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

[Curmudgeon]

A 073 No.

A wand that runs out of charges is just a stick.

A 074 Yes.

Action: None. The Use Magic Device check is made as part of the action (if any) required to activate the magic item.

You can apply Channel Charge to any wand use because the Use Magic Device check requires no action, and Channel Charge applies at the wand charge level. Using Double Wand Wielder you can apply Channel Charge to zero, one, or two wand uses, sacrificing zero, one, two, or three spell slots or spells to match the wand charges you don't use up.

[Tarvus]

Q75a) Will any flying creature with Average or worse maneuverability begin to stall automatically when hit with a harpoon?
b) Regardless of whether a Str check is attempted or relative size of the creatures?

EDIT: Not sure I agree with the answer, "Moves at Half Speed" != "Movement Speed Halved". Might open a topic to discuss. Thanks for the answer though.

[ManicOppressive]

A 75 Technically, RAW, a flying creature that is impaled by a harpoon (wherein the rope is controlled by the thrower) moves at half speed; but its minimum speed to keep flying is based on its current speed, not its normal speed. That means a creature with 30 ft/rd speed impaled on a harpoon has 15 ft/rd speed, and in order to stay in the air it now only needs to fly 7.5 ft/rd.

RAW, though, a creature can't actually take the full round action to break the hold without dropping from lack of movement (unless the creature has some way to move while taking a full-round action) and would only be able to fly in circles in a 30 ft radius in the meantime.

All of this only happens if the creature in question fails both the reflex save and the immediate strength check. If the creature wins the strength check to control the rope, the harpoon is just lodged in them to no effect (other than damage obviously).

So in brief:

a) No, only if they don't turn in time to stay inside the 30 ft radius or they try to remove the harpoon

and

b) Size is not relevant (beyond any incidental effects to the strength check) but the first strength check to control the rope can render the whole thing irrelevant.

[Kennisiou]

Q76

I remember a while back someone mentioning to me there was a way to obtain an imp familiar without having the improved familiar feat by "taking a faustian pact" on level up. What sourcebook is this from, if any?

[ManicOppressive]

A 76 The only way I'm aware of is the Diabolist prestige class from the Book of Vile Darkness. (Eugh.) I can't find anything in the Fiendish Codex, and I don't know where else it would come from. The PrC requires selling your soul, and you get an imp familiar at level 2. Of course, flavor wise, that imp has every incentive in the world to get you killed, but that's beside the point.

[KrimsonNekros]

Q 77A
Can a Lesser Drow or Lesser Tiefling take their respective racial paragon classes?

Q 77B
If they can, in the case of the Lesser Tiefling, how does the improved resistances class feature affect them?

[Curmudgeon]

A 077A Yes.

Quoted from here:

If you use these lesser racial versions in your campaign, you should use them across the board -- for NPCs as well as player characters. Thus, a party that includes a lesser drow should never encounter drow from the Monster Manual in your game. Instead, all the drow in your campaign should be lesser drow. Of course, nobody calls them "lesser drow," since all drow have the same racial characteristics in the game.

A 077B As usual.

There is no change to Tiefling energy resistance in the "Lesser" version. From page 191 of Player's Guide to Faerûn:

LESSER PLANETOUCHED

All lesser planetouched have the following racial trait in common, in addition to all the racial traits detailed elsewhere in this book.

• Planetouched: Planetouched are humanoids (not outsiders) with the planetouched subtype. They are susceptible to spells and effects that specifically target both humanoids or outsiders. Charm person works against them, and so does banishment. This trait replaces the outsider entry in each planetouched description.

[Andezzar]

A 77

a) Yes. If the non-outsider version of the races exist in a campaign those are the only versions of those races. Prerequisite for taking the paragon classes is being member of the suitable race.

b) In the same way as normal Tieflings. Lesser Tieflings have the same resistances as the normal ones.

[Renen]

Q78

Does telepathy (like mindbender) require both creatures speak the same language (in other words, can I hold a normal conversation with someone who only speaks say, Celestial if I don't know any Celestial)

*wink*

[ManicOppressive]

A 78

A creature with this ability can communicate telepathically with any other creature within a certain range (specified in the creature’s entry, usually 100 feet) that has a language.

Telepathy doesn't require a shared language, just requires that the creature has the concept of language.

[Renen]

A 78



Telepathy doesn't require a shared language, just requires that the creature has the concept of language.

But an argument can be made that one can "communicate" with sounds and pictures, and it doesn't specify including auto-translate.
(Hopi Curmdgeon) can chime in along with anyone else who wants. Just looking for that extra crispy clarity.

[ShurikVch]

Q 67 cont.

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.

But, if intelligent items are Constructs, does it mean Disjunction able to actually destroy creatures?
Because all Constructs are items - Craft Construct is [Item Creation] feat

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.

Does it mean you may disjoin the Pandorym? It's a 30' SoA...

[Curmudgeon]

A 078

Telepathy

A creature with this ability can communicate telepathically with any other creature within a certain range (specified in the creature’s entry, usually 100 feet) that has a language. It is possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically, although maintaining a telepathic conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time.

You can communicate ("give or interchange thoughts, feelings, information, or the like, by writing, speaking, & c.") with telepathy just as you can communicate with a non-telepathic manifestation of language. However, oral language telepathy is the only form which is guaranteed in a conversation ("informal interchange of thoughts, information, etc., by spoken words; oral communication between persons; talk; colloquy"); written language telepathy may not be possible. You'll have to talk to your DM about whether you can exchange written content telepathically.

There is no ability to translate to another language stated in the ability description. Without a shared language your ability to communicate is limited — but not impossible. You can make your presence known, do the equivalent of shouting, and interrupt the other person to indicate that you don't want to "listen" to their part of the conversation.

[Telonius]

Q 79 Would the Illumian's "Illumian Words (Su)" abilities Aeshkrau and Uurkrau apply to Psionics as well as spellcasting, in granting bonus Power Points?

[Troacctid]

A 79

No. The abilities apply to bonus spells, not bonus power points.

[mabriss lethe]

Q 80 Would negative levels cause a creature's Challenge Rating to drop?

[ShurikVch]

Q 81

Number of classes have type change at capstone.
But what's will happen if you somehow lose the capstone level?
Will type reset to previous, or once Fey(/Dragon/Outsider/...) - always Fey(/Dragon/Outsider/...)?

[Andezzar]

A 80

No. hitting a creature with negative levels does not change the challenge. Hitting it with HP damage or the dead condition (making it not even a creature anymore) does not change the CR either.

The same goes for summoning and/or calling creatures. Those abilities don't affect CR or or party level.

A 81

If you lose a level all changes due to the last level up are removed.

[heavyfuel]

Q 82

How much do you fall between one action and another? OR Can a Swordsage with the proper maneuvers use Shadow Jaunt/Stride/Blink to propel himselft 150ft upwards?

[Troacctid]

Q 82

How much do you fall between one action and another? OR Can a Swordsage with the proper maneuvers use Shadow Jaunt/Stride/Blink to propel himselft 150ft upwards?

A 82

Roughly 670 feet in the first round, and about 1150 feet in subsequent rounds.

A falling character reaches terminal velocity (roughly 130 miles per hour, or nearly 200 feet per second) within the first round of a long fall. That means a character falls roughly 670 feet in the first round. After that, a character falls about 1,150 feet each round.

[heavyfuel]

RE: A 82

To be fair, this doesn't really answer my question of how much do you fall between one action and another.

[Andezzar]

A 82

AFAIK there is no involuntary movement during the different actions of one turn.

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 082

AFAIK there is no involuntary movement during the different actions of one turn.

Material Plane
The Material Plane tends to be the most Earthlike of all planes and operates under the same set of natural laws that our own real world does. This is the default plane for most adventures.

So it's not that you don't fall involuntarily; this says you do. It's just that there's no normal subdivision of actions during a turn; it's just all part of one 6-second chunk of time. A DM could have you fall for about 3 seconds during the course of a standard action and be within the RAW. That at least would be a better match to the quoted rule than the Wile E. Coyote system of gravity not applying until you notice that you're not supported on the ground. So, as is so often the case, I advise you to talk to your individual DM.

[Andezzar]

Yeah, that's what I meant. The rules do not specify the distance fallen within parts of your turn.

[Lekgolo137]

Q 83

Can I use the Ward epic seed to develop an epic spell that makes me immune to Antimagic Field?

Spoiler: Relevant rules quote

Show

A ward against magic creates an immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere (with radius 10 feet) that surrounds the caster and excludes all spell effects of up to 1st level. Alternatively, the caster can ward just the target and not create the radius effect. For each additional level of spells to be excluded, increase the Spellcraft DC by +20 (but see below). The area or effect of any such spells does not include the area of the ward, and such spells fail to affect any target within the ward. This includes spell-like abilities and spells or spell-like effects from magic items. However, any type of spell can be cast through or out of the ward. The caster can leave and return to the protected area without penalty (unless the spell specifically targets a creature and does not provide a radius effect). The ward could be brought down by a targeted dispel magic spell. Epic spells using the dispel seed may bring down a ward if the enemy spellcaster succeeds at a caster level check. The ward may also be brought down with a targeted epic spell using the destroy seed if the enemy spellcaster succeeds at a caster level check.

Instead of creating an epic spell that uses the ward seed to nullify all spells of a given level and lower, the caster can create a ward that nullifies a specific spell (or specific set of spells). For each specific spell so nullified, increase the Spellcraft DC by +2 per spell level above 1st.

Emphasis mine.

So, the epic spell would have DC 24 (14 from seed, +10 because of antimagic field (lvl 6, so 5 x 2 = +10 DC).

Would it make me able to cast non-epic spells inside of an Antimagic Field?

[Graypairofsocks]

Q 84:

If you contract Lycanthropy then are cured of it, what happens to the animal HD that you had gained?

[nyjastul69]

Yeah, that's what I meant. The rules do not specify the distance fallen within parts of your turn.

Why would that be necessary?

[Andezzar]

Why would that be necessary?

Because that is what heavyfuel asked. He wanted to know how far up you can go if you use shadow jaunt (standard action), shadow stride (move action) and shadow blink (swift action) in the same turn while falling. The question is whether you get the full 3*50 ft or if you have to deduct something due to falling while initiating the maneuvers.

[Dr TPK]

Q 85

Is there some logic why some deities get more domains than others? In Core some receive 3 domains, some 4, and so on.

[Andezzar]

A 85

Not really a question for this thread. Some deities just have a bigger portfolio and thus more domains.