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

[Curmudgeon]

A 016 No.

Lacking a game-specific definition, this defaults to ordinary dictionary definitions.

handle
-verb (used with object)

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

handle
-verb (used with object), handled, handling.

8. to touch, pick up, carry, or feel with the hand or hands; use the hands on; take hold of.

You don't pick up natural weapons with your hands. Monster Manual makes a distinction between natural weapons and wielded weapons repeatedly:

An achaierai’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as evil-aligned and lawful-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

An astral deva’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A planetar’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A solar’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as good-aligned and epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

...

[Aplostor]

Q 017

Grapple and attacks, again: let's assume I have 2 claws, 4 tentacles and improved grab (with tentacles). I hit an opponent with a tentacle and I win the grapple check (and I also decide to take the -20 penalty). On the same turn, I make all the other attacks and that's okay.

On his turn, the opponent doesn't manage to escape free from grapple. On my next turn, what can I do? I assume I cannot attack with the tentacle which is grabbing the opponent, but I should be able to attack with 2 claw and the other 3 tentacles. But how can I hurt the grappled opponent? Can I make grapple checks (in place of my iterative attacks)?

[Curmudgeon]

A 017

You've chosen the Improved Grab option to not otherwise be considered grappling the opponent, so you don't get to make grapple checks except with the grabbing tentacle. You can use the grabbing tentacle to try to damage your opponent via a grappling check (at a -20 penalty), and you can use all your other weapons to make normal attacks against anyone in reach.

Iterative attacks are only with manufactured weapons or unarmed strikes, none of which you've identified in this scenario.

[HurinTheCursed]

Q.018 For both versions of greater magic fang, when a druid under this spell wild shapes from a form to another, under which condition does he keep the enhancement bonus ?

Spoiler: Magic Fang

Show

Magic fang gives one natural weapon of the subject a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. The spell can affect a slam attack, fist, bite, or other natural weapon. (The spell does not change an unarmed strike’s damage from nonlethal damage to lethal damage.)

Spoiler: Greater magic fang

Show

This spell functions like magic fang, except that the enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls is +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5).
Alternatively, you may imbue all of the creature’s natural weapons with a +1 enhancement bonus (regardless of your caster level).

[nyjastul69]

A15 additional

It's definitely homebrew. Here is a link to the page with the item in question. It can be found through several links at the bottom left of the page.

[Curmudgeon]

A 018

None of these enhancements are transferable to another form, because they are specific to the weapons of the previous form.

Alternatively, you may imbue all of the creature’s natural weapons with a +1 enhancement bonus (regardless of your caster level).

While it applied to all of the existing natural weapons at the time of casting, all the natural weapons in the new form are different natural weapons than those enhanced in the previous form, so the previous spell effects no longer apply.

[HurinTheCursed]

Q.018 Continued Thank you. Unreliable translation means our group uses the English version of the rules but it's not always that obvious for non native speakers.

Thus if I understand correctly, if a druid that has cast greater magic fang in lion form changes to a tiger form, none of its limb will be "the same", morphing or transmuting from the previous. Instead, all natural weapons will cease to exist, even if it's at the same location, new ones will be created and all its natural weapons will be entirely new ones. The "creature’s natural weapons" is not the druid's, it's the lion's or the tiger's ?

Is the spell dormant or dispelled ? If this druid transforms back into lion form will greater magic fang work again ?

[Curmudgeon]

A 018 Continued

A Druid assumes a Lion shape, not the shape of any one specific Lion. Thus they're getting new Lion form natural weapons, not the previous Lion form's natural weapons. The only specific form the Druid can assume is their normal form. Magic Fang applied to any natural weapons the Druid has in that shape (typically just their unarmed strike) would be the only case where the spell would provide benefits after going through Wild Shape.

[Aplostor]

Q 019

I am confused about the feat Poweful Wild Shape (Races of Stone). I know how wild feats works (you expend one of your daily uses of wild shape and gain a benefit), but this is written in a strage way: it doesn't say "you can expend one of your daily uses of wild shape to gain X", but "you can expend one of your daily uses of wild shape to assume a powerfully built version of a creature you can normally wild shape into".

Does it mean that I can transform and gain the benefits of the feat with a single use of wild shape? I know that half feat is useless, but INA on all natural attacks isn't bad at all.

[Andezzar]

A 019

You need only one wild shape use to change into a creature that is considered larger and does more damage with its natural weapons.

[Thurbane]

Q 020

Are there any Magic Items or Spells that allow you to make a Knowledge Check untrained?

[WhamBamSam]

Q021 If a kobold has the Kobold Endurance feat and takes the first level of Death's Chosen, do the bonuses from Kobold Endurance increase to +8? If not, how should one parse the phrase "prerequisite for a special ability?"

Potentially relevant text:

Special
A kobold who would gain Endurance as a bonus feat can choose Kobold Endurance in its place. Kobold Endurance counts as the Endurance feat for the purpose of meeting a prerequisite for a feat, prestige class, or special ability.

Vigor of the Chosen (Ex): The physical needs of a death's chosen are greatly reduced. He needs to consume only one-tenth the normal amount of food and water each day—a few grubs and a mouthful of water make a full meal. He can subsist on a mere 2 hours of sleep each night without becoming fatigued (though spellcasters require the normal amount of rest to regain spells). He gains Endurance as a bonus feat (or, if he already has the feat, the bonuses granted by the feat increase to +8). He also gains a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves to resist disease.

[Troacctid]

A021

That's really more of a conditional than a prerequisite. It doesn't count. You just gain Endurance. On the upside, it stacks with Kobold Endurance.

[St Fan]

Q 022
Is there an official errata for the Complete Psionics?

Notably, the Ardent's list of skills mention "Knowledge" without specifying which one skill it concern. Is it all Knowledge skills (which I doubt)?

[Andezzar]

A 22

I don't think so. AFAIK this is the entirety of errata for 3.5 books.

[heavyfuel]

Q 23

What counts as a "Special Attack" for the "Ability Focus" feat?

Add +2 to the DC for all saving throws against the special attack on which the creature focuses.

Does a feat the creature have (say, Boomerang Daze) counts?

Q 24

Is a mount a valid target for the ricochet from Boomerang Ricochet if your original target is the rider? I don't think so since it's not adjacent to the him, but still...

Also, would the answer change if the mount were particularly enormous and occupied many squares?

[Curmudgeon]

A 023

That requires an attack, with use of the word "special" somewhere in the attack description. You can assemble the combination of "attack" and "special" from all relevant sources. For instance, an attack which necessarily uses any of the list of Special Abilities would qualify for the feat. An attack which is found under the Special column of a class listing would also qualify. Or if you're playing a monstrous character, anything found in its Special Attacks entry.

Most feats would not count. For instance, Boomerang Daze does not describe its attacks as special.

A 024 No.

For simplicity, assume that you share your mount’s space during combat.

Regardless of the size of the mount, the rider is always sharing the mount's space rather than adjacent to it.

[Aplostor]

Q 025

I am confused about the serpent's coils Nature's Warrior class feature. It says "does damage equal to 1d8 + her Strength bonus after winning an opposed grapple check". I have always read this like "you gain constrict", but the text is quite different.

The question is: with serpent's coils, can I inflict 1d8 + Str damage everytime I win an opposed grapple check? Even when my opponent tries an opposed grapple check to break free?

[heavyfuel]

A 024 No.

Regardless of the size of the mount, the rider is always sharing the mount's space rather than adjacent to it.

Q 24 - Clarification Request

The language for Boomerang Ricochet doesn't say they have to be on adjacent squares or spaces, just that they have to be adjacent. Is "adjacent", by itself, ever defined in the rules? From the 3 dictionaries definitions I've checked (Cambridge, Google, and dictionary.com) it seems the mount would qualify.

1.next to or adjoining something else.

very near, or with nothing in between

lying near, close, or contiguous; adjoining; neighboring

being in contact at some point or line; located next to another; bordering; contiguous:

In reality it seems to me that this falls under "Ask your DM" and see which dictionary definition of the word adjacent he intends to use.

[Andezzar]

A 24

Various dictionaries are not the primary source for adjacent. The PHB, or more specifically the glossary is.

[alpha_dk]

Q26:
Forge Ring has a prerequisite of Caster level 12th. Various rings you can forge have CL prereqs lower than that. (c.f. ring of animal friendship, prereq CL3). Why?

Similarly, there is talk in the book about getting rid of a prereq by increasing the DC of the check. I don't see anything about check DCs in, say, Create Wondrous Item. Does that mean the check DC would be 5 to do it without a prereq?

Really, what's happening is I have some pretty basic questions about crafting and prereqs and am getting conflicting info out there on the internets. For every thread I can find saying this: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...s-Caster-Level , I can find another that says the CL is part of the prerequisites.

[Andezzar]

A 26

I have never heard about in increase in a crafting DC to remove the prerequisites. For the item crafting feats there are no skill checks and thus no DCs. You merely need the feat, time and money and the prerequisites if applicable.

The CL mentioned in the description of all magic items has nothing to do with creating that item but it is a measure of the power of the item itself:

The next item in a notational entry gives the caster level of the item, indicating its relative power. The caster level determines the item’s saving throw bonus, as well as range or other level-dependent aspects of the powers of the item (if variable). It also determines the level that must be contended with should the item come under the effect of a dispel magic spell or similar situation. This information is given in the form "CL x," where "CL" is an abbreviation for caster level and "x" is an ordinal number representing the caster level itself.

The item's caster level can be increased to make the item more powerful, but then you are in custom magic item territory and the cost and prerequisites are up to the DM.

Only a few items list a minimum caster level as part of the item's prerequisites. Then and only then is a CL beyond that for obtaining the relevant item creation feat required. E.g.

Scarab, Golembane

This beetle-shaped pin enables its wearer to detect any golem within 60 feet, although he must concentrate (a standard action) in order for the detection to take place. A scarab enables its possessor to combat golems with weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons as if those golems had no damage reduction.

Moderate divination; CL 8th¹; Craft Wondrous Item, detect magic, creator must be at least 10th level²; Price 2,500 gp.

¹ this is the caster level of the item.
²This is the miminum caster level of the creator.

[The Underlord]

Q27
Does a creature that acquires a template that changes its type still qualify for feats and PrCs based off it's previous race?

[Curmudgeon]

A 027 Usually, yes.

In D&D type, subtype, and race are three distinct categories. A change to one category usually does nothing to the other categories. (Explicit exceptions to this general rule will be explicit. )

[unseenmage]

Q28

Is there a face slot item printed somewhere that grants Darkvision and makes the wearer blinded by sunlight?

[Theodred theOld]

Q28Can someone please explain how iterative attacks work with improved/greater TWF?

[Andezzar]

A 28

You get one attack at -5 (ITWF) and one attack at -10 (GTWF). These penalties are in addition to the penalties you already get for fighting with two weapons. So it is -4 (main hand), -4 (off-hand), -9 (main hand), -9(off-hand) or -2 (main hand), -2 (off-hand), -7 (main hand), -7 (off-hand) with a light weapon in the off-hand

[Heliomance]

Q 29

What happens if you combine Ancestral Daisho from the Oriental Andventures Samurai class and Ancestral Relic from BoED? Can I for example use Ancestral Daisho table (pg. 21 in OA) for wakizashi and Ancestral Relic to improve katana? What happens if I want to combine both of them on single weapon?

[Andezzar]

A 29

There is no OA Samurai in 3.5. The class in CW has the exact same name and so overwrites the Samurai from OA. If there were such a class you would only need to abide by the restrictions of one ability if you used each ability on one weapon. If however you used both abilities on one weapon, you would be bound by both restrictions.

[Metahuman1]

Q 30 Cause thread title.

How does The southern Magician feat allow a caster to gain early entry into Mystic Thurge precisely?