Simple RAW Thread for 3.5: 30. Really? 30?

[AmberVael]

A266

Nothing happens when Spheres of Annihilation touch.

A sphere of annihilation is a globe of absolute blackness, a ball of nothingness 2 feet in diameter. The object is actually a hole in the continuity of the multiverse.

Any matter that comes in contact with a sphere is instantly sucked into the void, gone, and utterly destroyed.

A sphere of annihilation just destroys stuff. A sphere of annihilation is not stuff though. Therefore, a sphere of annihilation does not destroy a sphere of annihilation, or do anything else to it really.

[Oberon Kenobi]

Q 268

Is there an official market price for bubblegum?

[Telonius]

Q 268

Is there an official market price for bubblegum?

A 268 No.

Also, PCs are assumed to always be out of bubblegum.


... and, now I feel sad. And slightly concerned that this forum has somehow turned into a Death Note.

[Andezzar]

Also, PCs are assumed to always be out of bubblegum.

And duct tape sovereign glue to attach a flashlight an everburning torch to their pistols crossbows.

[Telonius]

Q 269 In the Umbral Disciple prestige class from Magic of Incarnum, the "Embrace of Shadow" ability is listed as (Su); but the "Hide in Plain Sight" clause refers to the Ranger ability, which is (Ex). Would this sort of Hide in Plain Sight be (Ex) or (Su)? Would True Seeing foil it?

[Telonius]

Q 270 Does Craven's bonus damage apply to racial hit dice, or only class levels?

[Curmudgeon]

A 270

Craven grants bonus sneak attack damage. Damage applies to hit points generally, whether those hit points are derived from class HD or racial HD.

[Telonius]

A 270

Craven grants bonus sneak attack damage. Damage applies to hit points generally, whether those hit points are derived from class HD or racial HD.

Clarifying a bit - the situation is that a character with racial hit dice and sneak attack has taken the Craven feat. Does the bonus to their sneak attack damage include the number of racial hit dice, or just the number of class levels?

[Curmudgeon]

A 270 (updated)

Character level is a character's total actual level, and is the sum of all HD from all sources. Your Craven bonus would be equal to your HD. It excludes Level Adjustment, which is only a component of effective (not actual) character level.

[ahenobarbi]

Q 271 I saw people claiming that raven familias can speak but I can't find any reason they would. Do they (citations very welcome)?

[KillianHawkeye]

A 271

Yes. It even says so in the Player's Handbook.

A raven familiar can speak one language of its master’s choice as a supernatural ability.

[AmberVael]

Q 269 In the Umbral Disciple prestige class from Magic of Incarnum, the "Embrace of Shadow" ability is listed as (Su); but the "Hide in Plain Sight" clause refers to the Ranger ability, which is (Ex). Would this sort of Hide in Plain Sight be (Ex) or (Su)? Would True Seeing foil it?

A 269

Embrace of Shadow is an (Su) ability, therefore its functions are (Su) unless otherwise stated. While it refers to the (Ex) ranger feature, it does not use it in its exact form.

True Seeing does not foil Embrace of Shadow in any manner. True Seeing "does not negate concealment," and while it counters blur and displacement effects, Embrace of Shadow is neither of those things (nor is it described in a similar manner). What is more, even if True Seeing saw through the miss chance of Embrace of Shadow, enemies do not need to be subject to that miss chance in order for your hide in plain sight capability to work, you only need to possess it. And finally, the hide in plain sight function of Embrace of Shadow merely improves your ability to hide, and True Seeing offers no direct benefit in noticing creatures that are hiding.

[LentilNinja]

Q 272

Can I do Craft (Alchemy) if I have zero ranks in it?

[AmberVael]

Q 270

Can I do Craft (Alchemy) if I have zero ranks in it?

A 272

Your question numbering is wrong. You should be 272.

Craft is not a Trained Only skill, so you can use it without ranks. Though its worth noting that Craft (Alchemy) in particular requires you to be a spellcaster.

[Metahuman1]

Q 273: What is the cheapest and easiest way to get a cleric 1 additional casting progression level to make up for a loss of casting progression from a 1 level dip?

[Jormengand]

Q274 Is the reach of a nonsmall nonmedium creature with a whip still 15 feet? I can't find any language in the reach weapons, whip or big and little creatures in combat sections that contradicts this.

[Troacctid]

A 273

Gain enough XP to take an additional level of Cleric.

[Metahuman1]

A 273

Gain enough XP to take an additional level of Cleric.

Q 273 Addendum: What is the answer to the original question, assuming that you want to have 20 character levels, an 20 caster levels in cleric, by the end of the game, at level 20?

[Jormengand]

A 273 Cont'd: The point being that even WotC weren't silly enough to let you make up for lost caster levels fully, so to do so, you would have to get every benefit individually. Practiced spellcaster (CD) and pearls of power (SRD) seem to be the way to go here.

[heavyfuel]

A 274

Yes. It's a RAW dysfunction in the sense that the whip doesn't add to the users reach, but sets it to 15ft.

However, there is at least on example in the rules of a whip that doesn't have the set 15ft range: The Balor and its 20ft reach +1 flaming whip. With reach of 5 ft, the whip sets it to 15ft (adding 10ft), and the Balor - with its 10ft reach - has a whip that sets it to 20ft (also adding 10ft).

The whip still doesn't add 10ft to reach, because of the Primary Source errata, but it presents a better-than-nothing argument if you choose to debate this with your DM.

[marphod]

A 273 Addendum:

There are no ways, RAW, to get back caster levels lost due to Racial Hit Dice or Classes that do not progress spellcasting.

There are a number of ways to get the Caster Level back that you lost, from the Practices Spellcaster feat, Pearls of Power, Orange Ioun Stones, and classes that give greater-than-1-for-1 bonuses to caster level.

There is no direct way to get the spell access back. If you have enough non-casting levels that you do not get 9th level spells, you don't get 9th level spells short of some Theoretical Optimizations that are slightly broken. If you get 9th level spells, but are short some slots, you can (sort of) make up for it by getting a higher casting attribute. A 28-29 Wisdom (or whatever your casting attribute may be) has an extra 9th and 8th level slot vis-a-vis a a 25 or less. That increases every 8 points.

This doesn't help classes which have a limited number of spells known from a larger list, although you can fake that with Spellstaves and other magic items that give additional spell knowledge.

[Brova]

Q 275 How are the uses per day of a Prestige Bard's bardic music determined? I assume it's equal to the Prestige Bard's class level, but the Prestige Bard's ability says "as the standard Bard ability of the same name", and that ability refers to specifically Bard levels.

[Curmudgeon]

A 275

If Prestige Bard is available in the game, regular Bard is not. Thus, "As the standard bard ability" simply refers you to the existing description. Because there are no Bard levels possible, the levels are necessarily Prestige Bard levels instead.

[Dmdork]

Q276

Spiritual totem bear gives you improved grab, can you do that with a two handed weapon like an axe, like attack and then grab?

[Andezzar]

A 276

Yes, it seems that way.

If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.

The other parts of the text however imply that the grab should be initiated with a natural weapon.

[Lateral]

Q 277

Is a swarm's Swarm attack a natural weapon?

[Curmudgeon]

A 277 No.

Swarm Attack
Creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks.

Natural attacks are standard melee attacks. A Swarm Attack may be made using many natural weapons, but it is not a natural weapon itself.

[Andezzar]

Q 278

The DMG has rules that make magic item unusable unless a user has a certain skill, alignment or class for a discount. Is there somewhere a restriction based on race or type or subtype for a similar discount?

[Chronos]

Re: 278

First of all, those aren't rules; they're guidelines. The only rule is "a magic item costs what the DM thinks it ought to cost".

That said, though, I'm not sure if there are any guidelines for reduced cost based on race.

[Andezzar]

Q 279

I seem to remember that you could buy either mithral or items made from mithral or both cheaper in Mithral Hall, but I can't find that rule anymore. Where is it?

Are there any similar rules for other locations (it does not matter which game world) with an abundance of certain materials?