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

[thethird]

A 224 That will fall under RAI, not RAW, it is not in the scope of this thread.

A 225 The mummy ability does not mention that it is not a mind affecting effect; Despair (Su)
At the mere sight of a mummy, the viewer must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same mummy’s despair ability for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based. Thus it is a mind affecting effect, since all fear effects are mind affecting effects. If by your reading the mummy ability is not a fear effect, it is a possible reading, then immunity to fear won't prevent it. Again you might be going for a RAI reading, a creature immune to mind affecting effects is immune to fear effects per RAW.

[Andezzar]

A 225 The mummy ability does not mention that it is not a mind affecting effect; Despair (Su)

It does not mention that it is either. Why that is necessary to qualify I will prove further down.

Thus it is a mind affecting effect, since all fear effects are mind affecting effects. If by your reading the mummy ability is not a fear effect, it is a possible reading, then immunity to fear won't prevent it. Again you might be going for a RAI reading, a creature immune to mind affecting effects is immune to fear effects per RAW.

This conclusion is wrong, as per the text you linked yourself:

All fear attacks are mind-affecting fear effects.

This only ever tells us that fear attacks are mind-affecting. It says nothing about fear effects that are not attacks. Those are fear effects without the mind-affecting descriptor. There is no rule, or at least I haven't found one, that makes non-attack fear effects mind-affecting. If the descriptor is not granted, it does not exist per RAW.

[thethird]

A 225 It does not state that it is a fear effect, then it is not a fear effect.

[Kornaki]

A 225

The mummy's despair ability is a special attack, so I don't see how it specifically doesn't classify as a fear attack

[Piggy Knowles]

Q226: Are there any psionic powers that reveal hidden or invisible enemies in an area, as the spells faerie fire or glitterdust do?

[Gargravarr]

Q 227

Is there any nongood aligned deity that has both the "Animal" and "Death" domain? (No homebrew).

[Andezzar]

A 227

There are lots of them. this search engine might help.

[Metahuman1]

Q 228

Other then Masterwork and Mithrial, what other means can be used to reduce Armor check penalty?

I'm looking for this for a character I'm actively building so please site sources, thanks!

[Crake]

Q229
Could a beguiler use UMD to gain the benefit of a knowstone (Dragon #333, p93)?

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 225

The mummy's despair ability is a special attack, so I don't see how it specifically doesn't classify as a fear attack

Despair doesn't qualify as any sort of attack, as per the definition:

attack

Any of numerous actions intended to harm, disable, or neutralize an opponent. The outcome of an attack is determined by an attack roll.

Despair does not have an attack roll.

The Monster Manual categories aren't always well defined, and "special attacks" is one such case. There is no Glossary definition of the term, and the "READING THE ENTRIES" section includes only this:

Special Attacks and Special Qualities
Many creatures have unusual abilities, which can include special attack forms, resistance or vulnerability to certain types of damage, and enhanced senses, among others. A monster entry breaks these abilities into special attacks and special qualities. The latter category includes ...

That's it: no definition, just a statement that the category exists. Various parts of the rules specifically include other game mechanics as attacks; see, for instance, SPECIAL SPELL EFFECTS on page 171 of Player's Handbook, which clearly defines which spells count as attacks. The Monster Manual category of "special attacks" merely uses the name, and does not include any rules language which supplements the primary definition of "attack".

[Gargravarr]

A 227

There are lots of them. this search engine might help.

Thanks!

Q 230

Complete Champion states:

Unless otherwise noted, the benefit granted by any domain feat is a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your character level. All such effects are subject to spell resistance, and you can dismiss any continuing effect as a free action. If a domain feat allows a saving throw, its entry provides the necessary information.

So are the Serpent's Strike from Animal Devotion as well as the negative level attack from Death Devotion subject to the creature's spell resistance? So both attacks count as spell-like abilities?

Spoiler

Show

Animal Devotion
Serpent’s Strike: You gain a natural bite attack that deals 1d3 points of Constitution damage but no hit point damage. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifi er) negates the Constitution damage. Creatures immune to poison are immune to this effect. Your upper canine teeth grow into fangs when you activate serpent’s strike and remain in that form as long as the effect is active.

Death Devotion
The power of death imbues your weapon with exceptional might.
Benefit: Once per day as a swift action, you can cause one of your melee weapons to radiate negative energy for 1 minute. When you make a successful attack with this weapon, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Cha modifier) or gain a negative level. You can bestow only one negative level per target for every four character levels you possess (minimum one, maximum fi ve negative levels at 20th level).

[TuggyNE]

Re: A 225
Despair doesn't qualify as any sort of attack, as per the definition: Despair does not have an attack roll.

According to that definition and line of reasoning, there are no fear attacks at all, because no fear effects that I'm aware of require a successful attack roll (and there are certainly none in Core).

Instead, using a definition similar to that of invisibility seems indicated, since it efficiently covers the actual context of "All fear attacks are mind-affecting fear effects" (namely, the use of special abilities to cause fear in an opponent, and the list of such examples), is consistent with at least some general usage, and appears to cause no particular difficulty of interpretation elsewhere.

If there is a workable reading that fits the context and other examples, and another one that involves numerous problems, inconsistencies, and unexpected implications, why use the latter?

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 230

Yes.

As you showed domain feats are by default spell-like abilities. The feats in question do not specify they are not spell-like abilities and spell-like abilities are affected by spell resistance.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 225

According to that definition and line of reasoning, there are no fear attacks at all, because no fear effects that I'm aware of require a successful attack roll (and there are certainly none in Core).

Since I just pointed to page 171 of Player's Handbook, where every Core fear-inducing spell is (I think) defined as an attack, your claim isn't very well founded in the RAW. The primary definition of "attack" has been supplemented so that a spell "attack", despite not having an attack roll, is specifically included in that category. In contrast, there are no supplementary rules which address the Mummy Despair special ability to also treat it as an attack.

Note that a Dragon's Frightful Presence doesn't count as an attack, either; however, it's explicitly defined as mind-affecting (Monster Manual, page 309).

[Gargravarr]

Q 231

Going by

Multiclassing And Variant Classes
Multiclassing between variants of the same class is a tricky subject. In cases where a single class offers a variety of paths (such as the totem barbarian or the monk fighting styles), the easiest solution is simply to bar multiclassing between different versions of the same class (just as a character can't multiclass between different versions of specialist wizards). For variants that are wholly separate from the character class—such as the bardic sage or the urban ranger—multiclassing, even into multiple variants of the same class, is probably okay.

As a cleric, would it be okay to multiclass into the Cloistered Cleric for 1 level dip to gain the Knowledge Domain etc?

I'm guessing the answer is that it's up to the DM but I thought I'd ask anyways.

[Curmudgeon]

A 231

As your quote points out, regarding multiclassing between non-Cloistered Cleric and Cleric the rules regard the easiest answer as no; it's barred. You can, of course, ask your individual DM to make an exception.

[NeoPhoenix0]

Re: A 225

As much as I don't want to get involved in this wouldn't this text you qouted curmudgeon give us the answer

Special Attacks and Special Qualities
Many creatures have unusual abilities, which can include special attack forms, resistance or vulnerability to certain types of damage, and enhanced senses, among others. A monster entry breaks these abilities into special attacks and special qualities. The latter category includes ...

The mummy entry lists despair as a special attack. Since it is monster manual material the monster manual rules trump Player's handbook. And the monster manual states each entry separates them into the correct category.

also isn't it about time this argument left the simple Q&A, unless i just answered it.

[TuggyNE]

Re: A 225
Since I just pointed to page 171 of Player's Handbook, where every Core fear-inducing spell is (I think) defined as an attack, your claim isn't very well founded in the RAW. The primary definition of "attack" has been supplemented so that a spell "attack", despite not having an attack roll, is specifically included in that category.

Hmm, so you did; I somehow skimmed that part.

Further discussion should be continued in another thread, per NeoPhoenix0's request.

[OMG PONIES]

A228: The Dread Commando prestige class from Heroes of Battle has a class feature called "Armored Ease" which allows you to subtract up to 4 from your armor check penalty.

[unseenmage]

Q232

By RAW, assuming DM permission, which is the cheapest means of granting permanent skill bonuses to Effigies/Sacred Guardians?

Additional Feats?
Additional HD?
Skill buff Wondrous Item?
Ability Buff Wondrous Item?

[Hologram]

Q233

Is the limit on the number of power points that can be spent on the manifestation of a single power based on the manifester level of the class which unlocked that power, or the manifester's highest manifester level? For example, if a level 7 Ardent gained 1 level in Psychic Warrior and took Expansion as a Psychic Warrior power at level 8, would the limit on the number of power points it could spend on expansion be 1 or 7?

[OverWilliam]

Q243

When crafting Wands, what Caster Level does a given wand function under? Is it equal to the level of the spell, or can my 8th level caster make a wand of a 1st level spell that lasts 8 rounds/level instead of only one?

[Syncrogti]

Q244

Does the wish spell allow you to regain all your spells for the day (wizard) or spell slots (sorcerer), or does that violate the "replicates one spell of x level or lower" verbage?

[Andezzar]

A 244

You can wish for anything you like, but unless the wish conforms to one of the items in the spells description, the DM is free to pervert the wish in any way he likes. Regaining any or all spells per day is not on that list.

[cd4]

A233 1. Each manifesting class is completely seperate for manifester level and powers known. The only thing they share is the power points pool.

A234 (A to 243) The creator can make a wand with any caster level between the minimum to cast that spell and their current caster level. This however will increase the cost of the item as the formula for the market price is 750*Caster Level*Spell Level.

Q236 In several programs I have seen the situation where character A stands between B and C in a Go through me first situation. Then character B goes straight towards C casually backhanding A out of the way. In D&D terms what happened?

[Andezzar]

A 236

This is not a simple question. Depending on position and result of the backhand, several things are possible. Make a separate thread.

[Nettlekid]

Q237
Is there any way to recharge a charged item magically, without just paying for it? Like the opposite of a Siphon spell or something. I'm aware of feats like Wand Surge or Master Staff that let you get around paying a charge from the item, but is there any way to refill the charges already used?

[Gargravarr]

Q238

(Sorry to keep asking about the domain stuff )

Lore of the Gods - Spell
Your mind opens to the secrets of the cosmos and briefly touches the omniscience of the gods.
You gain a +5 insight bonus on all Knowledge checks.
[...]
If you worship a deity who grants access to the Knowledge domain, the bonus is +10 rather than +5—even if you did not choose that domain.

Strictly speaking, my cleric doesn't worship a god that has the Knowledge domain, however, since it's a Cloistered Cleric I've gained access to the Knowledge domain.

Does the +10 insight bonus still apply here?

[Andezzar]

A 238

No. The deity does not grant access to the domain, the cloistered variant does.

[Thorvaldr]

Q 239

Where can I find the Character Creation Feats for 3.5?