Simple RAW thread for 3.5 #31. By now, your question has probably been answered.

[Tryxx]

Q 59

Redacted.

[Xervous]

Q 60

As quoted from the PHB

20 + spell level:: Identify a spell that’s already in place and in effect. You must be able to see or detect the effects of the
spell. No action required. No retry.

What exactly qualifies as seeing or detecting the effects of the spell? Specifically, is the aura you see with detect magic an effect of the observed spell?

To further elaborate in hopes of a more detailed or clear answer... For spells whose effects are totally non-visible (various buff spells), is the spell's aura an effect of the spell or not? Sources would be greatly appreciated to help settle a dispute.

[Andezzar]

A 60

Yes. If the spell has a visible or otherwise observable effect (summon monster, magic mouth, stinking cloud etc.) detect magic is unnecessary.

[ragnar]

Q 61

does it take a full round to use spring attack or does the sequence move/attack/move count as a standard action when using this feat ?

[Andezzar]

A 61

Neither. The use of the feat does not cost any action, but it merely allows you to make the standard action attack during your move action.

When using the attack action with a melee weapon, you can move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed.

[Curmudgeon]

A 061 Additional info.

The new Premium Player's Handbook has a clarification (bolding added):

When using the attack action with a melee weapon, you can split your move action in that round in order to move both before and after the attack, provided that your total distance moved is not greater than your speed.

[Chronos]

A 51:

Unclear. It's debatable whether the globe moving to overlap the spell is considered the same as the spell moving to overlap the globe. If it is considered the same, then the spell would be suppressed...

Unless the spell effect is a creature, as with Summon Monster I. In that case, the rules are clear: From the general rules for abjurations:

If an abjuration creates a barrier that keeps certain types of creatures at bay, that barrier cannot be used to push away those creatures. If you force the barrier against such a creature, you feel a discernible pressure against the barrier. If you continue to apply pressure, you end the spell.

Hence, a solar moving its Protective Aura against a low-level summoned monster will end the Protective Aura.

[St Fan]

Q 062

About the Bloodlines Variant Race rules: it is specified a Bloodline level grants no increase in skill points, and has no class skills, although it does raise the level for determining maximum skill ranks.

What about a human character (or one with the Nymph's Kiss exalted feat) who gains 1 bonus skill point by level? Would he still gain the skill point for a bloodline level? (To put in a cross-class skill, or in a skill that's always a class skill thanks to a feat or class feature...)

[Wacky89]

Q 63:
the Deadly Hunter alternative class feature to druids from UA
At which level do you get each of the abilities gained?
I assume you gain the abilities at the same level as ranger/monk?

[Sgt. Cookie]

Q 64: Does Animate Dead's "can’t create more HD of undead than twice your caster level with a single casting of animate dead" apply before or after a Zombie's doubling of Hit-Dice?

[Chronos]

A 64:

The limit applies to HD of undead, not to the HD of the creatures used to produce the undead. Thus, it applies after the doubling.

[Curmudgeon]

A 062 No.

A bloodline level grants no increase in base attack bonus or base save bonuses, no hit points or skill points, and no class features.

It doesn't say the bloodline level grants no base skill points; it says it grants no skill points.

A 063

Gain: Bonus to Armor Class when unarmored (as monk, including Wisdom bonus to AC), fast movement (as monk), favored enemy (as ranger), swift tracker (as ranger), Track feat (as ranger).

AC Bonus (Ex): When unarmored and unencumbered, the monk adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her AC. In addition, a monk gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level. This bonus increases by 1 for every five monk levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level).

Fast Movement (Ex): At 3rd level, a monk gains an enhancement bonus to her speed, as shown on Table: The Monk. A monk in armor or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger may select a type of creature from among those given on Table: Ranger Favored Enemies. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2.

Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.

Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a ranger can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.

You get the specified class abilities as stated, at the stated levels except in your Druid class, as if you were either Monk or Ranger depending on the abilities.

[heavyfuel]

Q 65

If I attack someone (standard action) and then use my move action to get away while hiding in a shadow (Shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight), do I take any penalties to my Hide check?

[Curmudgeon]

A 065

First, a small correction: with Shadowdancer Hide in Plain Sight you don't need to hide in a shadow; just being near (within 10' of) any shadow is enough; this is a Supernatural (i.e., magical) ability so you're not dependent on finding a shadow big enough to conceal you. Second, the answer depends on your speed.

You can move up to one-half your normal speed and hide at no penalty. When moving at a speed greater than one-half but less than your normal speed, you take a -5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging.

If you move half your speed or less there is no adjustment to your Hide check, but faster than that will incur a penalty.

[heavyfuel]

First, a small correction: with Shadowdancer Hide in Plain Sight you don't need to hide in a shadow; just being near (within 10' of) any shadow is enough

I know that, I just wanted to simplify the question

Q 66

Do I know if my opponents have spotted me?

[Curmudgeon]

A 066 No.

You know your own Hide check number, and can guess if it's a good or bad result, but you don't know your opponent's Spot check number.

[ShurikVch]

Q 67

Is it possible to destroy by the Mage’s Disjunction:

a) Intelligent Items?
b) Sphere of Annihilation?

[heavyfuel]

Q 68

I remember reading somewhere that you take a cumulative -1 to Swim checks per 5 pounds that you carry. Is this true, or is it fruit of my imagination?

[Curmudgeon]

A 068

That's a 3.0 rule. From page 74 of 3.0 Player's Handbook:

Special: Instead of an armor check penalty, you suffer a penalty of –1 for each 5 pounds of gear you are carrying or wearing.

The 3.5 rule is different.

Special: Swim checks are subject to double the normal armor check penalty and encumbrance penalty.

As noted, there are two Swim penalties. The first ACP figure is for the character's armor, from the table here. The second is the ACP for a character's encumbrance, on the table here. Determine the maximum ACP from either armor or encumbrance, then double it to apply to Swim checks.

[AlanBruce]

Q. 69

Can a Vow of Poverty non caster PC gain benefit from a group buff cast by the party caster (like haste) without losing his vow? I read up on the feat and it states:

You may not use any magic item of any sort, though you can benefit from magic items used on your behalf -- you can drink a potion of cure serious wounds a friend gives you, receive a spell cast from a wand, scroll, or staff, or ride on your companion's ebony fly. You may not, however, "borrow" a cloak of resistance or any other magic item from a companion for even a single round, nor may you yourself cast a spell from a scroll, wand, or staff.

It specifically says they can benefit from magic items used on their behalf, but they make no mention of magic itself. They even specify scrolls, wands and staves, but what about an ally caster using Fly on the VoP PC?

[Curmudgeon]

A 069 Yes.

Vow of Poverty cannot place restrictions on the actions of others; it only restricts the holder of the feat.

[DeltaEmil]

Q 70

If you are stunned or dazed, can you still make opposed Strength or Dexterity checks to resist being tripped prone or bull rushed, and opposed grapple checks to resist being grappled, or do you automatically fail those checks?

[Curmudgeon]

A 070 Yes.

A character who is dazed or stunned doesn't fall prone; they're still capable of the balance required for standing. They're just not allowed to take actions. Opposed checks to resist being knocked prone or grappled are reactions rather than actions, so they're allowed under the rules.

[daremetoidareyo]

Q 71

the ordered chaos general feat from Fiendish codex one states, "Your alignment is not affected by the Abyssal heritor feats you possess. Spells and effects that are keyed to alignment affect you as if you were chaotic, as well as your actual alignment. For example, you become immune to spells such as chaos hammer and word of chaos, you could wield an anarchic weapon without fear of gaining a negative level, and you could take the Primordial Scion feat despite its chaotic alignment prerequisite." Can you take a class or prestige class that requires a chaotic alignment? Can I finally build a monk/barbarian? It claims that you can take a feat with a chaotic restriction, is there a substantive difference between this and a class level?

[Chronos]

A 67 a:

Disjunction affects items, and it does not specify that it only affects items which are not creatures, or unintelligent items, or any similar restriction. Likewise, I can find nothing in the description of intelligent items which would leave them unaffected by Disjunction. Their only protection would be that they are likely to have better saving throws than unintelligent items.

b:

Yes. A sphere of annihilation is an artifact, and hence Disjunction has a 1% chance per caster level of destroying it. Note that this carries the risk of loss of spellcasting, as with disjoining any artifact.

[Andezzar]

A 70

No. The Feat does exactly what it says it does.

Spells and effects that are keyed to alignment affect you as if you were chaotic, as well as your actual alignment.

Even if you judge that being able to take a class level is an effect, a lawful character with that feat both can take a barbarian level (counts as chaotic) and cannot (being lawful) and the game stops unless the DM houserules either way.

[daremetoidareyo]

A 70

No. The Feat does exactly what it says it does. Even if you judge that being able to take a class level is an effect, a lawful character with that feat both can take a barbarian level (counts as chaotic) and cannot (being lawful) and the game stops unless the DM houserules either way.

what's funny is that a barbarian and bard are the only ones that have this interaction. Battle dancer's alignment pre-req says "any chaotic." Incarnate also has some weird interactions also. The weird thing about the class level counting as an effect, is that in the examples of things that are considered effects is the taking of primordial scion feat. It seems like "any non-lawful" doesn't work, but "any chaotic" does, straight alignment pre-requests, like "lawful good" or "chaotic evil" are acceptable for hijinx as well.

[Wacky89]

Q72
Does multiple castings of Melf's Acid Arrow stack?

[Curmudgeon]

A 072 Partly.

Damage dealt directly always stacks, even if from successive instances of the same spell. However, ongoing acid damage from the same spell effect overlaps rather than stacks.

[daremetoidareyo]

Q73

can you use the Channel charge Feat (Lost Empires of Faerun) with a wand that has no charges left? Can I just keep completely spent wands around and just channel my spell slots through them?

Spoiler: Channel Charge (LEoF)

Show

Prerequisite
Use Magic Device 5 ranks, ability to cast 4thlevel spells,
Benefit
When you use a spell trigger magic item with charges (such as a wand or a staff), you can make a Use Magic Device check (DC 15 + the item's caster level). If you succeed, you can sacrifice a spell slot or prepared spell instead of using a charge. The spell slot or spell sacrificed must be one level higher than the level of the desired effect from the item. If the check fails, both your spell slot (or prepared spell) and 1 charge from the item are expended.

Q74

If I use the double wand wielder (Complete Arcane) feat in conjunction with the Channel Charge Feat, can I use channel charge in my offhand to keep from having to waste an extra charge and instead use a single spell level?

Spoiler: Double Wand Wielder

Show

Benefit
As a full-round action, you can wield a wand in each hand (if you have both hands free), with one wand designated as your primary wand and the other your secondary wand. Each use of the secondary wand expends 2 charges from it instead of 1.