Simple RAW Thread for 3.5: Score and Nine

[LibraryOgre]

(This is a fairly high procedure thread; please read the entire instructions carefully before posting. Thanks.)

Ever have a simple, straight-forward rules question that you can’t figure out the answer to? Ask it here. No question is too simple. No more worrying about whether your question is “worth” starting a thread. Ask here and receive an answer. You are, of course, welcome to start a thread for your question, and if you think your question is subject to many interpretations or will start a debate, you are encouraged to start a new thread for it.

This thread will serve as a catch-all for simple, discreet questions that can be answered quickly according to the RAW (Rules As Written). This thread is for all simple RAW questions about D&D 3.5. If your question is not about the RAW for 3.5, please look in the appropriate threads in the appropriate forums.


The Procedure:

Do:
Label your questions with bold Q#s.
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Dispute Resolution Procedure:
If you dispute someone’s answer – meaning that they got it wrong in a critical fashion – post your answer and suggest that the original questioner start a thread to discuss it further if they want it hashed out.
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Here are some sample questions. “Bad” questions just mean they should be asked in their own thread where you can get many answers and opinions. “Good” questions just mean that these are the types of questions that are amenable to a quick straightforward answer (probably).

Sample “Bad” Questions:
How do I play D&D? (Great question, but not for this thread.)
What is a good 10 level TWF build? (Far too broad and requires much opinion)
What +2 LA race should I take for my sorcerer build? (Again, an opinion question)
Which is better GURPS or D&D?

Sample “Good” Questions:
Q.1. Are there any Large +0 LA races?
Q.2. As a sorcerer/rogue, do I get to add sneak attack damage to my attack spells?
Q.3. What effect would Dispel Magic have on a golem or similar construct?
Q.4. Is there a feat that allows me to get a familiar?

Please start over with the numbering. When this one reached 50 pages, please report it so that we can start a new one. Thanks.

[Xaroth]

Q 1

Which classes, not including variants, have an unarmored bonus to AC based on a stat, not including the Monk and Battle Dancer? i.e. Battle Dancer gets CHA to AC

[Sian]

A1:

Swordsage (although this is explicitly allowed while wearing light armor), Ninja and Mystic Wanderer (Divine prestige class in Magic of Faerun) springs to mind, quite certain there is at least a handful more

[Curmudgeon]

A 001 correction + query + additional answers

Swordsage AC Bonus is listed for light armor only, not light armor or no armor.

There are many classes which have a bonus to AC regardless of their armor or lack thereof (example: Deepwarden). I'm guessing that's not what you're looking for, so I won't provide further answers of that type unless requested.

Enlightened Fist (Complete Arcane, pages 34-36) has an AC Bonus class feature (if not already acquired via Monk levels). Tattooed Monk (Complete Warrior, pages 82-85) levels stack with Monk levels to determine AC Bonus; it's not clear if that has any meaning with no Monk levels. Shadow Sun Ninja (Tome of Battle, pages 126-130) adds to their Monk levels, or replicates the Monk ability with no Monk levels, for AC Bonus.

[ninjamaster1991]

Q 2
What restrictions does Disease Form give on a Cancer Mage's actions?
Yes, I know I asked this last thread, but I didn't see an answer.

[StoneCipher]

Q3

A necropolitan dies when it reaches 0, correct? I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing any form of RAW that states it operates differently from a normal undead creature in terms of death.

Thanks,

[Curmudgeon]

A 003 Correct.

A Necropolitan creature gains the Undead type. That type's traits include the following:

• Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed.

[AugustNights]

Q4

When a creature takes a few levels of paladin or cleric of a particular alignment, how do their Hit Dice interact to determine their aura ala Detect [alignment ] spells?

[No brains]

Q 5
What is the closest thing to a chainsaw I can find in 3.X, both in terms of function and flavor?

[Curmudgeon]

A 004

Detect Good and similar spells use different metrics. Good creatures have aura strengths based on their total HD, whereas Clerics, Paladins, and similar classes have aura strengths based on their levels in those classes. There are some classes which stack their levels to determine total aura strength (example: Divine Crusader stacks with Cleric, Paladin, and other classes which generate alignment auras). If a character has multiple aura components of the same type, the aura strength is equal to the greatest single aura component. Aura components of different types have no interaction.

[DarkSonic1337]

Q6 Can you Wish for a Blessed Book with spells already scribed in it? (while staying within the normally safe uses of wish)? If so, how do you calculate the XP cost?

[weckar]

Q7 (Repost from last thread) What does a warforged lose from going dragonborn?

[Curmudgeon]

A 006 Ask your DM.

Other than writing each page yourself as per the normal rules, there is no mechanism to create spellbook pages in a form specific to your own magical notation. Any Wish to produce an effect greater than those items listed in the spell description must be adjudicated by your individual DM, with danger guaranteed per the spell text.

A 007 N/A.

This can't work by RAW, because the Dragonborn text specifies two things:

• The result of the transformation is a Humanoid. From Races of the Dragon, page 8:

  Dragonborn are humanoids with the dragonblood subtype and any other subtypes they had before undergoing the Rite of Rebirth.

• The creature's type does not change. From Races of the Dragon, page 10:

  Type, Subtype, and Race: You retain your original type and subtypes, gaining the dragonblood subtype.

I believe the only way to resolve this is to restrict the transformation: only Humanoids can survive the Rite of Rebirth to become Dragonborn. D&D has no mechanism AFAIK for a creature to have multiple types (no way to resolve the differences in multiple type specifications).

This accords with the introduction ("fluff") in the Dragonborn of Bahamut chapter (Races of the Dragon, page 5):

The Platinum Dragon foreswore breeding creatures to oppose Tiamat’s spawn, instead accepting humanoid volunteers to his righteous cause.
...
Those willing to give themselves into Bahamut’s care and act as his emissaries in the mortal realms become his daughters and sons. Such humanoids give up all their former racial identity and are born anew. They become dragonborn.

[kkplx]

Q 008

Can you scribe a psionic tattoo with a power that has more PP invested into it, similar to how you could create a higher CL potion? If yes, how do you calculate cost and what limits do apply?
(If I'm not mistaken, the item creation guidelines already handle ML level increases (base price = PL*ML*50), but are silent on PP increases as far as I could find out)

Q 008 example A:
Could you create a Tattoo of Expansion with a total of 7 PP invested, that increases the user's size by 2 categories, and what would be its price?

Q 008 example B:
Could you create a Tattoo of Vigor with a total of 5 PP invested, that gives the user 25 temp HP, and what would be its price?

[DarkSonic1337]

Q 009


Can you wish for a normal spellbook filled with spells as per the "Create a nonmagical item of up to 25,000 gp in value" use of wish? As far as I know spellbooks are nonmagical and a filled spellbook is worth 5,000gp.

[Curmudgeon]

A 009 Yes.

Your figure is off (it's worth 5,000 gp to sell a full spellbook at half price, meaning it's 10,000 gp to purchase one), but that's within the price limits of the spell.

[AlanBruce]

Q. 10

The veils cast by an IotSFV, are they subject to SR? That means, would the caster have to roll vs. SR if she casts a veil on an opponent with SR to determine if they are affected?

[JDL]

A 10: Yes.

Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil gains the Warding (Sp) ability at 1st level. This is a Spell-Like ability. Spell Resistance applies to Spell-Like abilities unless otherwise noted, and there is no note of the Warding ability being immune to Spell Resistance.

Note that the theme of the Warding ability matches closely with the Prismatic Wall spell, which is also subject to Spell Resistance.

[weso12]

Q11 I was looking through that players handbook and I noticed this wording in the noticed the odd wording at the end of the description feat Armor Proficiency (Light): "All characters except wizards, sorcerers, and monks automatically have Armor Proficiency (light) as a bonus feat. They need not select it."

Since the players handbook is viewed as the primary source for character creation does that mean that all character's that aren't wizards, sorcerers, monks are proficient Light Armor, even if their class description says otherwise (Commoners, Adepts, Wu Jen, etc.) are technically proficient with Light Armor?

Granted even if it RAW, it's no way RAI (on the level of monks not being proficient with unarmed strike), and that no DM would ever let that past.

[Talar]

Q12 If I apply the metamagic feat, Invisible Spell out of Cityscape, to the spell Legion of Sentinels out of Players Handbook 2, do the sentinels gain the bonus to attack as per the rules for invisible creatures? And as an extension would they then become visible after they attacked?

[JDL]

Q 13

A level 1 Fighter with the Two Weapon Fighting feat is wielding a Greataxe and wearing a Breastplate with Armor Spikes.

If the Fighter makes a primary attack with a Greataxe as a two-handed weapon with the appropriate strength bonuses applied to damage for wielding it in two hands, can he still take a -2 on the attack roll and make a second attack with his Armor Spikes?

[Andezzar]

A 13

To get the extra attack he must follow all the rules for TWF. I.e. he must take a -2 penalty on the greatsword attack. Then he gets +1.5*STR to the damage of that attack, and +0.5*STR to the attack with the armor spikes

[Curmudgeon]

A 011 Yes.

Your assessment is correct, though it's probably of little impact. Wu Jen would have Armor Proficiency (Light) as a bonus feat. However, there's also this statement from their class description:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wu jen are proficient with all simple weapons. They are not proficient with any type of armor or shield.

So while they've got the bonus feat, they are specifically disallowed the feat's benefit. This then becomes a contention regarding order of application which you would need to take up with your individual DM to establish which rule "wins" in their game.

A 012 No.

The Sentinels would be invisible as per Invisible Spell, and normally would gain the associated attack modifier. However, Legion of Sentinels specifies the total AB used by these swordsmen:

The swordsmen’s attacks are at a bonus equal to your caster level, they threaten critical hits on a 19 or 20, and they deal 1d8 points of slashing damage with a +1 bonus per three caster levels (max +5).

(If the spell text had specified base attack bonus then other modifiers to AB would apply.) Opponents are denied their DEX bonus to AC, as usual for invisible attackers.

[Andezzar]

Q 14 Concerning A 12

If attack bonus always is the totality of modifiers to the D20 roll, wouldn't that mean that a cleave, that follows an attack with True Strike on a flanked opponent, would also get those normally conditional modifiers (i.e. D20+BAB+STR mod+20+2+other mods) even if though the spell should not modify the second attack and the second target is not flanked?

[Curmudgeon]

A 014

Yes, that's correct. The FAQ says "bonus" should be read as "base attack bonus" in Cleave, but I find no rules support for this alteration. Taking the feat as written is not sensible, but it is RAW.

[kkplx]

Q 015

Can you target a flying enemy with a (concentrated) volley of arrows? Heroes of Battle page 69.

[Curmudgeon]

A 015 Yes.

Assuming the archers can see the creature's cube in the air to target it, it's within their bow's range, and their leader can hit AC 20 with range and other adjustments, then yes.

[AvatarVecna]

Q16

A Hulking Hurler with the Hurling Charge feat charges towards their enemy and hurls a giant rock at them. This giant rock has somehow become enchanted as a weapon, specifically with the Valorous weapon enchantment. Does this hurled rock deal double its normal weight-based damage?

[Belkarseviltwin]

A 16I don't know how the rock would get enchanted, but otherwise Yes. Hurling Charge counts as a charge for the purpose of triggering a valorous weapon enhancement, as the attack "gains the bonus of a charge" and is part of the charge action.

So ignoring the hulking hurler for the moment, someone using Hurling Charge with a Valorous Throwing Axe deals double damage.

Now, how you get a +1 Valorous Boulder is another question...

[Curmudgeon]

A 016 Ask your DM.

"This giant rock has somehow become enchanted as a weapon" takes this question out of the realm of Simple RAW answers and will have to be adjudicated by the DM whose game includes such custom weaponry. Large rocks work off the improvised damage table (Complete Warrior, page 159). Because improvised weapons cannot be created with masterwork qualities they cannot have weapon enhancements. Since your question involves a scenario that's impossible by RAW, only the DM who changed the rules can produce an answer that accords with those non-standard rules.