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

[Arkusus]

Q784

Regarding Incarnate Abilities. The Psionic classes can get the Incarnate ability which lets them make certain buffs permanant, but psionics also gain access to Psychic Reformation, which lets them re-choose powers and feats and such.

My question is this, lets use Conceal thoughts as an example. Could a psion make conceal thoughts incarnate, and then (while spending the normal XP cost) remove both incarnate and conceal thoughts from his known powers and still have the permanent buff?

I don't see anything to say this won't work, but unlike something like Permanency, incarnate abilities can only be used on yourself, with your own abilities.


Q785
Additionally, in the case of an incarnate ability like "My Light" that shines light out from your eyes, is it possible to suppress the ability for a period of time and resume it later? Or are you permanently stuck with a glowing face? (even when you're trying to sleep and your eyelids are shining like Christmas lights)

[Arkusus]

Q786

Regarding Symbol of Death (and other symbols in general)
It's possible to choose what triggers it, and what conditions will prevent it from being triggered (like a passphrase, or as far as I can tell, 'being an orc' could work too)

You can also attune the symbol so that certain people cannot trigger or be targeted by it, but my question is... If a creature cannot trigger it (symbol triggered when seen, character is blinded) are they still affected?

There are 2 ways you could take this as far as I can see...

1: (Symbol does not target creatures who cannot trigger it) Grimlock Village has sight-triggered symbols adorning walls, and living spaces.

2: (Symbols DO target everyone in their radius once triggered, regardless of their ability to trigger it themselves) Vampire lord (immune to death effects) posts Symbol of Death overtop the inside of his doorway, adventurers come, he reads the symbol and triggers it on the party, is targeted as well, but is immune to the effect.

Which one of these is valid?

[Curmudgeon]

A 786

Your second choice is closer to the correct answer, though a Symbol spell does not use any targeting mechanism; instead, it's treated as a burst, though with an ongoing effect. Any character with 151+ hit points can trigger a Symbol of Death without regard for their personal safety. Intentional triggering by someone not normally affected would mean that they normally use a passcode or avoid touching/passing the area; a character unaffected by a Symbol spell due to a triggering limitation (to ignore their name, identity, or alignment, for instance) simply cannot trigger the Symbol.

[cd4]

Q787 Apart from the archivist, blighter, chameleon, soverign speaker and items is there any way of casting the unique druid spells without levels in druid?

[Curmudgeon]

A 787

The Dungeon Master's Guide says using a spell completion device is (finishing) casting that spell, so Use Magic Device with a Druid-only spell on a scroll will accomplish what you asked.

[Khedrac]

A 787 Cont
The Spirit Shaman uses the Druid spell list so gets all of them.

[TuggyNE]

Q784

Regarding Incarnate Abilities. The Psionic classes can get the Incarnate ability which lets them make certain buffs permanant, but psionics also gain access to Psychic Reformation, which lets them re-choose powers and feats and such.

My question is this, lets use Conceal thoughts as an example. Could a psion make conceal thoughts incarnate, and then (while spending the normal XP cost) remove both incarnate and conceal thoughts from his known powers and still have the permanent buff?

I don't see anything to say this won't work, but unlike something like Permanency, incarnate abilities can only be used on yourself, with your own abilities.


Q785
Additionally, in the case of an incarnate ability like "My Light" that shines light out from your eyes, is it possible to suppress the ability for a period of time and resume it later? Or are you permanently stuck with a glowing face? (even when you're trying to sleep and your eyelids are shining like Christmas lights)

A784: Yes. The personal-only restriction doesn't affect this; why would it?

A785: No. It just glows and glows, I think. Not too great, but then my light is generally a lousy power anyway.

[Gildedragon]

Q788

Is there any weapon or armor special material that allows itself to be mixed with others?

Edit: thanks for the heads up.

[Curmudgeon]

Q788

Is there any weapon or armor special material that allows itself to be mixed with others?

A 788 partial

You could create a weapon that's normally composed of a wooden haft and steel head instead out of darkwood and mithral, respectively; this would result in a weapon weighing exactly half of the normal weight.

[Gildedragon]

Q788

Is there any weapon or armor special material that allows itself to be mixed with others?

Edit: thanks for the heads up.

...and as the gods of serendipity would have it, I ran into the answer looking something else up. Posting it here for completeness' sake

A788
Oerthblood

[Andezzar]

A 788 partial

You could create a weapon that's normally composed of a wooden haft and steel head instead out of darkwood and mithral, respectively; this would result in a weapon weighing exactly half of the normal weight.

That is not RAW:

Items not primarily of metal are not meaningfully affected by being partially made of mithral. (A longsword can be a mithral weapon, while a scythe cannot be.)

The other metals from the core book however work they only have the restriction:

Items without metal parts cannot be made from [special metal].

What items can be made from darkwood is unclear:

Any wooden or mostly wooden item (such as a bow, an arrow, or a spear) made from darkwood is considered a masterwork item and weighs only half as much as a normal wooden item of that type. Items not normally made of wood or only partially of wood (such as a battleaxe or a mace) either cannot be made from darkwood or do not gain any special benefit from being made of darkwood.

Without a rule to differentiate "mostly" from "partially" those two words mean the same thing.

[Qc Storm]

Q789

Crown of White Ravens & friends.

Does it allow you to select a stance? If you pick a maneuver, how does it work?

Let's say you are a crusader, and pick a Iron Heart maneuver, does it become part of your standard maneuver refreshing? Do you have to ready it as part of your other crusader maneuvers?

[Curmudgeon]

That is not RAW

You're missing something obvious here: you can always detach a metal blade from a wooden haft, and re-attach it. So you can create the haft (completely wood) of darkwood, and create the blade (completely metal) of mithral, then assemble. See Arms and Equipment Guide where it notes that you need Craft (carpentry) for wooden part repairs, and Craft (weaponsmithing) for other weapon work. By separating out the materials used in weapon construction you also completely avoid the question of whether the haft or blade of any particular weapon weighs more, and thus whether it's "mostly" wood or "mostly" metal.

Edit: Expanded and clarified skills used.

[Andezzar]

You're missing something obvious here: you can always detach a metal blade from a wooden haft, and re-attach it. So you can create the haft (completely wood) of darkwood, and create the blade (completely metal) of mithral, then assemble.

I may be missing something, but where do the rules say you can detach the blade? Additionally I'm not aware of a rule saying that the axe with a detached blade becomes an eligible weapon (i.e. a club). This is all very reasonable but AFAIK not allowed in the rules like it is, to my knowledge, not allowed to only partially don a full plate to receive the benefits of a breastplate.

Re: more detailed explanation

Don't the craft rules from the 3.5 PHB supersede the rules in the Arms and Equipment Guide?

[Drackstin]

Q790

I play a (large) warforged and i use natural attacks, but i am finding it hard to gain more. threw all the information i have gathered i found that almost anything can be made into a component and also made to not take up a magic item slot (for a big cost). i want to add extra arms to my warforged but i cant really find any information on it. i have found construct grafts in (faiths of ebberon) that replace arms with warforged arms, and information in MM2 about adding limbs to half golems, but i dont know if these would apply. if there is anything i am missing it would surly help.

Q791

as i said above i am a large warforged and i was looking at items to make me stronger, my question is about the (bladefist component) in ebberon campaign setting. the information says when made for a "medium" warforged it changes his slam from 1d4 to 1d8, and used for monk increases their damage by 1 size category. i know that 1d4 to 1d8 is 2 natural attack size categorys, in MM1 i beleive there is a size and damage chart for constructs and it has "medium slam" at 1d6 and large at 1d8, but a medium warforged slam is 1d4, so one size i think would be 1d6 going ageist construct chart. what im asking is would a large bladefist give me +2 size catagorys to my natural attack slam or is this just alot of over sighting by the proof readers.

[questionmark693]

Q 792

I'm hypothetically a wizard. I put on a headband of intellect +2. Do I get bonus spells/day based on my new, non permanent intelligence score?

Q 793

What about skill points if I level while wearing it?

[ahenobarbi]

A 792 You get bonus spells next time you prepare your spells wearing the item.

A 793 No, you don't get extra skill points.

[Andezzar]

Q 794

I know the idea is preposterous, when you use common sense, but are there actually rules against jumping while flying? Does perfect maneuverability change anything?

Q 795

What about other movement modes such as swimming or burrowing?

[Nettlekid]

Q796
Does the 5 ft step allowed by the feat Evasive Reflexes count as your AoO for the round? If so, can you gain more by taking Combat Reflexes?

[Andezzar]

A 796

The feat does not say it costs an AoO, so it doesn't. To take the 5ft step you merely need an opportunity to make such an attack.

[Curmudgeon]

A 790

I don't think you're missing anything substantial. What you're asking for (custom components) is essentially the same question as asking for custom magic items. The answer is: ask your individual DM, because all such items are subject to DM approval. Most DMs will say that if you want such an item, you'll need to acquire the appropriate feats, skills, and resources, and create the product yourself. (I suspect the reason they say that is because it deters the vast majority of players, without actually having to say "no". ) Be aware that what one DM finds acceptable may be deemed unacceptable in another DM's campaign, and you may find your character sheet altered with big red strikeout marks before you can join the game.

A 794

What you're missing is the dictionary definition of the term:

jump
-verb (used without object)

1. to spring clear of the ground or other support by a sudden muscular effort; leap

If you don't have the ground or other support for your legs to push off from, you can't Jump. The game authors don't bother to define common English terms except where they use them in a way that doesn't match their normal English usage.

A 795

Swimmers use kick turns when changing direction at each end of a pool lap, but can't Jump most of the time due to lack of support needed for their legs to push off from. Burrowing is sufficiently complex that you would need to ask your DM to adjudicate based on soil conditions, whether the burrower leaves an open tunnel behind, and other considerations.

[Andezzar]

What you're missing is the dictionary definition of the term: If you don't have the ground or other support for your legs to push off from, you can't Jump. The game authors don't bother to define common English terms except where they use them in a way that doesn't match their normal English usage.

Wouldn't being able to hover or perfect maneuverability count as other support?

Swimmers use kick turns when changing direction at each end of a pool lap, but can't Jump most of the time due to lack of support needed for their legs to push off from.

This is true for most human(oid) swimmers, but is there a RAW ruling on how to simulate the ability of some fish (and possibly exotic D&D creatures) of propelling themselves out of the water through the air.

[Curmudgeon]

Wouldn't being able to hover or perfect maneuverability count as other support?

No. Hovering is the ability to maintain altitude without the usual requirement of forward momentum. There is no support involved; instead, it's simply a balance between gravity and muscular exertion to fly upward.

[Qc Storm]

Q789

Crown of White Ravens & friends.

Does it allow you to select a stance? If you pick a maneuver, how does it work?

Let's say you are a crusader, and pick a Iron Heart maneuver, does it become part of your standard maneuver refreshing? Do you have to ready it as part of your other crusader maneuvers?

I will ask again before it gets ignored into oblivion.

[Gildedragon]

A789: Partial
It does not allow the use of a stance. It does, however, count for fulfilling the prerequisites for other stances, maneuvers, feats, and the like

[Andezzar]

A 789 Contention

Stances are maneuvers so you can pick one, if you meet the prerequisites.

A stance is a special type of maneuver

You gain "knowledge of that maneuver and can use it as long as the crown is worn", is all the rules say. I'd say it becomes part of your known maneuvers. How you ready it and if it becomes unready after you used it is up to the DM.

[Urpriest]

Q791

as i said above i am a large warforged and i was looking at items to make me stronger, my question is about the (bladefist component) in ebberon campaign setting. the information says when made for a "medium" warforged it changes his slam from 1d4 to 1d8, and used for monk increases their damage by 1 size category. i know that 1d4 to 1d8 is 2 natural attack size categorys, in MM1 i beleive there is a size and damage chart for constructs and it has "medium slam" at 1d6 and large at 1d8, but a medium warforged slam is 1d4, so one size i think would be 1d6 going ageist construct chart. what im asking is would a large bladefist give me +2 size catagorys to my natural attack slam or is this just alot of over sighting by the proof readers.

A 791

There is no component called bladefist in the Ebberon Campaign Setting. Assuming you are referring to the Battlefist, there are two different effects, one of which is to change the damage of your unarmed strike and the other of which is to change the damage of your slam. They are entirely unconnected. Changing the Medium slam damage from 1d4 to 1d8 is not the same as increasing it by one size. If your base damage is 1d8 as a Medium weapon, the equivalent Large weapon deals 2d6, according to the natural weapon size charts.

[Gildedragon]

A789: Counter-contention

The feat "Martial Study" also speaks of gaining a maneuver, but there is a specific, and separate, feat to acquire stances.
I will concede I might be wrong in asserting CoWR type items can't grant stances, but if they do, then so should the Martial Study Feat.

A791: Addendum
For a bladed warforged component there is the Armblade from RoE

[AthasianWarlock]

Does a psion metamorphed into a cyrohydra gain its breath attacks? Does it gain all its attacks?

[Andezzar]

The feat "Martial Study" also speaks of gaining a maneuver, but there is a specific, and separate, feat to acquire stances.
I will concede I might be wrong in asserting CoWR type items can't grant stances, but if they do, then so should the Martial Study Feat.

You are right, and there is no indication in the description of Martial Study that it is restricted to non-stance maneuvers. Most likely the writers intended Martial Study (and possibly the CoWR) not to work with stances, but the rules don't say so. Martial Stance on the other hand is restricted to a certain type of maneuvers - stances.

Martial stance is less versatile than Martial Study, but can be taken as often as the character wishes. Martial Study can only be taken up to three times.

Does a psion metamorphed into a cyrohydra gain its breath attacks? Does it gain all its attacks?

The psion does not get the breath weapon because breath weapons are supernatural unless noted otherwise. He gets one attack for each head though.