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

[Vaz]

@Curmudgeon. How odd, it's like going to a fairground. "You must be 5' tall to ride this roller coaster". "But I'm 5'1"", say's one. "So? It says you must be 5', not 5' or more, 5' it states, 5' it is." Damn, RAW's screwy. Ay well, it doesn't change the build, just less flexibility, I suppose =(.

A635
There's a spell in the Spell Compendium called Joyful Noise, or something similar, IIRC. None verbal spell, negates silence effect in a 10' emanation. Bard 1, I believe. If it's a targeted silence (in reaction to a noise you've made, say), then Whispercast allows you to do it quietly without the whole "You shall not pass" at the top of your lungs whenever you cast Candlelight or whatever. That's Lords of Madness, or Libris Mortis, one of the two.

Fortissimo from Song and Silence Bard Handbook (3e, though), can be used to counter silence and it's a 2nd level spell.

Of course, just ramp up your Will Save. Might be a bit late, but there's a feat in OA (again 3e; if dragon is allowed, 318 updates it to 3.5, but I do not think it changes), that allows you to key your Will off Intelligence; but it's 1st level only, and is setting specific (requiring you to be a clan member of one of the Rokugan clans; annoying in a FR/Eberron/Greyhawk etc setting yet one in which you're free to choose whatever, it's happy days.

Lastly; just don't cast verbal spells :D.

[Andezzar]

@Curmudgeon. How odd, it's like going to a fairground. "You must be 5' tall to ride this roller coaster". "But I'm 5'1"", say's one. "So? It says you must be 5', not 5' or more, 5' it states, 5' it is." Damn, RAW's screwy. Ay well, it doesn't change the build, just less flexibility, I suppose =(.

The thing is if you're 5'1'' you are also 5'. If you only have Mass Charm Person, you do not have Charm Person.

[Vaz]

I'm not questioning it, aside from the daftness of it. I agree with the ruling on a RAW basis, but it's one of those stupid things that crops up from time to time by having monkeys used to type up the handwritten notes provided by the games developers.

However, in regards to "not having charm person if you have charm person, mass";

This spell functions like charm person, except that mass charm person affects a number of creatures whose combined HD do not exceed twice your level, or at least one creature regardless of HD.

[killem2]

Q 638: Can I use summon monster 2 to bring out a squid, if there is no water around? What happens?

[Nettlekid]

Q639
Can anyone point me toward a monster of some sort, preferably of low level (CR no greater than 3, I'd say) that is focused around not really doing damage but fatigue and exhaustion instead? Major bonus points if it has something to do with disrupting sleep or draining away restful sleep energy.

[willpell]

A 638
Aquatic creatures can only be summoned if there's water available to summon them into. The text is fairly clear on this.

[Vaz]

Q640
Say I've become a Construct without an Intelligence score through whatever means, post 1st Level. This means I have my (Score+Int)*4, we'll call it 9, say we're a rogue with 12 Int initially, but through becoming a Construct, I get "Int -" as a non-ability; do I lose my Int bonus on existing skills, and if so where do I choose them from? Incarnate explicitly states I do not gain skill points from becoming a living creature, but they effect future class levels; so does the same apply in reverse?

[Curmudgeon]

A 640

You get nothing (no skill ranks at all). From the Nonabilities treatment:

Intelligence

Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no Intelligence score is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) and automatically fails Intelligence checks.

Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses.

The limitation is complete in regard to skills, not just future skill points.

[Pickford]

Unless someone can quote that exotic shields are not shields, exotic shields are a subset shields, just like exotic weapons are a subset of weapons.

As above. They are not proficient with exotic weapons or tower shields. All other shields can be used without penalty.

"Prerequisite: base attack bonus +1, Shield Proficiency
Special: As a variant rule, the DM can allow fi ghters to choose one free Exotic Shield Profi ciency feat instead of the Tower Shield Profi ciency feat they receive at 1st level. A fighter may select Exotic Shield Proficiency as one of her fighter bonus feats (see page 38 of the Player's Handbook)."

The feat itself makes it clear that it's a new proficiency which a character does not have by virtue of having shield proficiency (proficiency with all shields).

[Andezzar]

The items you become proficient with due to the feat may or may not be shields. An Extreme Shield obviously is a shield while a Gnome battle Cloak is not.

While excluding exotic shields from shields obviously is the intention of the rules, there is no actual rule saying that exotic shields are not a subset of shields, unless the description of the individual item actually says so.

Look at the tower shield. It obviously is a shield and characters only do not become proficient with it, because for some classes it is explicitly excluded from the rest of shields. Exotic shields are not generally excluded.

[Pickford]

The items you become proficient with due to the feat may or may not be shields. An Extreme Shield obviously is a shield while a Gnome battle Cloak is not.

While excluding exotic shields from shields obviously is the intention of the rules, there is no actual rule saying that exotic shields are not a subset of shields, unless the description of the individual item actually says so.

Look at the tower shield. It obviously is a shield and characters only do not become proficient with it, because for some classes it is explicitly excluded from the rest of shields. Exotic shields are not generally excluded.

If the item is classed as an exotic shield then it requires the exotic shield proficiency to be proficient. If it's classed as a tower shield it requires the tower shield proficiency to be proficient. Shield Proficiency only applies to bucklers, light and heavy shields.

Look at the Bastard Sword, it's a sword, just like a long sword and a greatsword...except you need exotic weapon proficiency Bastard Sword to use it instead of Martial Weapon proficiency.

Anything exotic is definitely excluded, otherwise it wouldn't be exotic.

[Andezzar]

Shield Proficiency only applies to bucklers, light and heavy shields.

Please quote that in the rules.

Look at the Bastard Sword, it's a sword, just like a long sword and a greatsword...except you need exotic weapon proficiency Bastard Sword to use it instead of Martial Weapon proficiency.

Read the rules again. The bastard sword only requires EWP: Bastard Sword if you want to use it one-handed (and then also requires STR 13). Otherwise it's a martial weapon.

Weapons are clear, there are three obviously distinct proficiencies: simple weapon proficiency, martial weapon proficiency and exotic weapon proficiency, and there is no feat/class feature called weapon proficiency.

Shields however do not have a simple/regular shield proficiency. There is Shield proficiency, Tower Shield proficiency and Exotic Shield Proficiency. Those are not obviously distinct, as evidenced by the explicit exclusion of tower shields. A tower shield is a shield, and unless stated in the individual item's description, so are exotic shields.

Anything exotic is definitely excluded, otherwise it wouldn't be exotic.

That is just an assumption, not a rule.

[Mongrel]

Q641: If I attempt to cast Scrying on someone and they make their save, are they aware that a scrying attempt has been made?

[rockdeworld]

A641

Yes and no. Yes they are aware that an attempt of some sort has been made. No they are not aware that it was a scrying attempt.

A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature’s saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.

[Douglas]

A641

They are aware that they rolled a will save against something. If they can make a high enough Spellcraft check (DC 25 plus spell level), they can identify the "something" as a Scrying spell.

[123456789blaaa]

Q 642

What is the exact definition of "devil" in game mechanics terms?

[Khedrac]

A 642
A creature with the type "devil".

Yes, I know that that is not much of an answer, but it is all there really is. The Baatezu are all devils, but not all devils are necessarily baatezu. This is made more complex by the term "baatezu" not being part of the SRD.

According to the Monster Manual fluff devils originate from the Nine Hells of Baator, note that this does not mean that all inhabitants of baator are devils, nor that the home plane of all devils is baator - they can have adapted to have homes on neighboring planes.

Of the SRD devils the Chain Devil, Hellcat and Imp are not baatezu.

[Nettlekid]

A642
Although there is a greater variety listed in the Fiendish Codex II (though I think they adhere to the same rules, as opposed to the more varied Demons), a Devil in terms of Monster Manual I is an outsider from a Lawful Evil plane, originating from the plane of Baator. They have counterparts in the form of Good outsiders (Angels and Archons) and Chaotic Evil outsiders called Demons. Beings created of pure evil, they are unable to be good. Many have different traits, but these are common among all with the Baatezu subtype.

Baatezu Traits: A baatezu possesses all of the following
traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry):
—Immunity to fi re and poison.
—Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10.
—See in Darkness (Su): Baatezu can see perfectly in darkness
of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
—Summon (Sp): Baatezu share the ability to summon
others of their kind (the success chance and type of baatezu
summoned are noted in each monster description).
—Telepathy.

[Curmudgeon]

A 642

See Monster Manual starting on page 50; this includes some information not included in the System Reference Document. Additional material on devils is contained in Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells.

[Temotei]

Q 643

Does lava do fire damage? Here it just says "damage," and under heat dangers (near the bottom) it states that extreme heat deals lethal damage. Is this fire damage or just plain damage of no specified type? Fire resistance and immunity prevent damage from lava, which would suggest that it's fire damage, but it never outright states that.

[TuggyNE]

A643: Technically no. It's been noted in RACSD and Dysfunctional Rules, for what that's worth.

[_felagund]

Q 644

About rangers animal companion:

a. can ranger send it away and call back later again?
b. what happens if it dies? can he "summon" another animal?

[Andezzar]

A 644

No, and no. Unlike the paladin's special mount the animal companion (no matter whether from a druid, ranger or other class/feat) is not a summoned creature. It is a regular animal that gains bonuses due to the special bond it shares with its master.

If however he would like his animal companion to go to a place distant from him (and possibly stay there) he can order it to do that if he has the means (speak with animals et. al.)

A character with an animal companion can also release the animal from his service and take a new one. This also works should the animal companion die. There is no penalty for having an animal companion die.

[willpell]

Q644c
If a character releases an animal companion from his service, does that companion return to its original HD, or remain at the level it was advanced to?

[Semada]

Q 645

Does the ranger's favored enemy bonus to damage apply to every arrow or every attack roll?

For example, if using Manyshot with 3 arrows, does he get +2 damage per arrow or only +2 to total damage for the single attack roll?

[KillianHawkeye]

Q644c
If a character releases an animal companion from his service, does that companion return to its original HD, or remain at the level it was advanced to?

Re: 644c

It doesn't matter because the released companion is no longer in the game. It's free.

[Andezzar]

Re: 644c

It doesn't matter because the released companion is no longer in the game. It's free.

It's free but it is not out of the game. It can still be handled just like any other animal. RAW unfortunately is silent on whether the bonuses remain AFAIK. If the bonuses remained the druid could make a whole forest full of super animals.

[Curmudgeon]

A 644c Ask your DM.

An ex-companion has no benefits dependent on class features, because they are no longer associated with that class. As such, it's just another NPC. Your DM creates and controls all the NPCs in the game and may decide to advance the companion somewhat when it's released from service, but there is no requirement in the rules to do so. The DM is also free to have the ex-companion run away and disappear from the game.

A 645

Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.

Both arrows use the same attack roll (with a -4 penalty) to determine success and deal damage normally (but see Special).

Because with Manyshot you deal damage normally, you roll for each arrow. The Favored Enemy bonus applies to each damage roll (of course, so does damage reduction).

In 3.0 D&D Ranger Favored Enemy bonus was classified as precision damage. That's not the case in 3.5 D&D (see Rules Compendium on page 42).

[Yora]

Q646: Is Alter Self considered extremely good only because it can give the character wings to fly, or are there other reasons as well?

[KillianHawkeye]

Re: 646 This isn't a rules question.

But off the top of my head, other reasons might include natural armor bonus, natural attack forms, and other movement modes such as swim, burrow, or climb.