Simple RAW Thread for 3.5: Score and Nine

[Sian]

Q160:

If i get the ability to add another Ability modifier to a skill (such as Cloud Anchorite, which adds Wisdom to Balance, Climb and Jump), would i then also be able to add bonuses gained for that kind of ability check (Marshal with Motivate Wisdom in the previous case) for those Skill points, leaving it being Ranks + WisMod + DexMod + WisCheckBonus + DexCheckBonus + Misc?

[HaikenEdge]

A160

No. In that case, Balance is still a Dexterity-based skill check, while Climb and Jump are still Strength-based skill checks; the Cloud Anchorite ability doesn't make those skills into Wisdom-based skill checks, so Motivate Wisdom wouldn't affect them.

[Sian]

Q160 continued:

The reason for my question is the counterargument that they would become simutaneously Dex and Wis Skill checks, hence get bonuses from both.

[Bronk]

A 153 addendum:

There are some creatures whose casting is explicitly tied to their hit dice. A sylph, for instance, casts spells as a sorcerer of level four greater than her HD, and so advancing a sylph by RHD will advance her innate casting. Most of them, however, just have a set level.

Spell Weavers as well... RHD +2

[Andezzar]

Q160 continued:

The reason for my question is the counterargument that they would become simutaneously Dex and Wis Skill checks, hence get bonuses from both.

No, Cloud Anchorite, or more specifically the Wisdom of the Mountain ability, does not make the aforementioned skills WIS based. It merely adds an untyped bonus to skill checks with those skills. The value of that bonus happens to be equal to the WIS modifier of the character. That is unrelated to which attribute a skill is based on.

Motivate Wisdom only works with WIS checks and WIS based skill checks (i.e. checks for WIS based skills).

[Oneris]

Q161
How do hitpoints transfer over in Polymorph? If I was a human with 15/20 hit points and I polymorphed into something with 12 max hp, do I have 8/12 hp because it retains the ratio, or 12(15)/12?

Q162
If you Polymorph a Warforged into a non-construct form, does he regain the lost hitpoints as if he has rested for a night as the polymorphed form, or does the fact that Warforged don't have natural healing preclude that?

[Andezzar]

A 161

It's neither:

This spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature.
[...]
Upon changing, the subject regains lost hit points as if it had rested for a night (though this healing does not restore temporary ability damage and provide other benefits of resting; and changing back does not heal the subject further). If slain, the subject reverts to its original form, though it remains dead.

The subject gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

You retain your own ability scores. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same.

The Hit Points of the new creature are irrelevant, but you do get new bonus hit points based on your new CON modifier. Regardless of the Hit Dice of the creature your form now resembles, you still have the number of HD you usually have.

A 162

The warforged regains hit points as if it had rested. Resting warforged regain 0 hit points.

[YossarianLives]

Q163
Is XP gained from an encounter split among every character or is the amount of XP given to every character?

[Khedrac]

A 161 correction

but you do get new bonus hit points based on your new CON modifier.

This is wrong (even though it is what the SRD says). The new rules on Polymorph as found in PHB2 are very specific that you do not change hit points when changing form.

This does lead to the complex question of ability damage, which is why many DMs prefer the old rules where you used the new Con modifier.

So your hp will remain 15/20.

[Andezzar]

Q 164

According to the Primary Source Rule, can the rules from the Polymorph Subschool (PHB 2) overwrite the rules for Alter Self/Polymoprph/Shapechange from the PHB?

[Duke of Urrel]

Q 164

According to the Primary Source Rule, can the rules from the Polymorph Subschool (PHB 2) overwrite the rules for Alter Self/Polymoprph/Shapechange from the PHB?

A 164

I would say no, for two reasons.

Firstly, as far as I know, the last printing of the Player's Handbook II was 2006. But there was a late printing of the Player's Handbook in 2008. This printing actually includes, on page 320, a supplemental section with the title "POLYMORPH SUBSCHOOL."

Secondly, the rules for the Polymorph subschool include the following (quoted from page 320 in the Player's Handbook in front of me):

Polymorph Subschool and Preexisting Spells: Any spell based on either alter self or polymorph should be considered to have the polymorph subschool. However, a spell's existing rules text takes priority over that of the subschool.

[kkplx]

Q 165

Does a tiny swarm take full damage or no damage from bludgeoning weapons?

[kkplx]

Q 166

If I cast an immediate action spell while concentrating, do I lose the spell I was concentrating on?

[Andezzar]

A 166

Does not apply. It is impossible to cast a spell while concentrating on another spell:

You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Sometimes a spell lasts for a short time after you cease concentrating.

[Dmdork]

Q167 if a vampire critically hits you w/his slam attack, are the negative levels doubled? And can I get an answer to Q158?

[Andezzar]

A 158

N/A

you can’t cause a subject to assume a form smaller than fine, nor can you cause a subject to assume an incorporeal or gaseous form.

A 167

Yes:

if an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the given amount.

[Dmdork]

Q168when damaging an object like a door, can you use power attack?

[Dmdork]

A158ok, no to polymorph, how a out shape change?

[Andezzar]

A 158

There is no miss chance if two incorporeal creatures attack each other.

A 168

Yes.

[Curmudgeon]

A 164

No, the Polymorph Subschool doesn't change any aspect of the existing Polymorph spell. However, that's not what's going on in this case. Here's what Player's Handbook II says (page 95):

Unless stated otherwise in the spell’s description, the target of a polymorph spell takes on all the statistics and special abilities of an average member of the new form in place of its own except as follows: ...
• The target retains its own hit points.

Note it says "a polymorph spell", not "a spell of the polymorph subschool". This is in full agreement with the existing spell text from Player's Handbook.

This spell functions like alter self, except that you change the willing subject into another form of living creature.

Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same.

So no changes in the RAW are at issue; it's just a clarification.

A 168 Yes.

You still have to overcome the door's AC if you're making regular attacks, and Power Attack adjustments remain in place for the round.

[Andezzar]

So no changes in the RAW are at issue; it's just a clarification.

Are those the current or maximum hit points or both? What about indirect HP changes due to changed CON?

[Curmudgeon]

Are those the current or maximum hit points or both? What about indirect HP changes due to changed CON?

There are no qualifiers to that statement, so it would be both. CON changes after the spell would follow the normal rules, as per page 290 of Dungeon Master's Guide:

If a character’s Constitution score drops, then he loses 1 hit point per Hit Die for every point by which his Constitution modifier drops.

[Dmdork]

A168 how do you miss a door? Well I guess with a 1. But I thought there was talk about automatically hitting the door, which means no attack roll, and therefore no power attack.

[Andezzar]

There are no qualifiers to that statement, so it would be both. CON changes after the spell would follow the normal rules, as per page 290 of Dungeon Master's Guide:

I meant the CON change from choosing a form with a higher CON than the subject. Polymorph explicitly gives the CON of the new form. The bonus hit points are a feature of that ability score.

A 168

Armor Class

Objects are easier to hit than creatures because they usually don’t move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. An object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier + its Dexterity modifier. An inanimate object has not only a Dexterity of 0 (-5 penalty to AC), but also an additional -2 penalty to its AC. Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.

All modifiers from power attack apply until the next turn.

The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

So you get the damage bonus even if there is no attack roll.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 164

I meant the CON change from choosing a form with a higher CON than the subject. Polymorph explicitly gives the CON of the new form. The bonus hit points are a feature of that ability score.

The highlighted statement is correct in the context of normal character ability scores, but explicitly excluded from consideration by the language of Polymorph/Alter Self.

Re: A 168

how do you miss a door?

Armor Class

Objects are easier to hit than creatures because they usually don’t move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. An object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier + its Dexterity modifier.

With a Dexterity of 0 (-5 modifier), most doors (Medium size objects) are easy to hit. A door on a dollhouse would have a +8 size modifier, though. As for automatic hits:

Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.

You either roll the dice for iterative attacks, or take a full-round action for one guaranteed hit with no roll. If you've already opted to use Power Attack its adjustments to attack and damage rolls, if any, would apply normally.

[Dmdork]

A168

All modifiers from power attack apply until the next turn.
So you get the damage bonus even if there is no attack roll.

That being said, can you do a coup de grace using power attack?

[justiceforall]

Q169

A Is there any way for a ghost to gain multiple attacks per round with its corrupting touch or draining touch?
B Is there any way for a ghost to increase the damage for corrupting touch or draining touch?

Q170

Is a Serene Guardian's (prestige class) damage from Damaging Release (Su) subject to Damage Reduction?

Wording of the ability:

As a swift action, you can release the resonance you have created within a target to deal that foe 1d6 points of damage per point of resonance released.

[Andezzar]

A 168

Yes.

A 170

No. Damage reduction only applies to damage from manufactured and natural weapons. Damaging Release is a Supernatural Ability.

A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities.

[KillianHawkeye]

Q 171

Are there rules anywhere for using a wooden stake on a vampire during combat (Buffy the Vampire Slayer style) rather than when it's helpless in its coffin? Libris Mortis discusses the ramifications of using the wooden stake, but only in a post hoc "what to do next" sort of way as far as I can see.

[Thurbane]

Q 172

Are there any prestige classes that have a breath weapon as part of their prereqs?