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

[Curmudgeon]

A 578

A 14th level Monk has BAB of +10, which allows a second iterative attack at +5 during a full attack. If the Monk fights unarmed and/or using only special Monk weapons, they can use flurry of blows instead for 4 attacks at +10/+10/+10/+5.

If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon. You suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your off hand when you fight this way.

Fighting solely unarmed the Monk could not get any additional attacks because they do not have a second weapon, just their unarmed strike. (An unarmed strike may use multiple parts of your body as striking surfaces, but is still just a single weapon, just as the individual spikes on a spiked chain are merely parts of a single weapon. The City Brawler Barbarian ACF (Dragon # 349, page 92) specifically grants the Two-Weapon Fighting tree for weaponless attacks as an exception, though.)

The above 14th level Monk, with both Two-Weapon Fighting and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feats, wielding a kama (a light weapon) in addition to their unarmed strike, would add two off-hand attacks at +10 and +5. However, they would incur -2 penalties to all attacks for fighting two-handed with a light off hand weapon. Thus their total attacks in a full attack could be:

• +8/+8/+8 main hand unarmed strikes using flurry of blows
• +8 off hand kama attack
• +3 main hand unarmed strike
• +3 off hand kama attack

As for the Dragon, higher BAB has no effect on natural attacks (other than unarmed strikes, which are a special case). The Dragon never gets more attacks due to BAB. Dragons have special extra attacks that come into play based on their size, but size isn't directly a function of HD but rather varies with different types of dragons.

[Cirrylius]

Q579

Is there any way to create natural darkness magically? I'm wondering about the reasoning of Create Darkness, etc., as regarding blinding everything within. Do you suppose it was an attempt to prevent PC's wizards from dropping darkness on a group of, say, normal humans, and then sending in a dwarvish rogue to murder the s**t out of 'em?

[Kuulvheysoon]

A 579

The psionic power control light (psion/wilder 1) can decrease the ambient lighting to total (non-magical) darkness.

Q 580

Can a warforged adventure for the other 16 hours of the day if his body is being enchanted (as armor)?

[rockdeworld]

A580
Only for the initial +1 (which costs 1000gp and thus only takes 1 day). After that, the rule for warforged kicks in:

The character must be present for the entire time it takes to enchant him.

[Metahuman1]

A573 provisional What do you mean by mimic? For what purpose?

If it's just "can they act like a trap smasher to NPCs or PCs" then yes. However, for prerequisite qualification almost certainly not.

By Mimic I mean can it do the same job in the same fashion with the same level of risk to self? I do not care for my purposes if the character meets prerequisite's or not with this trick, just as long as I can safely take out the traps this way.

[Sith_Happens]

A 579

The cantrip No Light (BoVD, pg. 100) does exactly what you're asking.

[willpell]

A580
Only for the initial +1 (which costs 1000gp and thus only takes 1 day). After that, the rule for warforged kicks in:

Resulting in two extremely bored characters....

[PetterTomBos]

A 578

A 14th level Monk has BAB of +10, which allows a second iterative attack at +5 during a full attack. If the Monk fights unarmed and/or using only special Monk weapons, they can use flurry of blows instead for 4 attacks at +10/+10/+10/+5. Fighting solely unarmed the Monk could not get any additional attacks because they do not have a second weapon, just their unarmed strike. (An unarmed strike may use multiple parts of your body as striking surfaces, but is still just a single weapon, just as the individual spikes on a spiked chain are merely parts of a single weapon. The City Brawler Barbarian ACF (Dragon # 349, page 92) specifically grants the Two-Weapon Fighting tree for weaponless attacks as an exception, though.)

The above 14th level Monk, with both Two-Weapon Fighting and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feats, wielding a kama (a light weapon) in addition to their unarmed strike, would add two off-hand attacks at +10 and +5. However, they would incur -2 penalties to all attacks for fighting two-handed with a light off hand weapon. Thus their total attacks in a full attack could be:

• +8/+8/+8 main hand unarmed strikes using flurry of blows
• +8 off hand kama attack
• +3 main hand unarmed strike
• +3 off hand kama attack

As for the Dragon, higher BAB has no effect on natural attacks (other than unarmed strikes, which are a special case). The Dragon never gets more attacks due to BAB. Dragons have special extra attacks that come into play based on their size, but size isn't directly a function of HD but rather varies with different types of dragons.

C578

So, you get a flurry of blows with your main weapon and regular attacks with your off hand (as dictated by regular BAB) ? Could you flurry with both weapons?

Say, I have +8/+3 BAB on a character that dual wields, do I then get this?:

Main attack main hand.
Main attack off hand
Second attack main hand
Second attack off hand

How does this translate to tripping (And other manouvers) ? Do I get a trip-attempt at every unarmed attack, also while dual-wield-flurrying? (But, naturally, not with the light secondary weapon!).

As a monk can make natural attacks with his entire body, he could be holding a wand, a kama and still make the huge amount of attacks, right? Could he attack with two weapons and his natural attacks? How would that look?

(I realize that I have read way too little into these matters!)

[GilesTheCleric]

C578

So, you get a flurry of blows with your main weapon and regular attacks with your off hand (as dictated by regular BAB) ? Could you flurry with both weapons?

Say, I have +8/+3 BAB on a character that dual wields, do I then get this?:

-snip-

A578
Not quite. If you have two iterative attacks from BAB, then you get those two attacks. If you've also got TWF/ITWF/GTWF, then you get an additional 1/2/3 attacks with your off-hand. In other words, BAB iteratives don't affect how many off-hand attacks you make; the feats do. FoB only adds an extra attack to your routine; natural attacks are separate.

Your understanding is probably just being confused a bit by terminology as well - monks do not make natural attacks, they make unarmed attacks (but are considered armed; their unarmed attacks are also treated like manufactured weapons). If you are playing a kobold or anything else with natural attacks, then you perform your tail/claw/bite/slam/whatever attack with the rest on a full attack.

Most combat actions, like tripping, allow you to make as long as you have more attacks to make in that round (substituting attacks for tripping/etc).

Here's some text on the specifics of attacks, and how many you get. The entry from the MMI is probably the most helpful. The rest of my post is pretty much the same stuff as Curmudgeon has already said, but hopefully the rules text and a second way of describing things will make things clearer. Be sure to pay attention to things like "other attacks" vs. "all attacks".

Spoiler

Show

PHB 40, on FoB: "When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a –2 penalty, as does each other attack made that round...When using flurry of blows, a monk may attack only with unarmed strikes or with special monk weapons"

PHB 160, on TWF: "If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon."

RC 17, on full attacks: "If you get more than one attack per round because your base attack bonus is high enough, because you fight with two weapons or a double weapon, or for some other reason, you must use a full-round action to be able to make your additional attacks."

MMI 311, on attacks: "Some monsters employ manufac- tured weapons when they attack. Creatures that use swords, bows, spears, and the like follow the same rules as characters, including those for additional attacks from a high base attack bonus and two-weapon fighting penalties. This category also includes “found items,” such as rocks and logs, that a creature wields in combat— in essence, any weapon that is not intrinsic to the creature.

Some creatures combine attacks with natural and manufac- tured weapons when they make a full attack. When they do so, the manufactured weapon attack is considered the primary attack unless the creature’s description indicates otherwise (using the manufactured weapon consumes most of the creature’s attention), and any natural weapons the creature also uses are considered sec- ondary natural attacks. These secondary attacks do not interfere with the primary attack as attacking with an off-hand weapon does, but they take the usual –5 penalty (or –2 with the Multiat- tack feat) for such attacks, even if the natural weapon used is nor- mally the creature’s primary natural weapon."

RC 100, on natural weapons: "Creatures don’t receive additional attacks from a high base attack bonus when using natural weapons."

RC 16, on natural weapons: "A creature that has a natural weapon, such as a claw or slam, is considered armed. It can make unarmed attacks, but it can’t use its natural weapons as if they were unarmed attacks, nor can it apply abilities that affect only unarmed attacks to its natural weapons."

RC 145, on tripping: "Some weapons can be used to make trip attacks, as delineated in their descriptions. If a weapon can be used in this manner, you make a melee touch attack with the weapon instead of an unarmed melee touch attack, and you don’t provoke an attack of opportunity.
Most creatures make trip attacks normally despite having natural weapons. No creature has an advantage when tripping using its natural weapons unless its description says otherwise."

See also PHB 143, on full attacks.

So, to answer your question explicitly, with +8/+3, no natural attacks, FoB, and a light offhand (with TWF feat), you make:

+6 main/+6 main/+6 main/+6 offhand/+1 main

Because FoB gives +8/+8/+8/+3, and -0 to other attacks, and the offhand gives +8/, and -2 to all attacks. Always make attacks in descending order of bonus.

If you play a cleric, figuring out your melee attacks becomes much easier (because you're probably not making any anyway!) I might be a little biased, though.

[Yora]

Q581: In an 3.0 adventure in Dungeon Magazine, a derro NPC is listed with stats that don't include racial HD or spell-like abilities, and is a humanoid (dwarf). Did derro chance such extensively in 3.5e, or did the writer just use a normal dward with light blindness (for whatever reason)?

[Zombimode]

Q 582

A flying creature uses its hover feat during its turn. Before the start of its next turn, the creature gets stunned for at least 1 round (ie. by failing its save against a stunning fist attack).
What happens?

[Curmudgeon]

A 582

Hover requires the creature to use a move action to stay airborne. Being stunned prevents the creature from taking actions. On its next turn the stunned creature will drop 150' for failing to either maintain forward velocity or use Hover, following the stalling rules for winged creatures. If the creature is still stunned on subsequent rounds it falls 300' each round.

[Larkas]

Q583: Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation say that objects automatically succeed on their Will saves to disbelieve effects created by said spells. Does that mean that, for example, I can't use a shadow conjured Grease to oil some contraption, a shadow conjured Summon Monster I to set off traps or a shadow evoked Shatter to destroy objects?

[rockdeworld]

A583

Incorrect.

If the disbelieved attack has a special effect other than damage, that effect is only 20% likely to occur.
<snip>
Shadow objects or substances have normal effects except against those who disbelieve them.

Against disbelievers, they are 20% likely to work.

A shadow creature has one-fifth the hit points of a normal creature of its kind (regardless of whether it’s recognized as shadowy). It deals normal damage and has all normal abilities and weaknesses. Against a creature that recognizes it as a shadow creature, however, the shadow creature’s damage is one-fifth (20%) normal, and all special abilities that do not deal lethal damage are only 20% likely to work. (Roll for each use and each affected character separately.) Furthermore, the shadow creature’s AC bonuses are one-fifth as large.

Shadow Grease will coat an object as the Grease spell 1/5 of the time.
Shadow Shatter will work like Shatter 1/5 of the time.

Shadow Summon Monster is a bit different, since the summoned monster is the effect. The "only 20% likely to work" means the creature will only be able to interact with traps 20% of the time. Whether it's attempting to trip them or actively disarm them - both are the creature attempting to interact with the trap.

For example: if a shadow summoned dog is ordered to walk down a hallway, and that hallway has a pit trap, a falling ceiling trap, and an arrow trap all made to activate against a creature walking down the hallway, the dog has 1/5 chance to activate the pit trap, 1/5 chance to activate the falling ceiling trap, and 1/5 chance to activate the arrow trap. If the 4/5 chance happens and the dog does not activate the pit trap, then the "effect" fails - there is no summoned dog for the pit trap to detect. Then if the 1/5 chance happens and the dog activates the falling ceiling trap, the "effect" succeeds - the trap detects a creature walking down the hallway and activates. For the purpose of the trap, the shadow-summoned dog has 1/5 the HP of a normal dog, any special abilities it has that would normally activate in this situation have a 1/5 chance to activate, and it has 1/5 the bonuses to AC of a normal dog.

[Curmudgeon]

A 583

Objects automatically succeed on their Will saves to disbelieve Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation.

Shadow objects or substances have normal effects except against those who disbelieve them.

Against disbelievers, they are 20% likely to work.

You'll have a 20% chance of oiling a contraption using Shadow Conjuration for Grease.

[Nettlekid]

Q584
Besides a plain Dispel Magic or its variants, or Mordenkainen's Disjunction, is there a surefire way to remove the effect of a Mind Blank from a target? Or failing that, is there a way to punch through the effect of Mind Blank and still hit the target with a spell like Dominate Person?

[Urpriest]

Q581: In an 3.0 adventure in Dungeon Magazine, a derro NPC is listed with stats that don't include racial HD or spell-like abilities, and is a humanoid (dwarf). Did derro chance such extensively in 3.5e, or did the writer just use a normal dward with light blindness (for whatever reason)?

A581: Derro did change extensively between 3.0 and 3.5, going from a humanoid dwarven subrace to a monstrous humanoid.

[TuggyNE]

Q584
Besides a plain Dispel Magic or its variants, or Mordenkainen's Disjunction, is there a surefire way to remove the effect of a Mind Blank from a target? Or failing that, is there a way to punch through the effect of Mind Blank and still hit the target with a spell like Dominate Person?

C584: I would have said shatter mind blank (Psi/Wld 5), but that power is written quite poorly; its targeting is messed up and its wording doesn't allow transparency to take effect. So it's only useful against psionic/personal mind blank.

[Nettlekid]

Shatter Mind Blank also seems totally inferior to Greater Dispel Magic, since Shatter Mind Blank allows a Will save to negate as well as the same dispel check that Greater Dispel Magic requires.

[Cirrylius]

Q585
Apart from meeting prerequisites, is there any point for a character who plans on maxing out their Tumble score to take Mobility?

[willpell]

Q585
Apart from meeting prerequisites, is there any point for a character who plans on maxing out their Tumble score to take Mobility?

This isn't really a rules question.

[Cirrylius]

This isn't really a rules question.

Okay, I'll rephrase. Are there any applications of the Mobility feat that can't be performed more effectively by a Tumble check of +15 or higher?

[rockdeworld]

Okay, I'll rephrase. Are there any applications of the Mobility feat that can't be performed more effectively by a Tumble check of +15 or higher?

Yes, Mobility gives you +4 AC when moving at full speed through threatened squares including ones occupied by another creature - a DC 15 Tumble check requires you to move at 1/2 speed to negate AoOs and does not include those squares.

A DC 25 Tumble check would allow you to move at full speed or 1/2 speed through another creature's occupied squares, and a DC 35 Tumble check would get both, so +34 to Tumble is strictly better than the mobility feat aside from prerequisites.

[Cirrylius]

Yes, Mobility gives you +4 AC when moving at full speed - a DC 15 Tumble check requires you to move at 1/2 speed to negate AoOs.

Excellent. My character's planning on browbeating a wizard into crafting a continuous Acclerated Movement magic item. Thanks.

[Nettlekid]

Accelerated Movement doesn't seem to affect Tumble checks. Might I suggest instead a continuous item of Expeditious Retreat, so that when you move half speed, you're moving at what is your current full speed? And that speed boost will give you a nice bonus on Jump checks too.

[Vaz]

Q586
Are there any spells which allow Teleporting as Move Actions with a duration of multiple rounds?

[Thurbane]

Q587

Probably a really, really obvious one - but a Human with the Unholy Scion template (HoH) becomes an Outsider (Evil, Native). This makes it ineligible for the Human Paragon (UA) class, and the human* only feat Able Learner (RoD), right?

*Or doppelganger

[willpell]

A586
I'm not sure if it's move actions or swift actions, but I think the Flicker mystery from the Tome of Magic chapter on Shadow Magic has an effect along these lines. It's really poorly written and the effect is unclear, but I believe the intended effect was that it lasts for several rounds and lets you teleport once during each of those rounds.

Q588
Does Telepathy work on sentient undead? Would it expose them as such?

[Andezzar]

A 587

This is unclear for the Human Paragon. The Paragon Classes don't actually have any prerequisites even though the rest implies that you need to be a member of a certain race, which would allow you to take it as a Human with the Unholy Scion template.

The Unholy Scion will still be allowed to take Able learner because it is a Racial Feat. Those require the character to be member of a certain Race. Race is a separate property from Type and Subtype. The template does not change the Race.

[Curmudgeon]

A 588

Telepathy works on any creature within range which has a language. Unless there's a special language restricted by creature type (an Undead-only language in this case), it wouldn't reveal any physical characteristics associated with the mind on the other side of the communication link.