineer from their ability scores and skill mod?

[mattie_p]

A 407: No reverse engineering is required.

Monster characters treat skills mentioned in their monster entry as class skills.

By "monster entry" the source means the page(s) in the monster manual for that particular creature. The only engineering would be if you somehow needed a skill not mentioned in their entry for use (untrained + ability mod).

[GnomeGninjas]

Q 408: I wildshape into a dire bear. Then I cast bite of the were bear. Do my natural weapons get replaced by the natural weapons the spell gives me?

[Curmudgeon]

A 406 Yes.

You make saving throws even if you're simultaneously unconscious, held, bound, and paralyzed (though some of these conditions will modify your roll). The only way not to get to roll a saving throw is if you're an object (such as a corpse) rather than a character. Perhaps the reason you failed to find any rules about exceptions is that there aren't any.

saving throw

A roll made to avoid (at least partially) damage or harm. The three types of saving throws are Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.

[Seharvepernfan]

Q 409

The tumble skill states that you cannot tumble if your speed is reduced due to armor. Dwarves move at their normal speed even when wearing heavy armor. Does this mean that dwarves can tumble in medium/heavy armor?

Q 410

Do plants have to be present for the entangle spell to function? Or does it create plants that do the entangling?

[JaronK]

Q 409

The tumble skill states that you cannot tumble if your speed is reduced due to armor. Dwarves move at their normal speed even when wearing heavy armor. Does this mean that dwarves can tumble in medium/heavy armor?

Yup. Surprisingly cartwheeley, those dwarves.

JaronK

[willpell]

Q407 How do I determine the class skills for a character with monstrous humanoid RHD? I recall reading somewhere that monster treated all skills in their entry as class skills; but I am not sure or do I have to reverse engineer from their ability scores and skill mod?

A407 additional
The "reverse engineering" will give you a better idea of how the sample monster is built, and will help you to understand where all the bonuses are coming from, but it's not ultimately necessary. Your character will probably have different Ability scores than the sample monster, and they can choose to spend their skill points in other ways (if you'd rather have cross-class UMD ranks than in-class Listen and Spot, go for it), so their final skill check results will be different from those listed. As an example, the Heavy Warhorse's only class skills are Listen and Spot, and it has 1 point more in one of those than in the other, because it has an odd number of skill points from its hit dice. The entry in the PHB for a Heavy Warhorse mount mentions a Jump rating (+12, because of +4 STR modifier and a +8 to Jump checks due to the horse's Speed, as per the Jump skill rules), which is untrained and not a class skill for an Awakened Heavy Warhorse PC (not that there are rules for such a thing anyway), because Jump isn't listed in the Monster Manual entry for the horse.

Q 410
Do plants have to be present for the entangle spell to function? Or does it create plants that do the entangling?

The spell isn't 100% explicit, but the text at the end saying "The DM may alter the spell's effects based on the nature of the entangling plants" would appear to suggest that the plants need to be pre-existing. The spell probably doesn't function when the target area is an unbroken sheet of concrete flooring or the like, though this isn't actually stated for this spell...other druid spells often contain such details (Spike Growth for instance, lists various areas where it "typically" can or cannot be cast).

[Koury]

Q411

Can you use a swift action in a surprise round?

Q412

Do swarms get an AoO for a creature whose space they occupy moving away without withdrawing/tumbling?

[willpell]

A412
Swarms never make attacks of opportunity. This is stated quite plainly in the Monster Manual (just to the right of the picture of a Stirge).

Q413
Can you make a shield into a masterwork weapon, paying +300gp for a +1 bonus to shield bash attacks? I know this is possible with shield spikes, but can it be done otherwise?

[_felagund]

Q414

if a monster is flanked by two players, does the rogue get a sneak atack bonus with his bow? (within 10-30 feet)

[Curmudgeon]

A 411 Yes.

A 413 Yes.

Note that the masterwork cost for the shield used offensively and the masterwork cost for the shield used defensively are separate expenses, but must be incurred together (both at item creation).

A 414 No.

The rogue’s attack deals extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target.

Being flanked by other characters does not benefit the ranged attack Rogue, and you can only flank when making a melee attack (absent special feats). From Player's Handbook, page 153:

FLANKING
When making a melee attack, you get a +2 flanking bonus if your opponent is threatened by a character or creature friendly to you on the opponent’s opposite border or opposite corner.

[Corwin_of_Amber]

Q 415

Can I shape a soulmeld over my totem chakra? Or do I need to shape it to a body chakra and just bind it to the totem?

Can I have Rage Claws shaped and bound to my totem chakra while having Spinx Claws shaped and bound to my hands charkra?

[mattie_p]

A 415(a): You shape it onto any (permitted) body chakra and then bind it to your totem.

When a totemist wishes to bind a soulmeld to her totem chakra, she must choose a different chakra for that soulmeld to occupy.

A 415(b): Yes, if you have a feat. Both Rageclaws and Sphinx claws are Hands (Totem) soulmelds. Both would have to occupy the hands soulmeld simultaneously, which is not permitted unless you have the Double Chakra feat.

[killem2]

Q 416: A fairly high level Druid /Mage multiclasser, smashed a non-animal creature with parboil, and drops it intelligence to 1. They make a handle animal check and succeed at rearing this non-animal creature. When the ability damage eventually wears off, and returns to the normal 9 it used to be at, will it break the control of the handler or is it considered reared for good?

[Andezzar]

A 416

This won't work for several reasons: AFAIK you can't use Handle Animal on non-animals even if their intelligence is below 3. Additionally rearing takes a lot longer than healing 2 points of ability damage.