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

[Lekgolo137]

A 85

Deities only have 3 domains unless they take the Extra Domain ability.

A deity has at least three domains. Deities can have more than three domains if they possess the Extra Domain salient divine ability.

[Andezzar]

A 85 Contention

Deities and Demigods is 3.0. So any information about deities in the 3.5 PHB or some 3.5 source book overwrites it.

[Lekgolo137]

A 85 Contention

Deities and Demigods was updated to 3.5, and no changes were made to that rule. Plus, there is no other 3.5 source with specific rules about deities.

PD: Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that the PHB is wrong, just saying that if some deity has more than 3 domains, is because they have the Extra Domain salient divine ability.

[Crasical]

Q 86

I seem to recall a feat that allowed someone to take a five-foot step instead of making a reflex save. Does anyone know where this is from, if it actually exists?

Question retracted, I was thinking of the Sidestep boots from Dungeonscape.

[Curmudgeon]

A 084 They go away.

The animal HD are a property of being a lycanthrope. If you're cured of lycanthropy you don't have the properties of the affliction any more.

[Endril_69]

Q 87

How does damage after a grapple really work? Pg 156 of the PHB (step 3) says when you succeed on a grapple, you do damage as with an unarmed strike. It seems pretty clear that you can both grapple someone and do damage with the same attack action. This raises some questions.

When you pin someone, you have to succeed in a grapple. Does that mean you also do unarmed damage?

Does this mean a creature with improved grab, such as a bear, does their unarmed damage each time they succeed in a grapple? I'm assuming "unarmed" would mean the claw they hit with; so it would do damage twice? And then do they get a chance to use grapple to do damage for each additional attack they have?

Finally, what about a mancatcher (I just asked this in another thread, but it applies here)? You hit them, you get a free grapple check, you succeed... you do unarmed damage? That doesn't make sense; you may not even be within reach. Do you do damage with the mancatcher, or does that rule not apply here?

[ShurikVch]

Q 88

Disembodied Spirit:

A disembodied spirit has no attacks and can make only a single move action each turn.

See the underlined part?
Obviously, it's mean Full Round actions is out of question
Does it also ban Standard actions?
Swift actions?
Immediate actions?
Free actions?

EDIT: 5' step?

[Endril_69]

A 88

That's the same wording as the nauseated condition, and the rules suggest that you are correct. Only one move action, and nothing else. Makes sense since their challenge rating is 0.

[ShurikVch]

A 88

That's the same wording as the nauseated condition, and the rules suggest that you are correct. Only one move action, and nothing else. Makes sense since their challenge rating is 0.

Except nauseated creatures are still able to take free, swift, and immediate actions as long as they don't required concentration (so no quickened spellcasting)

[Chronos]

Re 85:

The simplest reason for different numbers of domains is alignment. In core, most deities have all of the domains corresponding to their alignment, plus two others. Thus, a lawful good deity will typically have four domains, but a neutral good deity will only have three. Of course, there are still exceptions (the neutral Obad-Hai has six, for instance), but that's the usual pattern.

Once you get out of core, most deities will end up with more, due to new domains published after the Players' Handbook.

[Endril_69]

A 88 contention

Except nauseated creatures are still able to take free, swift, and immediate actions as long as they don't required concentration (so no quickened spellcasting)

The rules don't say nauseated creatures are able to take free, swift, and immediate actions. But I'll concentrate on your original question, since I was only bringing up nausea for a point of reference. The answer to your question is how the DM interprets "only a single move action each turn". I think it's pretty clear that that's the only action that can be taken. You might think it allows one move action as opposed to multiple move actions, but you can already only make one move action. Even when you use a standard action to move, that's a standard action. That, and if you can take other actions, there would be no reason to mention this. If they wanted you to be able to take free, swift, and/or immediate actions, wouldn't they just say you can't take standard actions?

That's just different ways of looking at it, but I already thought it was clear by saying "only... single... action", and that's the only action you can take.

As for your 5-foot step question, a 5 foot step does not require an action. It's listed as "no action". The only time you can't use it is when you use your move action to move. So you can open a door and take a 5 foot step, but you can't move 20 feet and take a 5 foot step.

[ShurikVch]

A 88 contention
The rules don't say nauseated creatures are able to take free, swift, and immediate actions.

Except they do:

nauseated: Experiencing stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn, plus free actions (except for casting quickened spells).

Underlined it.

If they wanted you to be able to take free, swift, and/or immediate actions, wouldn't they just say you can't take standard actions?

Basically, if you can take Free actions, you can take Swift action too; and if you can take Swift action, you also can take Immediate action (unless you are flat-footed)
It all boiling down to question: would it be possible to take Free actions?

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 088

The most recent specification of the nauseated condition is in the official SRD here, as follows:

Nauseated: Experiencing stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.

This is a change from the Player's Handbook text.

Do note, though, that free actions "for casting quickened spells" were redefined to be swift actions. From page 86 of Complete Arcane:

Casting a quickened spell is a swift action (instead of a free action, as stated in the Quicken Spell feat description in the Player’s Handbook).

These free actions, redefined as swift actions, are explicitly disallowed. Immediate actions are not derived from the free action mechanic, as they can be performed when it's not your turn and free actions (except for speaking) can only be performed when you are taking another action normally (i.e., on your turn).

Thus the only unresolved point is whether free actions are also excluded while the character is nauseated. Using the convention that the most recent publication of rules content supersedes prior versions, no free actions would be allowed: instead, only a single move action per turn.

[ShurikVch]

Re: A 088

1) Player's Handbook is Core; SRD is not
2) Player's Handbook > Complete Arcane

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 088

2) Player's Handbook > Complete Arcane

I'm not sure how that's supposed to be helpful. Are you claiming that swift and immediate actions don't exist, because they're not in the Player's Handbook but are in Complete Arcane?

[Troacctid]

Q 89

Where can I find a citation on temporary HP not stacking? I'm pretty sure I remember that being a rule, but all I can find is the stacking rules for bonuses, and temporary HP isn't a bonus.

[Curmudgeon]

A 089

Temporary HP from different sources will stack. Temporary HP from multiple instances of the same spell falls under the magical effect stacking restrictions, specifically Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths: only the best effect (largest number of temporary HP) applies.

[Niwrad]

Q 90:

Does the freedom of movement spell protect the recipient against non-magical paralysis?

This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web.

The "even under" part of the description seems to indicate that the immunity to magical effects is in addition to immunity to the nonmagical version of those effects.

[ShurikVch]

Re: A 088

I'm not sure how that's supposed to be helpful. Are you claiming that swift and immediate actions don't exist, because they're not in the Player's Handbook but are in Complete Arcane?

No, I claiming quickened spell is still a free action because Player's Handbook says so
If splat contradict Core in general - rather than specific - then splat is wrong, and Core is correct

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 088

No, I claiming quickened spell is still a free action because Player's Handbook says so
If splat contradict Core in general - rather than specific - then splat is wrong, and Core is correct

Then you do think that there are no swift or immediate actions actions in D&D, because the change of action type for a quickened spell is part of the rules for introducing swift and immediate actions into the game.

[ShurikVch]

Re: A 088
Then you do think that there are no swift or immediate actions actions in D&D, because the change of action type for a quickened spell is part of the rules for introducing swift and immediate actions into the game.

No.
Quicken Dragonmark, Quicken Legacy, Quicken Mystery, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, and Quicken Utterance are all Swift actions, because feat descriptions in their respective books says so

On the other hand, Quicken Spell - along with Quicken Turning, Quicken Breath, and Quicken Manifestation - is a free action, because feat description says so

While splats are able to introduce new types of action, they are shouldn't change action type for Quicken Spell, because:
1) It's nowhere within their authority to change Core material; only Errata is able to change rule in Player's Handbook
2) If we accept that "swift action" rule, than the only ways to use the Multispell feat are Synad's racial Multitask and the Ruby Knight Vindicator's Divine Impetus

Quicken Power originally was undefined type of action, thus fall back to 3.0 rule (free action), but it was clarified in Complete Psionic (swift action); I accept this ruling, because:
1. Expanded Psionics Handbook is not a Core
2. It don't cause any obvious dysfunctions

[Curmudgeon]

Re: A 088

While splats are able to introduce new types of action, they are shouldn't change action type for Quicken Spell, because:
1) It's nowhere within their authority to change Core material; only Errata is able to change rule in Player's Handbook

Here's the relevant rule on the subject.

Errata Rule: Primary Sources

When you find a disagreement between two D&D® rules sources, unless an official errata file says otherwise, the primary source is correct. One example of a primary/secondary source is text taking precedence over a table entry. An individual spell description takes precedence when the short description in the beginning of the spells chapter disagrees.

Another example of primary vs. secondary sources involves book and topic precedence. The Player's Handbook, for example, gives all the rules for playing the game, for playing PC races, and for using base class descriptions. If you find something on one of those topics from the Dungeon Master's Guide or the Monster Manual that disagrees with the Player's Handbook, you should assume the Player's Handbook is the primary source. The Dungeon Master's Guide is the primary source for topics such as magic item descriptions, special material construction rules, and so on. The Monster Manual is the primary source for monster descriptions, templates, and supernatural, extraordinary, and spell-like abilities.

There is no disagreement involved here. The Complete Arcane text agrees with the actions associated with Quicken Spell and Feather Fall stated in Player's Handbook, and explicitly changes them. This is distinct from simply listing different action types than what's stated in PH, without clear note of the changes.

[torrasque666]

Take it to a new thread guys.

[Endril_69]

Q 87 revision

I really just want to know what happens when you grapple someone with a mancatcher (complete warrior, pg 154). If I take the grapple rules literally, then when you hit someone with a mancatcher, then defeat them in the grapple check, you'll do your unarmed damage. Has anyone found a ruling that would make more sense out of this?

[Bronk]

A87 (revision)

There are additional options available to those who win a grapple check, including non damaging options like pin, that you can choose to do instead of damaging your opponent (the rules for that can be found towards the end of the grapple section in the SRD). The Mancatcher adds an additional one to the list: forcing your opponent to the ground.

[Endril_69]

re: A 87

A87 (revision)

There are additional options available to those who win a grapple check, including non damaging options like pin, that you can choose to do instead of damaging your opponent (the rules for that can be found towards the end of the grapple section in the SRD). The Mancatcher adds an additional one to the list: forcing your opponent to the ground.

I do appreciate your answer, but I've read the rules to grapple and to mancatcher repeatedly already. I finally got a chance to speak to my DM about it, and he would allow me to deal mancatcher damage when I succeed in a grapple check, which is a fair answer imo. But it still bothers me that I can't find the answer anywhere.

Now to figure out how to deal with non-lethal immunities. Hoping I won't have to scrap the whole mancatcher idea in favor of spiked chain. I hate being "that guy".

[Lhurgyof]

Q 89

How exactly do class skills and skill point allocation work when cross classing? If I'm a level five Wizard and take a level in say Warblade, can I bring my Wizard class skills up at the 1 point :: 1 rank ratio? What is the maximum skill rank I can have in my Wizard class skills?

[Andezzar]

A 90

Ask your DM. The wording is unclear. There is no definition of moving and attacking normally. Is it normal to be hasted? Is it normal to have your speed reduced from heavy armor or load?
From what the spell is supposed to do I'd say yes though.

A 91 to erroneously numbered Q89

The maximum skill rank is character level +3 if a skill was ever a class skill, if it wasn't it is half that. Whether you have to pay one skill point per rank or two is determined by the clas you are levelling at the moment. For example a wizard 1 takes the first level in warblade, and wants to improve Spellcraft (class skill for wizard, cross class for warblade). The maximum rank is 5 (2 _{character level} + 3), but since it is not a class skill for the warblade he would have to pay two skill points per rank to get the skill to 5.

[Lhurgyof]

Thanks for the answer, that's what I thought but I wanted to be sure.

Another question, though:

Q92

Does the stance "Bolstering Voice" affect the person initiating it?

[urokia]

Q93(?) If a PC has a spell effect on them and they die, but are resurrected through some means before the duration of the spell ends, does the resurrected PC still have the spell effect?

For example, wizard grants bull's strength to PC1, PC1 dies to a custom spell that if it kills you immediately resurrects you as an intelligent undead under the caster's control. Do they keep the strength buff? Or if they're using a homebrew class that relies on dying (It's complicated) and immediately resurrecting, do they keep the buff?