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

[Gargravarr]

A 334Shadow Blade does not stack with Dead Eye because the former only applies to ranged weapons and the latter only to melee weapons.

Which makes me wonder how they apply/stack with the Bloodstorm Blade:

Thunderous Throw (Ex):
As a swift action, you can choose to treat your ranged attack rolls with thrown weapons as melee attacks for the rest of your turn. You use your melee attack bonus, including Strength bonus, feats, and so forth, to determine your attack bonus for each attack as normal, but you apply the standard modifiers for range penalties.

Does one get the ranged bonus and the melee bonus provided by the feats or in this case just the melee bonus and disregard the ranged one?

[OMG PONIES]

A333 partial

I was wondering the same thing at some point. However, my understanding is that only those PrCs that directly continue progression to existing maneuvers count as a full initiator level added (Deepstone Sentinel, Bloodclaw master...) and those that don't continue progression count as 1/2 (Bloodstorm Blade from ToB and all other PrCs outside ToB unless they gain maneuvers through their own class progression)

A333 discussionThat was always my default assumption as well, but is there anything in the rules that explicitly states that?

A 334

Shadow Blade does not stack with Dead Eye because the former only applies to ranged weapons and the latter only to melee weapons.

Generally though untpyed bonuses stack even with other untyped bonuses if they come from different sources.

A334 clarification The former (Shadow Blade) only applies to melee damage for attacks made with the Shadow Hand discipline's preferred weapons while in a Shadow Hand stance and the latter (Dead Eye) only applies to ranged weapons for which one has the Weapon Focus feat. Just wanted to clarify the use of former/latter and the caveats for which specific melee or ranged weapons each feat works with.

Which makes me wonder how they apply/stack with the Bloodstorm Blade:

Does one get the ranged bonus and the melee bonus provided by the feats or in this case just the melee bonus and disregard the ranged one?

A335 (not numbered): Only Shadow Blade and Hit-and-Run Fighter would apply (assuming your target is flatfooted, within 30 feet, and that you're attacking with one of Shadow Hand's preferred weapons while in a Shadow Hand stance) since you're still attacking with a melee weapon.

[Gargravarr]

A333 discussionThat was always my default assumption as well, but is there anything in the rules that explicitly states that?

A333 discussion

Not explicitly.

The only related statement I could find was from Sage:

Prestige classes are generally treated just like multiclassing, adding 1/2 the level unless the prestige class specifically states otherwise, as do most of the prestige classes found in Tome of Battle.

Source: http://community.wizards.com/go/thre...um=3#331831370

[OMG PONIES]

A333 discussion

Not explicitly.

The only related statement I could find was from Sage:



Source: http://community.wizards.com/go/thre...um=3#331831370

Thanks. I can never remember, here do we treat Sage rulings the same as RAW or no?

[123456789blaaa]

Q 335

Is there a way to make the Fire Lash of the pyrokineticist a slashing type weapon?

[Tvtyrant]

Q 336

Can a Psion Vampire use his psion powers while in Gaseous Form?

[unseenmage]

Q337

Is there a RAW non-custom magic item that would allow a non-spellcaster to use Spellcraft?

Q338

Is there a RAW non-custom magic item that grants a bonus to spellcraft? (Beyond the +2 Competence bonus granted by the possible Masterwork Spellcraft tools.)

[Prufrock]

Q339: What options are there, RAW, for a construct to regrow limbs?

For example, a Green Star Adept 10 sticks her hand into a Sphere of Annihilation. What can she do to get the hand back? Regenerate specifies "living creature" and Rapid Repair (Ex) says it will not regrow lost body parts. Would Repair Light Damage work? What about Fast Healing? (since Regeneration requires a Con score)

[Curmudgeon]

A 337

D&D 3.5 does not have exclusive skills. Any character may use Spellcraft as long as they are trained (have at least 1 rank) in the skill.

A 338

Spellsight Spectacles (Magic Item Compendium, page 138) grant a Spellcraft bonus for deciphering scrolls. The Tome of Ancient Lore relic (Magic Item Compendium, page 189) grants a bonus if you peruse it for an hour daily. Having at least 3 pieces of a collection (Magic Item Compendium, page 211 and following) grants a Spellcraft bonus. A Ring of Elemental Adaption (Planar Handbook) grants a Spellcraft bonus in particular circumstances. A Rod of the Epic Spellcaster grants a Spellcraft bonus for casting Epic spells.

A 339

None of the Repair spells include limb regrowth in their descriptions, so that approach will fail. Fast Healing will also fail.

Unlike regeneration, fast healing does not allow a creature to regrow or reattach lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached.

The spell Greater Humanoid Essence (Races of Eberron, pages 186-187) will temporarily give the Construct the Humanoid type, making it a living creature and thus a suitable target for Regenerate. Alternatively you could add a Construct graft such as Mighty Arms (Faiths of Eberron, page 158) to replace the missing limb.

[Gargravarr]

Q340
Can I use the Touchstone Key described in Sandstorm to link with Touchstone sites described in the Planar Handbook instead of requiring 8 ranks in Knowledge(The Planes) or does the Touchstone key mechanic only apply to those Touchstone sites described in Sandstorm?

Or is this up to the DM?

[mattie_p]

A 340: No. The Touchstones described in Sandstorm require either a touchstone key or 8 ranks of knowledge (local). The Planar touchstones require both 8 ranks in Knowledge (The Planes) and the equivalent of a touchstone key. No substitution is permitted by the RAW.

(Any DM is free make whatever house rules they see fit.)

[Andezzar]

Q 341

As a Wolf Totem Barbarian of at least 2 levels could you trip an opponent with an unarmed strike and then use the granted attack for an attack with a two-handed weapon?

[Green Leviathan]

Q 342

Once a target has a necrotic cyst in them, Do they still get a will save from Necrotic Domination (albeit at -2)?

[Karnith]

Q 342

Once a target has a necrotic cyst in them, Do they still get a will save from Necrotic Domination (albeit at -2)?

A 342
Yes. Necrotic Domination functions as Dominate Person, except where Necrotic Domination's description specifies otherwise. Since the saving throw line is absent from Necrotic Domination, it inherits Dominate Person's saving throw, and hence the target is allowed a Will save to resist the effect.

[Andezzar]

Q 343

How does Improved Uncanny Dodge interact with classes other than rogue that grant sneak attack? Are those classes denied sneak attack regardless of level against a target with Improved Uncanny Dodge?

[Gargravarr]

Q 344
If one is standing in Darkness (spell) and wearing a Ring of Darkhidden, does one get total concealment against an attacker that has Darkvision? And one without Darkvision gets only 20% miss chance?

[Andezzar]

A 344

No. Everybody gets the 20% miss chance, unless the creature in question has only darkvision and no normal/low-light vision. All vision modes are always on unless stated otherwise.

[Curmudgeon]

A 341 Yes.

The phrase "as if you hadn’t used your attack for the trip attempt" in Improved Trip simply means you use the same AB for the trip attempt as for the original attack, rather than requiring an additional (iterative) attack. It doesn't require that you use the same weapon, nor require the opponent you tripped to not be prone.

A 343 Yes.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex)

At 5th level, an assassin can no longer be flanked, since he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to sneak attack the assassin. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the assassin can flank him (and thus sneak attack him).

Improved Uncanny Dodge is a general defense against sneak attack via flanking. The exception is specific to attackers with Rogue levels, or levels in classes which explicitly state that their levels stack with Rogue levels to counter Improved Uncanny Dodge.

[Andezzar]

Q 345

Can a non-monk character trip with both hands full (and not filled with a tripping weapon)?

[Curmudgeon]

A 345 Yes.

Any character can make an unarmed trip attempt, and unarmed attacks do no require any particular body parts for their effect. (In reality, most tripping is done with a leg, so whether your hands are full or not is immaterial.) Monks and characters with either Improved Unarmed Strike or Improved Trip will avoid provoking attacks of opportunity from such trip attempts.

[unseenmage]

Q346

What happens when one of a pair of Ring Gates is immersed in Quintessence?

[ArqArturo]

Q347

Is an evil character with Undetectable Alignment still affected by someone with Touch of Golden Ice?.

[Chronos]

A 347:

Yes, as Touch of Golden Ice doesn't detect alignment; it just punishes evil directly. The same is true of spells like Holy Smite or Holy Word.

[CyberThread]

Q348

If something requires 10 skill ranks, the earliest you can get into it, is level 7?

[Andezzar]

A 348

That depends on what you are trying to get. If it is a PrC you can get it at level 8 at the earliest, because you need to fulfill the prerequisites before choosing the class.

There may be a combination of feats that let you break the usual maximum of level +3 skill ranks.

[Thurbane]

A 348 continued

The Primary Contact feat (Cityscape) lets you exceed the skill rank cap by one for a specific skill (associated with your organization), but this cap increase only lasts for the level you take the feat.

[Andezzar]

That's what I was thinking about. You also need the Favored Feat from the same book to be eligible for Primary Contact.

Q 349

Can a Level 13 Warblade use the Master Shadow Hands to get the use of Shadow Blink? Would he need an Initiator Level of 13?

Q 350

How do Heedless Charge and a failed charge interact? Is the penalty to AC or to AB for the rest of the round?

[Curmudgeon]

A 350

A failed charge means you did not satisfy the conditions necessary to both move and make a charge attack, so you didn't actually use the Charge special full-round action. The Heedless Charge maneuver of the Shock Trooper feat only happens when you make a Charge attack. Sometime before you attack during the round you must establish your Power Attack adjustment, but it doesn't have to be until you are ready to attack. If you had previously established a Power Attack penalty then that applies normally, reducing your attack bonus until your next turn. If you instead wait until you are ready to attack, then on a failed charge attempt you would not have used Power Attack. So the answer is either a penalty to AB until your next turn, or no penalty.

[Gargravarr]

Q 351

If a character is holding still after he succeeds on a hide check (as a swift action), what are the DC checks a DM can make on his turn to try and pinpoint a character that is successfully hidden and holding still centered in magical darkness cast around him (in a 20ft radius)?

Would it be
Spot check DC 50? (DC 30 because holding still +20 invisible)
Listen check DC Move silently check result +20?

Per RAW, doesn't the status of 'holding still' grant a DC bonus on Listen checks?

[Curmudgeon]

A 351

While both hidden and invisible creatures are visually undetectable, the rules for detecting them are distinct. While an invisible creature can be detected using fixed DC checks, a hiding (but not invisible) character must be located using opposed checks.

I'm assuming the character moved as a swift action, because Hide normally has no action associated with it. If they've successfully hidden, they've already beaten all opposed reactive Spot checks.

Trying to spot something you failed to see previously is a move action.

Each opponent could use move actions to try harder to Spot anything they might have missed.

Similarly, the character's movement into their hiding position is an opposed check involving their Move Silently roll vs. opposing Listen checks.

Trying to hear something you failed to hear previously is a move action.

Each opponent could use move actions to try harder to Listen for anything they might have missed. If the hiding character is now still, the DM is free to add a circumstance bonus (usually +2) to represent favorable conditions when opposed by the new move action Listen rechecks.

One thing that opponents could use to advantage would be noticing the big, obvious sphere of shadowy illumination. Noticing something Large in plain sight takes only a DC 0 Spot check, and a 20' radius sphere is bigger than Colossal size, so that makes it even easier to notice (likely DC under -10 even with circumstance modifiers). Success there would allow Spellcraft DC 22 ("Identify a spell that’s already in place and in effect.") checks to establish that there's a Darkness spell, which has to have been cast on some object at the center of the effect.