Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #32: More Seasons than the Simpsons

[ayvango]

Q783: What movement modes provides spell "Bottle of Smoke"?
Could it swim? Could it walk on the water surface? Could it levitate? Do smoke horse slowed on a difficult terrain?

[Wacky89]

Q784:
Do natural attacks (Manticore Belt specifically, i know not every1 counts it as a natural attack) granted by soulmelds have to overcome spell resistance?

[kkplx]

Q 785

Where is it explicitly stated that magic armor and weapons do not increase in size if the wearer is changed to a bigger or smaller creature via a spell of the polymorph school?

[Thurbane]

A 783

As no special modes of movement are mentioned in the spell description, it has a normal land speed of 20 ft per caster level (up to 240 ft). No flight or ability to levitate is listed, so it cannot do either of these.

As a magical effect, and not an actual creature, it has no ability to Swim, any more than an Unseen Servant has the ability to Climb.

The RAW on difficult terrain and walking on water aren't quite as clear. On the one hand, it is a magical effect and may not need to follow normal rules for land movement. On the other, it is given a land speed, and not noted to be specifically able to do either of these two things. Compare to the text from Phantom Steed:

8th Level
The mount can ride over sandy, muddy, or even swampy ground without difficulty or decrease in speed.

10th Level
The mount can use water walk at will (as the spell, no action required to activate this ability).

I would lean towards "no" for both, but check with your DM.

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A 784

In the case of Manticore Belt, yes:

Spell resistance is effective against any soulmeld used to affect a creature other than the meldshaper.

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A 785

The Polymorph series of spells refer back to Alter Self for their base mechanics. Alter Self says this:

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional.

Most magical weapons and armor have no default ability to change size to accommodate their wearer, unlike the majority wondrous items that are worn:

Size And Magic Items
When an article of magic clothing or jewelry is discovered, most of the time size shouldn’t be an issue. Many magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they adjust themselves magically to the wearer. Size should not keep characters of various kinds from using magic items.

There may be rare exceptions, especially with racial specific items.

Armor and Weapon Sizes
Armor and weapons that are found at random have a 30% chance of being Small (01-30), a 60% chance of being Medium (31-90), and a 10% chance of being any other size (91-100).

[ayvango]

Q786
How inherent bonus interacts with polymorph? If wizard has +2 inherent bonus to Dex, would he retain it after polymorphing?

[Andezzar]

A 786

Only bonuses (inherent or otherwise) to mental ability scores are relevant:

The subject gains the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retains its own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

The bonuses that apply to your ability scores have no impact on the new form's.

[ayvango]

Only bonuses (inherent or otherwise) to mental ability scores are relevant:

Bonuses from magic items still applies to the new forms. Because its carrier is an item that still could be applied to the new form.

But what carrier is used for Manual of Quickness in Action is unclear for me, so I had asked the question.

[Andezzar]

Bonuses from magic items still applies to the new forms. Because its carrier is an item that still could be applied to the new form.

Not quite. It depends on whether the item is usable by the new form, and even then the rules do not explicitly say that the bonus is automatically switched from your ability scores to those of your new form. On the other hand you could always take the item off and put it on again.

But what carrier is used for Manual of Quickness in Action is unclear for me, so I had asked the question.

As I said, that does not work.

[unseenmage]

Q787 I recall there being a set of rules somewhete for nonmagical devices that replicate magic effects/spells.

I want to say theyre in Ravenloft but I can neither find them there nor recall where I read about them on the boards.

[ayvango]

Q787
Further exploration of the Q786 theme. Would character retain his inherent bonuses to attributes after his entire body was destroyed (e.g. disintegrated) and he was true resurrected?

[Jon_Dahl]

Q788

Elder Fire Elemental and Burn ability.

Those hit by a fire elemental’s slam attack also must succeed on a Reflex save or catch on fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds. The save DC varies with the elemental’s size (see table). A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Is the damage (from the flame) 2d8 or 1d6 per round?

[Andezzar]

A 787

IIRC there is nothing explicit in the rules, either about losing them or having a new set of ability scores after resurrection, I'd say they remain.

[zergling.exe]

A 788

IIRC there is nothing explicit in the rules, either about losing them or having a new set of ability scores after resurrection, I'd say they remain.

787 is non magical magic items, 788 is ability scores, 789 is fire elementals. Next is 790.

[unseenmage]

A787 Nevermind. Found it.

[Gemini476]

Q 789

If you have an inherent bonus to Constitution and get Raise Dead cast on you (and thus lose 2 points of Constitution), would you lose the inherent bonus before or after losing the rest of your Constitution?
Or is this not possible because Raise Dead somehow ignores bonuses and just leaves you unressurectable at 0 base unmodified CON, like in really oldschool D&D?

[Ilveshlea]

Q 880

Can monsters with augmented critical ability further increase the threat range of the attack with the improved critical feat?



Q 881

What happens to a creature that is not an undead or a construct if it has a non-ability score for constitution? For instance, an undead acquires a template that changes its type to aberration - does it keel over dead as an aberration with no constitution score, or is in just an aberration with a non-ability for constitution?

[zergling.exe]

Since we have two 787s...

Q 791

Can monsters with augmented critical ability further increase the threat range of the attack with the improved critical feat?



Q 792

What happens to a creature that is not an undead or a construct if it has a non-ability score for constitution? For instance, an undead acquires a template that changes its type to aberration - does it keel over dead as an aberration with no constitution score, or is in just an aberration with a non-ability for constitution?

A 791

Is that a special ability or natural attacks with greater than normal threat range? The former might, later does.

A 792

Savage Species has a type pyramid which says that undead can't change type through the application of templates. Otherwise it either defaults to 10 or is rolled.

[Ilveshlea]

Apologies for the incorrect question numbers.

Q791

Augmented critical is an ability that several monsters have. The tarrasque, for instance.

Augmented Critical (Ex)
The tarrasque’s bite threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 18-20, dealing triple damage on a successful critical hit.

Could a creature with a similar ability stack improved critical to further increase the critical threat range?



A792

There definitely are such templates. Corrupted by the abyss, for example. As a 3.0 source, I've often seen the template pyramid dismissed as irrelevant under 3.5 rules.
Can I have an exact rules citation for constitution defaulting to 10 please?

[Morphic tide]

Q 790

Can monsters with augmented critical ability further increase the threat range of the attack with the improved critical feat?

First off, fixed your question numbers. Second off, yes, as Augmented Critical gives a non-standard baseline crit statline, while Improved Critical alters this different baseline. And because it's the baseline, it gets the full doubled crit range.

Q 791

What happens to a creature that is not an undead or a construct if it has a non-ability score for constitution? For instance, an undead acquires a template that changes its type to aberration - does it keel over dead as an aberration with no constitution score, or is in just an aberration with a non-ability for constitution?

I don't know the standard for it, but I think one of the precedent setting obscure statblocks has it set the non-ability to 0 when needed for altering statlines with templates. By RAW, your suggested situation would usually be an Aberration with a non-ability for Con, as most such templates give the Augmented(previous type) subtype, so most previous type traits are unaltered, including the fact that Undead have no Con score.

In any case, the statblock has superiority over the racial traits, and templates alter the statblock. You want an Undead with a Con score? No RAW prevents that from being on the statblock, as the statblock with then override the Undead trait of no Con score. The reverse, a non-Undead, non-Construct with a nonability in Con, is as simple as declaring it so on the statblock because the statblock overrides the type traits. Which is part of why I find Living Constructs silly, because the core rules specifically say that the listed traits are standard ones, which can be altered by the statblock. You need a Construct with a Con score? Don't use a different creature type with wonky traits, just print out a Construct that states it has a Con score and adjusts whatever particular properties of Constructs you don't want. Hell, the type traits are actually listed on the statblocks most of the time, so the standard is to include that on the statblock and leaving "(type) traits" out of the statblock has a perfectly valid interpretation of lacking those traits.

And this is where my issue with the Mindless-based immunity to Mind Effecting comes in. By my interpretation, a Vermin with an Intelligence Score loses their Mind Effecting immunity upon gaining an Intelligence score, because they have an Intelligence score, so they are no longer Mindless, which is the source of their Mind Effecting immunity. Same for Oozes.

The key line for this, by the way, is this clause I've quoted:

(unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry)

So anything on the statblock that conflicts with the traits listed overrides those traits. As templates alter the existing statblock, the exception stays put with the new type.

[zergling.exe]

A 791

I would have to say that RAW, no it doesn't stack. A bite normally only threatens on a natural 20, and Augmented Critical's effect makes it 18-20 and triggering Improved Critical's stacking clause.

A 792

While often stated, there is no direct replacement for it in 3.5 so it remains valid. Specific templates would in fact allow it, but only if they say that the template overrides the pyramid. Otherwise they gain the template but keep their type. The example is half-dragon on a half-elemental remains an elemental rather than become a dragon. There's one that you can apply to undead via a spell that I believe specifically makes them an outsider, which would override the pyramid.

I'm not sure where it is, but I recall a rule that says to treat non abilities as 10 when calculating things.

Also Morphic, before you fix other's numbers make sure your own are correct. There were two 787s, a 788 and a 789 correcting to 787, 788, 789 and 790 before these two.

[KillianHawkeye]

I'm not sure where it is, but I recall a rule that says to treat non abilities as 10 when calculating things.

You're close. Non-abilities are considered to have a +0 modifier for rolls (e.g., on an Undead's or Construct's Fort save). This isn't the same thing as having a 10 in the ability score.

[Metahuman1]

Q 793 Are there any magic items that grant extra daily uses of bardic music (or inspire courage specifically, either works.), and if so, what books are they in and on what page numbers? Thanks!

[Wacky89]

Q 794
Is it possible to have multiple castings of melf's acid arrow active at an enemy?

[Andezzar]

A 794

No.

Same Effect More than Once in Different Strengths

In cases when two or more identical spells are operating in the same area or on the same target, but at different strengths, only the best one applies.

[Thurbane]

Q 793 Are there any magic items that grant extra daily uses of bardic music (or inspire courage specifically, either works.), and if so, what books are they in and on what page numbers? Thanks!

A 793

Two that I am aware of:

• Joyous Star Song (Magic of Faerun p.161): 1 extra use/day, 5800gp
• Harpy's Cap (Dragon 340, p.69): 6 uses (consumable item), 3000gp

[Wacky89]

Q 795

How does the harpoon from frostburn interact with the Returning weapon enchantment?
Does the harpoon return without doing additonal damage?
Does it leave a wound since the "harpoon condition" can only be removed by doing a FRA or a heal check?
Does the harpoon just return doing nothing?

[LibraryOgre]

The Mod Wonder: This one's done, folks. Move unanswered questions to the new thread, now sticky for your convenience and vague discomfort.