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

[Gemini476]

Q 647: The Knight's Code (PH2 p.27) includes the following clause:

A knight never deals lethal damage against a helpless foe.
You can strike such a foe, but only with attacks that deal
nonlethal damage.

A Headsman's Axe (BoVD p.39-40) can instantly kill a properly restrained helpless creature with a DC 18 Profession(Executioner) check.

While a failed check would instead act as a Coup de Grace and thus deal lethal damage, would a successful check violate the Code? It does not actually deal any damage, after all.
From a RAW perspective, that is. This is most definitely not RAI.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 645

I know that is the way it is supposed to work but do the rules actually say so?

Yes. From Monster Manual on page 291, under INCREASING HIT DICE:

Note that if a creature acquires a character class, it improves according to its class, not its type.

[thethird]

Q 647: The Knight's Code (PH2 p.27) includes the following clause:

A Headsman's Axe (BoVD p.39-40) can instantly kill a properly restrained helpless creature with a DC 18 Profession(Executioner) check.

While a failed check would instead act as a Coup de Grace and thus deal lethal damage, would a successful check violate the Code? It does not actually deal any damage, after all.
From a RAW perspective, that is. This is most definitely not RAI.

A 647 Being pedantic you can only strike with attacks that deal non lethal damage. This attack isn't dealing non lethal damage. I.e. you are against your code.

[TuggyNE]

A645 additional:

Advancement
The monster entry usually describes only the most commonly encountered version of a creature. The advancement line shows how tough a creature can get, in terms of extra Hit Dice. (This is not an absolute limit, but exceptions are extremely rare.) Often, intelligent creatures advance by gaining a level in a character class instead of just gaining a new Hit Die. (See Improving Monsters.)

Size Increases
A creature may become larger when its Hit Dice are increased (the new size is noted parenthetically in the monster’s Advancement entry).

Curmudgeon is correct, because the size increases are explicitly part of the Advancement entry, which is not used in cases when monsters advance by class levels.

[Oddman80]

Q 648
If my character is a Plant Type and is therefore immune to all mind-affecting effects, are will save stats irrelevant, or are there other non-mind-affecting things that require a will save?

[thethird]

A 648 There are several non mind affecting effects that require a will save.

[Jormengand]

Q649: Is there a hammer or similar bludgeoning weapon from any source with the "Hand-and-a-half" properties of the Bastard Sword and Dwarven Waraxe?

[Chronos]

A 648 expanded:
Examples of non-mind-affecting will saves include Glitterdust and Plane Shift.

[_felagund]

Q 650

If a wizard has a competence bonus on fire spells, can he get full benefits of higher level? (ie. level6 wizard casting Scorching Ray and throwing 2 rays as if he is level 7)

[Jormengand]

A650

Assuming it's a competence bonus to caster level, yes - the spell is treated as being cast at the higher level for all intents and purposes.

[2gig]

Q651

Is there a distance limit for ranged critical hits (like the 30' limit for ranged sneak attacks)?

[heavyfuel]

Q 652

How does Mystic Ranger work with Order of the Shooting Star?

There's a handbook on BG about it, but I though you couldn't trade the same feature twice. Since Mystic Ranger alreay lost the Animal Companion, shouldn't you be unable to also get the substitution level?

Edit: Corrected question number

[Curmudgeon]

A 651 No.

There are some factors that diminish the chances of ranged critical hits: range penalties apply to both your initial attack and critical confirmation rolls; additionally, ranged weapons generally have narrower critical threat ranges than melee weapons. However, there is no range cutoff for critical hits.

Q 365 652

How does Mystic Ranger work with Order of the Shooting Star?

A 652

Shooting Star Ranger substitution levels (Champions of Valor, page 50) apply to the Ranger class, not the Mystic Ranger class. (In general, it's fair to assume that many handbooks will enthusiastically overlook inconvenient aspects of the RAW in order to impress readers with their optimization efforts.)

[heavyfuel]

Q 652 B

A 652

Shooting Star Ranger substitution levels (Champions of Valor, page 50) apply to the Ranger class, not the Mystic Ranger class. (In general, it's fair to assume that many handbooks will enthusiastically overlook inconvenient aspects of the RAW in order to impress readers with their optimization efforts.)

But isn't the Mystic Ranger a Variant Ranger? By the same token, can't you build a Stealthy Fighter with Zhentarim Soldier levels?

[Pinkie Pyro]

Q 653

Is a character that can't fly counted as having a 0FT fly score, or a -FT fly score?

[Curmudgeon]

A 652 B

There is no "Stealthy Fighter" class; i.e., the name is still just "Fighter".

Fighter
Some fighters prefer stealth and cunning over martial skill. This variant can also be combined with the thug variant described earlier in this chapter.

From page 34 of Champions of Valor:

Substitution levels are levels of a given class that you take to gain certain benefits instead of the level benefits associated with the standard class. Selecting a substitution level is not the same as multiclassing; you remain in the class for which the substitution level was taken. The class features of the substitution level simply replace those of the normal level. To qualify for a substitution level, you must be of the proper class.

If the name does not match exactly, you are not of the proper class. The class table (Dragon # 336, page 105) lists "Mystic Ranger" rather than "Ranger".

You're allowed to apply Zhentarim Soldier substitution levels to a Fighter, so the fact that there is no "Stealthy Fighter" class might allow the combination — or might not, depending on how strict your DM is about interpreting "the standard class". (In any case, you'd be trading away all the sneak attack benefits of those levels, so it's an unlikely combo.)

A 653

You may have movement modes other than walking/running; otherwise, you do not have a listed speed, including a listed speed of 0' (essentially the answer is "—", except that labeling convention isn't applied to movement modes in D&D).

[Reshy]

Q654

Does a Charging Bull Rush provoke AoO's if you have the Improved Bull Rush feat?

[Curmudgeon]

A 654

From everyone but the defender of your Bull Rush attack, yes. With Improved Bull Rush you avoid AoOs by the defender even if they have a reach weapon and you leave their threatened square(s). Other enemies who threaten squares your Charge passes through will get AoOs against you.

[unseenmage]

Q655

Can Sovereign Glue be used to affix Quintessence to another object?

Q656

Is there a spell that duplicates the effects of Sovereign Glue?
Not a spell that makes the item but one which sticks things to other things.

[Sith_Happens]

A 656

The Stick cantrip in Spell Compendium is a bit easier to undo than Sovereign Glue, but it's the closest I know of.

[justiceforall]

Q657

A character has the snap kick feat and is using a 10' reach weapon. Assume the character has no means of extending their unarmed strike reach.

An opponent provokes an attack of opportunity by moving through the 10' reach square into the 5' square in order to make a melee attack.

The attack of opportunity triggers snap kick - do you get to use it despite the AoO triggering at the 10' square?

[Curmudgeon]

A 657 No.

You can only make an AoO in squares you threaten, so squares outside your unarmed reach don't matter for Snap Kick. Consider, though, that if you had a different enemy within your natural reach you could use the enabling AoO with the reach weapon to allow Snap Kick against the enemy within unarmed reach. Snap Kick does not require it to be used against the same enemy as the enabling melee attack.

[Andezzar]

Q 658

How many extra attacks do you get when a character with BAB 16 and Snap Kick makes a Full Attack? 5 or 8?

When you make a melee attack with one or more melee weapons (including a standard attack, full attack, or even a strike maneuver), you can make an additional attack at your highest attack bonus.

The main part indicates that you get an extra attack per melee attack (and a Full attack can include of several melee attacks), whereas the part in parentheses seems to indicate that a full attack is a single instance.

A 659

A Swashbuckler's Insightful Strike works with an Unarmed Strike and other natural weapons, right?

[justiceforall]

A 659

A 659

A Swashbuckler's Insightful Strike works with an Unarmed Strike and other natural weapons, right?

Yes.

Insightful Strike works "with any light weapon, as well as any other weapon that can be used with Weapon Finesse, such as a rapier, whip, or spiked chain.".

From the SRD "Natural weapons are always considered light weapons.".

[TuggyNE]

A658: 5. The paranthetical text is there for no other reason than to ensure clarity in this case, and answers the question by its presence.

[HaikenEdge]

Q 660

When a creature with a subtype (say, Humanoid [Human]) gets their type changed (say, by a template), do they keep their subtype in addition to any subtypes they may gain?

[Andezzar]

A658: 5. The paranthetical text is there for no other reason than to ensure clarity in this case, and answers the question by its presence.

Giving only one extra attack per Full Attack (action) contradicts "When you make a melee attack with one or more melee weapons, you can make an additional attack at your highest attack bonus." On A Full Attack (action) you make a melee attack at BAB, one at BAB -5 etc.

BTW how do you make a single melee attack with more than one melee weapon?

[Oddman80]

Q 661
According to Rules Compendium:

If you’re considered unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity.

and according to the Rules of the Game WotC Web Article:

The Quick Draw feat allows you to draw a weapon as a free action. If you're unarmed, you do not threaten an area, even if you have the Quick Draw feat, because you can take a free action only during your turn.

So my question is, does the Mercurial Strike Feat (From Dragon Mag 310 & the Dragon Compendium) do anything?

MERCURIAL STRIKE (GENERAL)
With a single motion, you draw your weapon and slash at an opponent.

Prerequisite: Quick Draw, base attack bonus +5.

Benefit: Any time an opponent provokes an attack of opportunity from you but you are unarmed, you may draw a melee weapon and make your attack of opportunity with it. The target of your attack of opportunity is caught flat-footed for that attack.

Does this Feat provide an ability that provides an atypical (non-normal) circumstance allowing unarmed characters to threaten squares for the purpose of provoking an Attack of Opportunity? Or does this feat only work if (regardless of what prerequisites were listed) you also have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat?

[Andezzar]

A 661

By RAW this Feat does nothing. If you do not threaten a square the opponent is in (which you don't when considered unarmed), he cannot provoke an AoO no matter what he does.

[NecessaryWeevil]

Q662

Can my Crusader use a Strike (eg. Mountain Hammer) as an unarmed strike? If he does so, is the damage from the Strike nonlethal, since the unarmed strike is nonlethal? (He would rather not inflict lethal damage in this specific instance).