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

[Saintheart]

Q 479

Assume a target struck by a Tanglefoot Bag (per the SRD) and a Harpoon (Stormwrack, p. 107) that lodges inthe target. A tanglefoot bag halves movement. A Harpoon that lodges in the body also halves movement. As these "debuffs" to movement arise from different sources, is the target therefore reduced to one quarter of its usual movement speed?

[Jon_Dahl]

Q 480

If you try to grapple someone, do you need to have both of your hands free? What about shields? What if you are grappled and try to grapple back, do you need to have your hands empty then? What if the other person doesn't let you free your hands? How quickly and easily can you drop a readied heavy shield in grapple? Do you need to have your hands empty when you escape by using Escape Artist skill?

Maybe I should create a thread about these questions, but I will start here first.

[Thurbane]

Q 481

Spider Climb question:

The subject can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a spider does. The affected creature must have its hands free to climb in this manner. The subject gains a climb speed of 20 feet; furthermore, it need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). A spider climbing creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.

Bolding mine. Do you only need your hands free while moving, or at all times you are adhered to a surface you otherwise could not stand on?
I played a module recently, that seemed to imply a caster could Spider Climb onto a ceiling, then use his hands to cast as long as he was not moving.
Is this correct?

[Curmudgeon]

A 479 Yes.

Double Movement Cost

When your movement is hampered in some way, your movement usually costs double. For example, each square of movement through difficult terrain counts as 2 squares, and each diagonal move through such terrain counts as 3 squares (just as two diagonal moves normally do).

If movement cost is doubled twice, then each square counts as 4 squares (or as 6 squares if moving diagonally). If movement cost is doubled three times, then each square counts as 8 squares (12 if diagonal) and so on. This is an exception to the general rule that two doublings are equivalent to a tripling.

A 480

No, there is no requirement that you have both hands free. However, if you are already grappling, dropping anything (even though it's a free action) is not on the list of actions allowed when you're grappling.

If You’re Grappling

When you are grappling (regardless of who started the grapple), you can perform any of the following actions.

• Activate a Magic Item
• Attack Your Opponent
• Cast a Spell
• Damage Your Opponent
• Draw a Light Weapon
• Escape from Grapple
• Move
• Retrieve a Spell Component
• Pin Your Opponent
• Break Another’s Pin
• Use Opponent’s Weapon

Escape Artist doesn't require you to have your hands empty.

A 481

From the Climb skill description:

You need both hands free to climb, but you may cling to a wall with one hand while you cast a spell or take some other action that requires only one hand. While climbing, you can’t move to avoid a blow, so you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). You also can’t use a shield while climbing.

A spell which requires both hands could not be cast. (For instance, Freedom of Movement requires the caster to tie a leather thong around the arm of the creature touched.)

[Gargravarr]

Q 482

What's the general consensus here regarding picking stances when dipping a martial adept base class from ToB?

E.g. Is a one level dip into Swordsage qualified to pick 3rd level stances or would one have to dip at least 2 levels to qualify for 3rd level stances? Because the sentence reads:

You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to you. At 2nd, 5th, 9th, 14th, and 20th level, you can choose additional stances.

However, multiclassing into Swordsage at level 9 is not beginning play? Does begin play refer to the class or the character level?

And if the answer is "Ask your DM", what interpretation makes more sense, that one is forced to dip 2 levels or that one can take any stance based on initiator level at 1st level when multiclassing past 1st level?

[Andezzar]

A 482

The rule is unambiguous and clear. You get one 1st level stance at first level for each of the initiator classes. Whether this is the intention of the authors or whether they simply forgot the option of taking other classes before the first level of an initiator class is beyond the scope of this thread and so are the opinions of the forumites on this issue.

[Mongrel]

Q483: I'm looking for a specific spell and for some reason I can't for the life of me find it, I'm hoping someone here can help. The spell was a weaker version of Assay Spell Resistance; it was level 1 or 2 (I think it was first level) and gave a bonus to piercing SR on the next spell cast, but it took a standard action to cast (rather than the swift action of Assay Spell Resistance). Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

[Karnith]

Q483: I'm looking for a specific spell and for some reason I can't for the life of me find it, I'm hoping someone here can help. The spell was a weaker version of Assay Spell Resistance; it was level 1 or 2 (I think it was first level) and gave a bonus to piercing SR on the next spell cast, but it took a standard action to cast (rather than the swift action of Assay Spell Resistance). Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

A 483

The spell True Casting fits this description. It is a level 1 Sorcerer/Wizard spell found in Complete Mage.

[Mongrel]

Aha, that's it, thanks!

[Flame of Anor]

Re: A 467
The section in Player's Handbook titled COMBINING MAGICAL EFFECTS on pages 171-172. The short version is:

Stacking Effects: Spells that provide bonuses or penalties on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and other attributes usually do not stack with themselves.

Hardness falls under "other attributes".

But hardening does not provide a bonus. The word "bonus" is nowhere in the spell text. It merely increases the target's hardness. Naturally, that is something one would usually think of as a bonus, but that only makes it more significant that the spell does not technically give a "bonus".

[Cybris75]

Q 484

Can you teleport with greater shadow conjuration?

Edit: Sorry, misread the entry. Answer is no, because that spell only does conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation).

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 467

But hardening does not provide a bonus. The word "bonus" is nowhere in the spell text. It merely increases the target's hardness. Naturally, that is something one would usually think of as a bonus, but ...

You would need to produce a rules citation that says an effect which provides a bonus must use the specific word "bonus", in order to have a relevant point. Absent such a rule, a bonus from a spell (though lacking that word) still follows the spell stacking rules.

Here instead is a rules example at odds with your claim that the specific word "bonus" is required:

The Rogue class description of Sneak Attack refers to it as "extra damage" rather than "bonus damage". Other classes with Sneak Attack refer to it as exactly like the Rogue ability, except they do use the term "bonus" when referring to the damage from Sneak Attack (both their own and the Rogue instances): e.g. Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Blackguard. If all of these are like the Rogue ability and are bonuses, then Rogue Sneak Attack is also bonus damage. The specific word is not required.

[Flame of Anor]

Re: A 467
You would need to produce a rules citation that says an effect which provides a bonus must use the specific word "bonus", in order to have a relevant point. Absent such a rule, a bonus from a spell (though lacking that word) still follows the spell stacking rules.

Here instead is a rules example at odds with your claim that the specific word "bonus" is required:

The Rogue class description of Sneak Attack refers to it as "extra damage" rather than "bonus damage". Other classes with Sneak Attack refer to it as exactly like the Rogue ability, except they do use the term "bonus" when referring to the damage from Sneak Attack (both their own and the Rogue instances): e.g. Arcane Trickster, Assassin, Blackguard. If all of these are like the Rogue ability and are bonuses, then Rogue Sneak Attack is also bonus damage. The specific word is not required.

Ah, okay. Another casualty of confusing rules-writing.

[Seharvepernfan]

Q 485

When you are making an AoO against an enemy who is standing up from prone, are they considered prone for this attack?

[powerdemon]

Q 485

When you are making an AoO against an enemy who is standing up from prone, are they considered prone for this attack?

A 485 yes
The AOO interupts their action. They finish standing after the AOO is resolved.

[Thurbane]

Q 486

My undesratnding is that racial abilities with a DC only take RHD into account when calculating the DC, and not class levels.

Is this correct, or is it not? Either way, can I get a citation of the rule in question?

[babus]

Q 487

Does the Tibbit race's -2 Strength degrade to -10 while in feline form, or to -8?

[Karnith]

Q 486

My undesratnding is that racial abilities with a DC only take RHD into account when calculating the DC, and not class levels.

Is this correct, or is it not? Either way, can I get a citation of the rule in question?

A 486

That is correct. Racial special abilities that offer saving throws default to a save DC of 10 + 1/2 Racial Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier, unless otherwise stated. Per the SRD:

Many creatures have unusual abilities. A monster entry breaks these abilities into special attacks and special qualities. The latter category includes defenses, vulnerabilities, and other special abilities that are not modes of attack. A special ability is either extraordinary (Ex), spell-like (Sp), or supernatural (Su). Additional information (when needed) is provided in the creature’s descriptive text.

When a special ability allows a saving throw, the kind of save and the save DC is noted in the descriptive text. Most saving throws against special abilities have DCs calculated as follows:

10 + ½ the attacker’s racial Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier.

The save DC is given in the creature’s description along with the ability on which the DC is based.

(Emphasis mine)

The equivalent text in the Monster Manual can be found on page 6.

[Mr.Bookworm]

A 486

When a special ability allows a saving throw, the kind of save and the save DC is noted in the descriptive text. Most saving throws against special abilities have DCs calculated as follows:

10 + ½ the attacker’s racial Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier.

The save DC is given in the creature’s description along with the ability on which the DC is based.

Here, under special attacks and qualities.

So the default is only RHD, but it's possible the monster's entry could supersede that.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

A 487

The initial -2 isn't a penalty, it's a permanent adjustment, so you'd take the -8 penalty on top of the initial adjustment.

[Saintheart]

Q 488

Consider the Harpoon (Stormwrack, p. 107). Assuming a creature has two harpoons lodged in it, does this therefore reduce the creature's movement down to one quarter of its normal movement?

[DementedFellow]

Q 489

How much weight can a backpack hold? I know it says how much one weighs and how it weighs less when you are a small character, but I can't cite where it says that a backpack can hold up to X weight.

[Mr.Bookworm]

A 488

Harpoons don't stack.

Stormwrack just says that a harpooned (which can refer to multiple objects) creature has their speed cut in half and cannot charge or run. There's no indication that anything else happens if you throw multiple harpoons into someone.

You would, however, have to use multiple full-round actions to pull them all out.

A 489

The table for that was taken out of the 3.5 PHB by accident. Your best bet is to just use the 3.0 one, which states that a backpack can hold one cubic foot of material.

[TuggyNE]

Re: A 467
You would need to produce a rules citation that says an effect which provides a bonus must use the specific word "bonus", in order to have a relevant point. Absent such a rule, a bonus from a spell (though lacking that word) still follows the spell stacking rules.

Re: A467: The glossary defines "bonus" as "A positive modifier to a die roll." None of the examples of extra/bonus damage (or anything else) that I'm aware of are exceptions to that. However, hardness is not a die roll, and acts only to reduce damage. Therefore, hardening is not by any means providing a positive modifier to a die roll; it may not even provide any modifier at all. Technically, then, it is not a bonus, whatever the language used or not used. As such, bonus stacking rules unfortunately do not apply.

[galan]

Q 490

is there something in RAW that stops me from taking the bind vestige feat to get the ability to heal ability damage fast? because i can't see any, but in every hellfire warlock build i see they use binder dip, and i can't understand why.

[Thurbane]

A 490

Because the Bind Vestige feats don't grant that particular power. The Bind Vestige feat gives Naberius's Skills, while Practiced Binder feat gives Silver Tongue. Neither feat gives the Faster Ability Healing ability.

[hobbitkniver]

Q 491

What modifier is used to throw an item? If I needed to throw a ball into a hole, what would I add to my roll?

[powerdemon]

Q 491

What modifier is used to throw an item? If I needed to throw a ball into a hole, what would I add to my roll?

A 491

That would be a ranged attack. Use your Dexterity modifier and BAB.

[Darrin]

A 486

That is correct. Racial special abilities that offer saving throws default to a save DC of 10 + 1/2 Racial Hit Dice + the relevant ability modifier, unless otherwise stated. Per the SRD:
(Emphasis mine)

The equivalent text in the Monster Manual can be found on page 6.

This may have changed in the Rules Compendium. Page 113:

"Special ability saving throw DC = 10 + 1/2 the creature's HD + the modifier for the ability score on which the ability is based + other modifiers (often racial)"

As per MM p. 290, "creature's HD" means "class levels + racial HD":

The creature’s Hit Dice equal the number of class levels it has plus its racial Hit Dice.

[Cirrylius]

Q492: How do Overrunning and Bull Rushing work if a larger creature is trying to go through multiple smaller opponents?

[Melnir]

Q 493: can a cleric with initiate of Mystra cast spells from scrolls when inside an amf (if he succeeds the CL check, of course)?