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

[Andezzar]

A 96

Ask your DM. Both the reversion to the natural form and thus loss of the new form's abilities and the death throes happen at the same time.

A 97

1. Yes

2. Yes and yes.

[Bakkan]

A 97 Partial Contention

Simply reducing your HP to 0 will not kill you, though it would leave you staggered (or unconscious if you have any nonlethal damage).

[Andezzar]

A 97 Partial Contention

Simply reducing your HP to 0 will not kill you, though it would leave you staggered (or unconscious if you have any nonlethal damage).

You are right of course. Anyways, CON x is CON x and 0 HP are 0 HP, no matter how they came by.

[Kish]

A 97 Further Expanding

You can't have less than 1 maximum hit point per hit die, regardless of Constitution modifier. Thus, if your Constitution modifier becomes a penalty that reduces a given hit die to 1, your Constitution being reduced further will not reduce that hit die further and even if your Constitution is 1, you're guaranteed a maximum hit points at least equal to your level. You can only die from having your Constitution reduced if your Constitution reaches 0 or if your hit points are also below their maximum at the time.

[Janthkin]

Q98 Fumbled saves & magic items
Character rolls a "1" against a Fireball. The PHB tells us how to figure out which item may be affected.

Where are the rules for how much damage a magic item (say, a +1 Longbow) can take before being destroyed? We couldn't find those quickly.

[Andezzar]

Contention

A 97 Further Expanding

You can't have less than 1 maximum hit point per hit die, regardless of Constitution modifier. Thus, if your Constitution modifier becomes a penalty that reduces a given hit die to 1, your Constitution being reduced further will not reduce that hit die further and even if your Constitution is 1, you're guaranteed a maximum hit points at least equal to your level. You can only die from having your Constitution reduced if your Constitution reaches 0 or if your hit points are also below their maximum at the time.

Please quote that rule. AFAIK there is only a rule that you cannot gain less than one HP during level up. I am not aware of a rule saying a CON reduction cannot reduce your HP total below 1 per level at any other time.

[KillianHawkeye]

Contention

Please quote that rule. AFAIK there is only a rule that you cannot gain less than one HP during level up. I am not aware of a rule saying a CON reduction cannot reduce your HP total below 1 per level at any other time.

Here it is:

A hit point score can't be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die. At 7th level, Mialee has 22 hit points when fully healed. Even if her Constitution score drops to 5 or lower, she will still have at least 7 hit points (less any damage she may take).

[torrasque666]

Here it is:

There are other ways of reducing max HP outside of Con damage. Like the quick trait or the frail flaw.

[Metahuman1]

Q 99: What spells would allow me to not only kill a target, but make sure I have possession of thee soul, AND block them from being brought back form the dead?

[Hecuba]

Q 99: What spells would allow me to not only kill a target, but make sure I have possession of thee soul, AND block them from being brought back form the dead?

Not really an answer, but:
A99:If your looking for a list of spells which each accomplish all 3, the answer is (I believe) that there are none - usually because they are not technically dead (ex: trap the soul).

If you are looking for combinations of spells that will get you there, the interactions are complex enough that is not a simple question (ex: do you really need possession of the soul, or well destroying it work?). I would recommend a separate tread.

[FearlessGnome]

Q100: If you lose a metamagic feat after preparing a spell with it, can you still cast it? For example, say you fail that save against a negative level becoming permanent, and you just happen to lose your last feat from that. Say the feat was Empower Spell, and your Empowered Fireball is now sitting there in your spells prepared, without the feat to back it up. Is there a RAW answer as to whether you can still cast the spell?

[KillianHawkeye]

There are other ways of reducing max HP outside of Con damage. Like the quick trait or the frail flaw.

Yes, well, those are exceptions to the general rule, and the question was about the effects of Con damage on maximum HP, so........ thanks for sharing?

[kkplx]

Q 101

Can you attack and destroy Non-Armor/Weapon Magical items by attacking them (not sundering them)?
The tables in the SRD don't help with this question, as they seem to omit anything not armor or weapon related:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm

Q 102

If you can attack and destroy wondrous items as you could any other object, how do you calculate the HP of, say, a Ring of Invisibility or an Artificer's Monocle?

Q 103

Can you directly attack a suit of armor or weapon that is currently being worn with a ranged weapon, without using the ranged sunder/ranged disarm feats, following the rules for breaking objects in http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm ?

[Thurbane]

Q 104

Bit of a convoluted question, but I want to know if this Race/Feat/Template combo is possible and/or legal:

A Half-Janni Primordial Half-Giant, with the Human Heritage feat at 1st level?

[AlanBruce]

Q. 105

Would someone under the effects of Spell Turning be able to reflect back the spell Spirit Jaws (Spell Compendium, p. 202) back at the druid who cast it in the first place?

[FearlessGnome]

Q 104

Bit of a convoluted question, but I want to know if this Race/Feat/Template combo is possible and/or legal:

A Half-Janni Primordial Half-Giant, with the Human Heritage feat at 1st level?

A 104: Unfortunately, probably no. A Primordial Half Giant is fine, and it can take Human Heritage. But Human Heritage is a feat, and cannot be taken before an inherited template. By strictest RAW therefore, you cannot apply Half-Janni to a Half-Giant. So this falls into ask-your-DM-for-it-anyway territory.

The issue is slightly complicated by the fact that while the rules don't allow you to create one, a Primordial Half-Giant with Human Heritage counts as Human for all purposes, and so can have Half-Janni babies. It is not clear though whether those babies can have an illegal stacking of templates or not.

[Segev]

Q 106 This is probably a settled question by now, hence just asking here after failing to find an answer: Can you enter Anima Mage using solely the feats which let you bind vestiges up to 2nd level?

[FearlessGnome]

Q 106 This is probably a settled question by now, hence just asking here after failing to find an answer: Can you enter Anima Mage using solely the feats which let you bind vestiges up to 2nd level?

A 106: Yes, you absolutely can. Anima Mage differs from many prestige classes that advance spellcasting, for example, which tell you to add your level in the prestige class to whatever class you had before. Anima Mage explicitly says your binding improves as if you had taken a level of Binder.

You can't retrain the feats, however, since the retraining rules say you can't train away anything that was used as a prerequisite. So you're permanently giving up two feats to enter Anima Mage.

[Segev]

A 106: Yes, you absolutely can. Anima Mage differs from many prestige classes that advance spellcasting, for example, which tell you to add your level in the prestige class to whatever class you had before. Anima Mage explicitly says your binding improves as if you had taken a level of Binder.

You can't retrain the feats, however, since the retraining rules say you can't train away anything that was used as a prerequisite. So you're permanently giving up two feats to enter Anima Mage.

That's very interesting. And I can certainly see reason why giving away two feats is better than giving away a caster level for many, many builds!

[Jowgen]

Q 107

All Archons can, as an SU, use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of objects. Does this qualify them for feats that require a CL of 14?

[Segev]

Q 107

All Archons can, as an SU, use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level 14th), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of objects. Does this qualify them for feats that require a CL of 14?

A 107 No. You have to actually have a caster level, not cast a spell-like ability as if you had a caster level, to qualify for things with CL requirements.

You don't technically have to have all the levels in a casting class, as there are ways to raise your CL. But simply having a spell-like ability that has a CL doesn't give you a CL in general. (It just gives you an effective CL for that ability.)

[Jowgen]

A 107 Partial Rebuttal

According to CA p. 72 "For feats or prestige classes requiring a minimum caster level, creatures that use spell-like abilities or invocations instead of spells use either their fixed caster level or their class level to determine qualification". I am simply not certain where is anything to support/disprove whether Supernatural abilities work.

[Hecuba]

A 107 No. You have to actually have a caster level, not cast a spell-like ability as if you had a caster level, to qualify for things with CL requirements.

You don't technically have to have all the levels in a casting class, as there are ways to raise your CL. But simply having a spell-like ability that has a CL doesn't give you a CL in general. (It just gives you an effective CL for that ability.)

A107, Correction:
The above is incorrect. Caster level with an SLA explicitly covers qualification for a feat or prestige class that requires a minimum caster level.

Caster Level
[...]For feats or prestige classes requiring a minimum caster level, creatures that use spell-like abilities or invocations instead of spells use either their fixed caster level or ther class level to determine qualification.

For reference, they can also qualify if their SLA fills a named spell requirement unless the requirement specifies how it needs to be cast ("as a divine spell," "as an arcane spell," etc.)

That said, an Archon technically still does not qualify: it's abilities are SU rather than SLAs, and there is no rule like the above for SU abilities.

[Troacctid]

A 107 Correction

Yes, an archon has a caster level of 14 for its greater teleport ability, allowing them to qualify for options that require a caster level, such as the Forge Ring feat.

[Troacctid]

Q 088

Question about the Deathless type - is there any way to use the Knowledge Devotion feat or Dark Knowledge class feature to get bonuses against Deathless?

Dark Knowledge only functions against the creature types positively identified by the text of the ability and cannot be used against deathless.

Knowledge Devotion can be used against deathless provided you can make an appropriate Knowledge check for them. No Knowledge skill is assigned to the deathless type, but if the deathless creature has the psionic subtype, you can use Knowledge (psionics).

Q98 Fumbled saves & magic items
Character rolls a "1" against a Fireball. The PHB tells us how to figure out which item may be affected.

Where are the rules for how much damage a magic item (say, a +1 Longbow) can take before being destroyed? We couldn't find those quickly.

The rules for damaging objects can be found on pp106–107 of the Rules Compendium, or in the SRD here. The hit points and hardness of an object vary depending on the object. Magic weapons are more durable than nonmagical ones, for example.

Q 101

Can you attack and destroy Non-Armor/Weapon Magical items by attacking them (not sundering them)?
The tables in the SRD don't help with this question, as they seem to omit anything not armor or weapon related:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm

Here is the more current rule from the Rules Compendium.

The sunder attack (see page 142) allows you to smash a weapon or shield using a slashing or bludgeoning weapon. Smashing another carried, worn, or unattended object is like sundering, except that your attack roll is opposed by the object’s AC instead of another attack roll.

Q 102

If you can attack and destroy wondrous items as you could any other object, how do you calculate the HP of, say, a Ring of Invisibility or an Artificer's Monocle?

Refer to the text for the item in question. If no hardness and HP are given, ask your DM.

Q 103

Can you directly attack a suit of armor or weapon that is currently being worn with a ranged weapon, without using the ranged sunder/ranged disarm feats, following the rules for breaking objects in http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm ?

No. Attacking a carried or worn object other than a weapon or shield is like sundering, with the only exception being that you attack the object's AC instead of making an opposed attack roll. All other restrictions of sundering apply, including the requirement of using a melee attack with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon.

Q. 105

Would someone under the effects of Spell Turning be able to reflect back the spell Spirit Jaws (Spell Compendium, p. 202) back at the druid who cast it in the first place?

No. Spell turning only affects spells that target you. Spiritjaws is an effect spell, and does not target a creature.

[Thaneus]

Using Phrenic Template:
Q 108
When i use the a Psi-Like ability listed in the template can this be augmented or is it always maximum augmented?
Q 109
Can i select which augment should be used?
Q 110
Can i use the Powers i know through the template as my Powers known as in "Manifest an Unknown Power from Another’s Powers Known" in SRD?

[ComaVision]

Q 111

I am a dragon that is currently flying with the Hover feat. On my turn, I do a full attack on an adjacent foe (sans wing attacks) then drop, as a free action, 100 feat. Is this RAW legal, or is dropping a move action?

[St Fan]

Q 112

A question about a possible contradiction. Among the rules for a martial strike maneuver is this:

Because strikes allow for a specific form of attack, you cannot benefit from spells or effect that grant you extra attacks when making a strike (such as the haste spell of a speed weapon). You are not taking a full attack action when you initiate a strike, even if its initiation action is 1 full-round action.

However, one strike maneuver looks like an exception:

Flashing Sun allows you to make an additional attack during this round. As part of this maneuver, you take a full attack action and make your normal melee attacks.

So, can the Flashing Sun maneuver be used in combination with haste?
Or with other techniques granting additional attacks, like Flurry of Blows?

[Khedrac]

A 112 No
This is getting close to not being a simple question, but I will try.
One of the oddities about haste and most other ways of getting an extra attack in a round is that they state that they do not stack with other such methods - so by RAW haste does not stack with flurry of blows or rapid shot.

So, on to Flashing Sun, as you quoted it says "you take a full attack action and make your normal melee attacks"; extra attacks form things like haste are not "normal".
As such, there is no contradiction with the rule that you cannot use methods of gaining extra attacks. Yes there is a slight contradiction with the "are"/"are not" taking a 'full attack action' state, but in this case the 'full attack action' is happening within the special full-round action of the manoeuver, hence you are both taking it and not taking it. Said 'full attack action' is limited by the conditions specified by the calling manoeuver and thus you may not use extra attacks from any other source.

[Andezzar]

A 112 No
This is getting close to not being a simple question, but I will try.
One of the oddities about haste and most other ways of getting an extra attack in a round is that they state that they do not stack with other such methods - so by RAW haste does not stack with flurry of blows or rapid shot.

That is up to the DM.

This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided by a weapon of speed

It is up to the DM whether any other effect that grants an extra attack is similar to haste. There are significant differences between the various sources of extra attacks. Here are some examples
- Haste: +1 AB to all attacks
- Speed property: +0 AB to all attacks
- Flurry of blows: -2 AB to -0 AB to all attacks
- Rapid shot: -2 AB to all attacks.
- TWF: Various penalties depending on feats and weapons used
- Spinning Halberd Style: -5 to the extra attack

So it is not really clear which if any (except the speed property) do not stack with haste. I'd go with if it is magic (speed property), it does not stack, if it is skill (flurry of blows, rapid shot etc.) it does stack.