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

[Chronos]

A 297:
Quick Draw lets you draw weapons (or possibly similar objects) as a free action, but it doesn't let you put them away as a free action. You'd either have to spend move actions sheathing your wands, or drop them before drawing the next one.

[OMG PONIES]

A298: RAW, it's a swift action to retrieve a wand from a wand bracer. The only free action I see mentioned in the text is dropping a wand, though this being the Internet folks may be referring to some way to optimize this that I don't know of.

If your hand is empty, you can flex a finger as a swift action to cause the wand of your choice to spring into your grasp. You still must activate the wand as a standard action...Most adventurers just drop the first wand to the ground (a free action) when they need a different one.

Q299: Drawing from the above, let's assume someone with a Wand Bracer draws a wand of a spell with a casting time longer than a standard action. Does the wand bracer's "You still must activate the wand as a standard action..." mean:

1. The activation time of the wand is shortened to a standard action?
2. You cannot activate wands of spells with longer casting times via a Wand Bracer?
3. The longer casting time is unchanged?

[Andezzar]

Q 300

What constitutes "mental control" in the context of the Protection from [Alignment] spells? Does it include only making the subject unable to perform certain actions like fear effects? How about abilities that only give penalties to certain actions? What about mentally dazing the subject?

[Curmudgeon]

A 299

The activation time is unchanged, regardless of whether it is longer or shorter. A magic container description cannot override the rules for items after they leave that container.

[Andezzar]

Q 301

a) Does the touch attack from desiccating touch (Walker in the waste 1) provoke an AoO if you do not have improved unarmed strike or natural weapons?

b) Can that touch attack be delivered with a weapon to avoid an AoO if a is true?

[Gargravarr]

Q 302
The Shadow Creature Template states:

Shadow Blend (Su): In any conditions other than full daylight, a shadow creature can disappear into the shadows, giving it total concealment. Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability, but a daylight spell will.

Since it's a supernatural ability it requires a standard action to activate but what's the duration if none is given? Once activated I keep total concealment as long as the circumstances are met without having to expend another action? What if I attack?

Say before entering a dungeon, I could simply activate it? Seems odd to require a standard action then.

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 302

Yes, that sounds about right. It has unlimited duration. It requires a standard action because the shadow creature can choose to drop it by deactivating the ability and then reactivate it later as a standard action.

[Curmudgeon]

A 301

Desiccating Touch (Su): As a touch attack, you can drain moisture from a living creature.

Supernatural Abilities (Su)

Supernatural abilities are magical and go away in an antimagic field but are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic. Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise. Supernatural abilities may have a use limit or be usable at will, just like spell-like abilities. However, supernatural abilities do not provoke attacks of opportunity and never require Concentration checks.

Desiccating Touch follows the standard rules for Supernatural abilities. It does not offer an option to allow use through a weapon; your body must touch the target.

[Kred]

Q303
Can dragonborn be a necropolitan? Will he retain all dragonborn traits?

[Corwin_of_Amber]

Q 304 Can I cast greater magic weapon on a mind blade/mind arrow?

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 303

A Dragonborn can take the ritual to become a Necropolitan. The Necropolitan will retain the Dragonborn special abilities. The DM may however decide that this is an evil act and may have Bahamut revoke the Dragonborn template which due to weird wording will return the character to its "original race and form." So the Necropolitan template will also be removed along with any other acquired templates.

Edit: However, a Necropolitan cannot become a Dragonborn because you have to be humanoid to become a Dragonborn. Actually it never says you have to be humanoid to take the ritual. It does say the you retain your original type and subtype. It also says Dragonborn have the humanoid type.

[Gargravarr]

Q 305

How often can I "Try again" on UMD checks if I roll 9 or less under the DC?
Since the skill check requires no action, can I just reroll (assuming I don't roll natural 1) in the same turn until succeeded? Or is it just max 1 reroll per turn?

[NeoPhoenix0]

A 305

The UMD check is made as part of the action to activate the magic item. So if the magic item is a wand of cure light wounds the action is a standard action so you can only do it once a round. If you are using a magic item that requires a free cation to activate then you can retry as many times as you like in a round as long as you don't roll a 1.

[unseenmage]

Q306

What is the cheapest magic item that can be created that costs the most xp?


I desire to make some cheap magic items to "store away" some craft xp for my Artificer.

[Gildedragon]

A306
This is somewhat beyond the scope of this thread.
The xp spent on a magic item is 1/25th of its base cost; though spells that cost XP will have their xp added to their crafting. Probably a scroll of some sort.

[Curmudgeon]

A 304 Yes.

The casting applies only to the particular manifestation you have of that Mind Blade/Mind Arrow. When you form a new Mind Blade or Mind Arrow it would have none of the benefits of the previously cast spell.

[Joe Eskimo]

Q 307

If a barbarian has whirling frenzy, snap kick and twf for unarmed strikes from city brawler would all those penalties stack? Each says all attacks made in that round suffer a -2 penalty. Would I have a -6 penalty or just a -2?

[Gargravarr]

Q 308

Say a character has 3 attacks per full attack:
primary/offhand/primary

and can draw weapons/weapon-like as a free action

could I do the following:

1st attack = attack with main weapon
2rd attack = throw splash weapon
3rd attack = attack with main weapon

alternatively:
1st and 2nd attack = attack with primary/offhand weapon(s)
drop offhand weapon, draw splash weapon (free action)
3rd attach = throw splash weapon

is the order specific or could I choose to use the (e.g. lowest iterative) attack to throw the splash weapon?

[Curmudgeon]

A 307 Yes.

Your combined penalty to all attacks would be -6.

A 308 Yes.

You can do all of those things, assuming you could draw your splash weapon as a free action. There is an attack dependency:

If you get multiple attacks because your base attack bonus is high enough, you must make the attacks in order from highest bonus to lowest.

[Andezzar]

Q 309

Can the Shun the Dark Chaos spell bestow any feat that the subject qualifies for now or is it limited to those he would have qualified for at the level he received the removed Abyssal Heritor feat?

[Gargravarr]

Q 310

Do the tricks of the Master Thrower work simultaneously on each attack?

For example, at Master Thrower Level 5 with the character having 3 attacks per full attack, with 3 chosen tricks (eg Palm Throw, Weak Spot, Trip Shot).

is it a)
attack 1: ranged touch attack (weak spot) + dex check (trip) + 2x weapon dmg.

attack 2+3: same as attack 1?

or b)
or is it trick 1 attack 1, trick 2 attack 2...?

Sneaky Shot requires a move action, so I assume this can be done only once per round?

also if a) is true, how do I resolve the rolls since weak spot is touch and the dex check is with a normal ranged attack, or do I apply the touch attack to the dex check-attack?

[Sliver]

Q311

Is the damage from Thunderstep Boots added to all melee attacks you make at the end of a charge, or only to one successful strike?

[Kred]

Q312
Valorous Weapon (2H) + Power Attack
It will be:
PA: -5 +10
PA + VW: -5 +20? or +15?

[Andezzar]

A 312

It is even better than that. Everything is doubled not only the damage from power attack.

So assuming STR 18 and a +1 Valorous Greatsword gives you

-5 AB for PA results in 2*(2d6+7+10)=4d6+34

On a critical hit though it is "only" 3*(2d6+7+10)=6d6+51

[Kred]

A 312
So assuming STR 18 and a +1 Valorous Greatsword gives you

-5 AB for PA results in 2*(2d6+7+10)=4d6+34

Where is +7 come from? +4 (str) +1 (sword) and what else?

[Andezzar]

Where is +7 come from? +4 (str) +1 (sword) and what else?

1.5 times STR modifier for a two-handed weapon. So it is actually +6 from STR and +1 from the weapon.

[Kred]

Q313

Hover
The ability to stay in one place while airborne.

Casting while hover, should i make a concentration check?

[Curmudgeon]

A 309

The subject can gain any new feat they qualify for at the time of casting. They lose their existing Abyssal Heritor feat, plus access to any feats or prestige class abilities which were dependent on that Abyssal Heritor feat; similarly, if this follows Embrace the Dark Chaos they have lost their original feat plus access to any feats or prestige class abilities which were dependent on that original feat. (Loss of prestige class abilities is a specific additional proviso in these two spells.)

A 311 Just one.

When you charge, your thunderstep boots channel sonic energy into your attack. If you hit with a melee attack at the end of a charge, the target takes an additional 1d4 points of sonic damage.

The soulmeld description uses the singular in both sentences (highlighted above); its benefit applies to just one attack. To apply to more than one attack the description would either need to use the plural form, or instead specify attack action to allow for the possibility of full attacks.

A 313

Whether you should take some action is outside the realm of RAW questions.

Benefit: When flying, the creature can halt its forward motion and hover in place as a move action.
...
If a creature begins its turn hovering, it can hover in place for the turn and take a full-round action.

You can make a Concentration check to cast defensively while hovering; this is your choice. You must use a move action to use Hover; that's the only actual requirement to start hovering.

[Gargravarr]

Q314

Dark Creature template states:

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): Use the Hide skill even while being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or a similar ettect).

I've got access through either minor concealment using Fell Mist (Incarnate Soulmeld) or Child of Shadow Stance (Swordsage). The latter states

You also gain the standard benefits of concealment, but you cannot use this stance to hide in plain sight; you must still use some other terrain feature that normally allows you to use the Hide skill.

Even though I've got HiPS through the template I'm guessing it doesn't work with the stance? What about the Fell Mist Soulmeld then? It doesn't have such a clause.

Also, how exactly would this work.

Example: I'm being observed, it's not natural daylight. I attack as a standard action and make a hide check as part of my move action and since I have concealment I don't need cover? So if I win the hide check I'm hidden?

[Jsaur]

Q315

What happens when a Quaal's Feather Token (tree) is placed on a square containing a creature? Is it pushed out, or does it suffocate?

Q316

If it suffocates, what are the suffocation rules inside solid objects?