Simple Raw Thread for 3.5 #28

[weckar]

Q 573 Does the Cleric's "Spontaneous Casting" class feature allow them to convert prepared spells gained from other casting classes?

[Curmudgeon]

A 573 No.

In a class description, class features do not apply to abilities the character may have from other classes unless explicitly stated.

[Chronos]

A 571 addendum:

Trolls do not have Fast Healing; they have Regeneration, which works slightly differently. In particular, ordinary wounds do not reduce the HP total of a creature with Regeneration, but instead add to the creature's nonlethal damage total.

Further, the use of Simulacrum to copy a creature with racial HD is not fully specified. A copy only has half as many HD or levels as the original, and the corresponding abilities. This is easy to adjudicate for a creature whose HD all come from class levels, or for a creature that has been advanced to twice its normal number of RHD, but it is not clear for a creature which gets over half of its levels from RHD: An ordinary troll, for instance, has 6 RHD, and so a simulacrum of a troll would have only 3 RHD, with the corresponding abilities, but it is nowhere specified what abilities a troll has at 3 RHD.

[Thurbane]

A 571 additional

According to Savage Species p.200 (Troll racial class), a 3HD Troll has regeneration 1.

[zergling.exe]

Q 574

Does anything use Fast Healing's ability to reattach lost body parts?

[Chronos]

A 574:

Fast Healing doesn't give the ability to reattach severed body parts. Regeneration does, in which case the answer to your question is "anything that has regeneration and gets a body part severed".

[unseenmage]

Q575
What kind of action (free, standard, move, etc) is it for a Vampire to revert to their humanoid shape after using Alternate Form?
The text says that they,

It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise.

Does this mean it can only change to other alternate forms or that it doesn't have to remain in an alternate form?

Q576
Is there a reason a Vampire cannot use Gaseous Form underwater? If they do what happens? It looks like they only have a Fly speed and cannot swim. So they would "fly" through the water at their listed speed?

[zergling.exe]

A 574:

Fast Healing doesn't give the ability to reattach severed body parts. Regeneration does, in which case the answer to your question is "anything that has regeneration and gets a body part severed".

Re 574

My Monster Manual says this

Fast Healing (Ex):A creature with the fast healing special quality regains hit points at an exceptionally fast rate, usually 1 or more hit points per round, as given in the creature’s entry (for example, a vampire has fast healing 5). Except where noted here,fast healing is just like natural healing (see page 146 of the Player’s Handbook). Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow a creature to regrow lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached.

Does anything use the bolded clause?

Q576
Is there a reason a Vampire cannot use Gaseous Form underwater? If they do what happens? It looks like they only have a Fly speed and cannot swim. So they would "fly" through the water at their listed speed?

A 576

Vampire's cannot assume gaseous form underwater, as the spell gaseous form does not work underwater. As the conditions do not conform to requirements the ability fails as the spell would. Creatures in gaseous form may not enter water, so they may not 'fly' through it.

[Jowgen]

Q 577

When is a weapon "held" and when is it "wielded" for the purposes of weapon special abilieites and other game-mechanics that require either of the two conditions?

[Duke of Urrel]

Re 574

It is possible for you to suffer damage to specific parts of the body. The following sidebar appears on page 27 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

VARIANT: DAMAGE TO SPECIFIC AREAS

Sometimes, despite the abstract nature of combat, you’re going to want to apply damage to specific parts of the body, such as when a character’s hands are thrust into flames, when he steps on caltrops, or when he peeks through a hole in the wall and someone shoots an arrow into the hole from the other side. (This situation comes up most frequently with devious traps meant to chop at feet, smash fingers, or the like.)

When a specific body part takes damage, you can apply a –2 penalty to any action that the character undertakes using that portion of his body. For example, if a character’s fingers get slashed, he makes attacks rolls with a weapon in that hand at –2 and he takes a –2 penalty on skill checks involving the use of his hands.

Creatures with the Fast Healing special ability cannot re-grow lost body parts. Creatures with the Regenerate special ability can.

[zergling.exe]

Re 574

It is possible for you to suffer damage to specific parts of the body. The following sidebar appears on page 27 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.



Creatures with the Fast Healing special ability cannot re-grow lost body parts. Creatures with the Regenerate special ability can.

You misunderstand my question. I know how this all works, I'm asking if anything uses it. Does any fast healing entry mention that body parts can be reattached?

Should I make a thread for this question?

[Milodiah]

Q 578:

Given that a character whose hands are bound is typically considered unable to cast a spell with somatic components, is a character with no arms considered permanently unable to cast somatic spells?

[Curmudgeon]

A 577

These are ordinary English words, with their standard meanings for the game's context.

hold
- verb (used with object), held; held or (Archaic) holden; holding.

1. to have or keep in the hand; keep fast; grasp: She held the purse in her right hand. He held the child's hand in his.

wield
-verb (used with object)

2. to use (a weapon, instrument, etc.) effectively; handle or employ actively

If a weapon is in your hand(s), you're holding it. If you can attack with a weapon without taking some other action (examples: drawing it from a scabbard; adding a hand to improve your grip; or drawing ammunition) first, you're wielding it. There is overlap between these categories, but not always. A greatsword in one hand is held but not wielded until you add a second hand. A boot blade is wielded but never held.

A 578 Yes.

Absent some other capability, that is. Beholder Mages can use their eyestalks for somatic components, for example.

[erok0809]

Q579

When losing experience (this question is specifically for losing it due to Fool card in the deck of many things, but in general as well), can you lose levels if you go below the minimum required for a level? Or do you just have that much more to go before your next level up?

[Curmudgeon]

A 579 Yes.

You lose any characteristics associated with the deleted XP. That will include level gain and the class abilities, feats, and skills associated with the missing level(s). Basically if it's on the Level Advancement schedule (Player's Handbook, pages 58-59) you undo all those steps.

[weckar]

Q580 Does the Battle Jump feat also double damage from (Improved) Skirmish?

[Curmudgeon]

A 580 No.

If you hit, you can choose either to deal double damage with a melee weapon or natural attack or to attempt a trip attack.

Skirmish damage is a bonus added to damage with a melee or ranged weapon; it's not part of that weapon damage and not subject to multiplication.

[weckar]

Understood, makes sense. Also, sorry I didn't ask this immediately, but:
Q581 When you choose to make a trip attempt with Battle Jump, do you still get normal damage from the charge?

[unseenmage]

Q582
Can a humanoid with a slam natural attack who has their wrists bound in one set of manacles and their ankles bound in a second set of manacles make slam attacks?

[Curmudgeon]

A 581 No.

The trip attack is in place of the melee attack you would normally execute on a Charge. A trip attack by itself does not deal any damage.

A 582 Ask your DM.

From the Glossary definition of natural weapon:

Slap or Slam: The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.

The rules don't give any guidance about how much freedom of movement is required of the appendage in order to deliver a slam attack, so your individual DM will have to make the call.

[ShurikVch]

Q 583

Is it possible to get both Flashmorph and Multimorph (Warshaper 5)?

[Jermz]

Q 584

Upon casting a spell to summon a monster or nature's ally, what's the maximum distance that the summoned creature can move away from the caster? Is it the range of the spell, or does range only indicate how far away from the caster the creature can initially be summoned?

[Curmudgeon]

A 584

From the rules for Conjuration spells:

The creature or object must appear within the spell’s range, but it does not have to remain within the range.

There is no range limit after casting.

[HaikenEdge]

Q585

What's the price of a nonmagical scabbard without a weapon in it?

[Keldrin]

Q.586 As an example, a weapon is given the Binding enhancement. There is no saving throw in the text, as there is in many other weapon enhancements. However, the spell used, (dimensional anchor) allows a saving throw. Does the weapon's ability act as the spell, or is there no saving throw for the opponent hit?

Thanks : )

[heavyfuel]

a.586
Dimensional Anchor offers no saving throw.

As for the general question, it would depend on the language used. If the language is that the creature is affected by the spell, no saving throw is necessary because for it to affect a creature, it must have already failed its throw.

Theoretically, if the language implies that the creature is only targeted by the spell, and the item offers no saving throw DC, I don't know how this would work, but then again, I don't think there is such an item.

[Morphie]

Q 587

If I cast Unhallow and add the Dispel Magic effect to the spell, how many times should I make the dispel checks against the creatures that enter the area? Once per round or just one time? Which version should I apply - area, creature or object?

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Q588

For unusual size armors is the price based on Humanoid body shape or Humanoid creature type?

[Milodiah]

Q589:

How exactly do contingency spells appear for the various means of detecting magic? Do the RAW specify that you see there is a contingency spell, or what it is?

[No brains]

A 558
Strictly by RAW, it is the humanoid creature type, and not body shape that determines the cost of armor.

A very common house rule is that it is by body type as based on the art in the books.