Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #33: Doesn't everything popular die when 33?

[Thurbane]

Q677
Is there a prestige class that grants an animal companion early on that does not lose out on advancing divine spellcasting levels?

A 677 partial

The closest I can find is Gatekeeper Mystagogue (PGtE), but it doesn't advance casting at 1st level (9/10 casting).

[Troacctid]

Q677
Is there a prestige class that grants an animal companion early on that does not lose out on advancing divine spellcasting levels?

I believe Harper Paragon (Player's Guide to Faerun) is the only one.

[heavyfuel]

Q677
Is there a prestige class that grants an animal companion early on that does not lose out on advancing divine spellcasting levels?

A 677

According to the List of Stuff, no.

[King of Nowhere]

Q678: destruction does 10d6 on a ssuccessful save, death on a failed save. If you are protected from death (like death ward), do you take no damage on a failed save and yes damage on a successful save? can you choose to fail your saving throw so that you take no damage?
Same goes for other similar spells that kill on a failed save and deal damage on a successful one

[heavyfuel]

Q678: destruction does 10d6 on a ssuccessful save, death on a failed save. If you are protected from death (like death ward), do you take no damage on a failed save and yes damage on a successful save? can you choose to fail your saving throw so that you take no damage?
Same goes for other similar spells that kill on a failed save and deal damage on a successful one

A 678

The subject is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.

Destruction is a [Death] spell, so you're immune to it

[Troacctid]

A 677

According to the List of Stuff, no.

The List of Stuff is not comprehensive. There is such a class. It's just not listed there.

[Thurbane]

Q 679

I know this question has been asked before, but I need a RAW answer for an upcoming game.

When calculating the DC for Su abilities, the normal formula is 10 + 1/2 HD + ability mod. My question, is do class levels factor into the HD?

For instance, would a Young Black Dragon (10 RHD), Con 15, and 4 levels of Barbarian have a breath weapon DC of 17, or 19?

Citations if possible, please. I've seen varying answers to this question before.

[Troacctid]

Q 679

I know this question has been asked before, but I need a RAW answer for an upcoming game.

When calculating the DC for Su abilities, the normal formula is 10 + 1/2 HD + ability mod. My question, is do class levels factor into the HD?

For instance, would a Young Black Dragon (10 RHD), Con 15, and 4 levels of Barbarian have a breath weapon DC of 17, or 19?

Citations if possible, please. I've seen varying answers to this question before.

From the glossary:

Hit Die. In the singular form, a die rolled to generate hit points. In the plural form, a measure of relative power that is synonymous with character level for the sake of spells, magic items, and magical effects that affect a certain number of Hit Dice (HD) of creatures.

[Falontani]

Q680
Does the feat: Undead Meldshaper allow an undead creature to use it's wisdom score for determining if it meets prerequisites for most of the feats in the book (which require a constitution)

Example: A ghoul used it's 1st level feat to select Undead Meldshaper. At third level could it select the feat: Shape Soulmeld? (presuming that the ghoul has at least 13 wisdom)

[KillianHawkeye]

A 679

In general, there is no clear answer. IMO, without further specification, Hit Dice means all of a creatures Hit Dice.

However, if you look in the glossary of the Monster Manual, you'll find that the detailed descriptions of most of the special attacks refer specifically to the monster's racial Hit Dice when determining the saving throw DC.

For example:

A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some form of energy (such as fire). Such breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + 1/2 breathing creature's racial HD + breathing creature's Con modifier, the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save.

[heavyfuel]

Q680
Does the feat: Undead Meldshaper allow an undead creature to use it's wisdom score for determining if it meets prerequisites for most of the feats in the book (which require a constitution)

Example: A ghoul used it's 1st level feat to select Undead Meldshaper. At third level could it select the feat: Shape Soulmeld? (presuming that the ghoul has at least 13 wisdom)

A 680

By a strict RAW reading, no.

The feat allows what it says it allows

[heavyfuel]

Q 681

If a Rogue 5/Psion 1 manifests a fire Energy Ray vs a Dex denied target, is the damage 1d6+1+3d6, or is it 4d6+4? The language "+1 point of damage per damage die" doesn't seem to discriminate what type of die (such as Sneak Attack dice)

[Arkhios]

Q 681

If a Rogue 5/Psion 1 manifests a fire Energy Ray vs a Dex denied target, is the damage 1d6+1+3d6, or is it 4d6+4? The language "+1 point of damage per damage die" doesn't seem to discriminate what type of die (such as Sneak Attack dice)

Well, well... It would appear so, that you indeed add +1 to each die, especially because Sneak Attack damage is of the same type as the source (in this case, Energy Ray) would do otherwise and by RAW Sneak Attack doesn't specify if the attack must be made with a weapon. Interesting exploit, to be honest!

(I could be wrong and just have forgotten (or couldn't find) a rule that would prevent adding sneak attack on touch attacks such as spells, powers, etc.)

[Puke]

Q 682

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/seeds/reflect.htm

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spell...Reflection.htm

Is EPIC SPELL REFLECTION expanded when triggered ?
I mean : do I need to cast this ward again if I reflect a spell ?

And : If you reflect a spell, are you still affected by this spell ?

[Venger]

A 682
No.

It doesn't say it is, so it isn't. It is permanent, as specified in the spell. You are not affected by a spell you reflect. The spell's effects take place on the caster.

[Skevvix]

Q683.
Do the feats Parrying Shield and Shield Ward stack similar to the way you can get Wis to AC more than once?

[heavyfuel]

Q683.
Do the feats Parrying Shield and Shield Ward stack similar to the way you can get Wis to AC more than once?

A 683

I assume you meant to say "add shield AC to touch AC" and not "Wis to AC".

But no, they don't. Both feats let you use your shield bonus to Touch Ac, and bonuses with the same name don't stack

[Arkhios]

A 683

I assume you meant to say "add shield AC to touch AC" and not "Wis to AC".

But no, they don't. Both feats let you use your shield bonus to Touch Ac, and bonuses with the same name don't stack

...unless mentioned otherwise. Dodge bonus, for example, stacks with itself.

[heavyfuel]

Q 684

Do armor and weapons for small creatures weigh less?
I'm pretty sure they do, but can't find the rule to support it.

[gogogome]

Q 684

Do armor and weapons for small creatures weigh less?
I'm pretty sure they do, but can't find the rule to support it.

A 684

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/armor.htm
"Weight figures are for armor sized to fit Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much."
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm
"Weight figures are for Medium weapons. A Small weapon weighs half as much, and a Large weapon weighs twice as much."

[StreamOfTheSky]

Q 685
Fire Seeds ...what happens when you miss? Specifically in this case, the acorn grenade version, which is treated as a splash weapon.

If you miss the target (whether aiming at a creature or a grid intersection), roll 1d8. This determines the misdirection of the throw, with 1 being straight back at you and 2 through 8 counting clockwise around the grid intersection or target creature. Then, count a number of squares in the indicated direction equal to the range increment of the throw.

But Fire Seeds doesn't have a range increment, just a range of 100 ft.

Last session, a player tried tossing one at an enemy inside a murderous mist created by the party's druid. The foe thus had 20% concealment. He got the touch AC, but failed the concealment roll, then rolled a 1 on the d8, and I had no idea where the heck the grenade ends up. I decided in the end that the range increment is effectively "100 ft or however far it was thrown" (it was like 95 ft, so it didn't matter much) and he ended up splashing himself for 16 damage. The caster did not agree with my ruling, though.

How is it supposed to work?

[Venger]

Q 685
Fire Seeds ...what happens when you miss? Specifically in this case, the acorn grenade version, which is treated as a splash weapon.



But Fire Seeds doesn't have a range increment, just a range of 100 ft.

Last session, a player tried tossing one at an enemy inside a murderous mist created by the party's druid. The foe thus had 20% concealment. He got the touch AC, but failed the concealment roll, then rolled a 1 on the d8, and I had no idea where the heck the grenade ends up. I decided in the end that the range increment is effectively "100 ft or however far it was thrown" (it was like 95 ft, so it didn't matter much) and he ended up splashing himself for 16 damage. The caster did not agree with my ruling, though.

How is it supposed to work?

A685 Fire seeds' acorn doesn't seem to actually be a splash weapon, it just deals splash damage. Consequently, the splash weapon rules shouldn't activate.

In any instance, your player was right. The splash rules have you count range increments in squares so you're not gonna be far enough off the mark to burn yourself most of the time. Either way, if the range increment is "100 feet or however far" then that's one range increment, so you would only count one square away from the target, not 20.

[flappeercraft]

Q686
If a magic weapon hits someone under the effects of both Starmantle (BoED) and Mystic Shield (AtEoS?) is the weapon destroyed?

[StreamOfTheSky]

A685 Fire seeds' acorn doesn't seem to actually be a splash weapon, it just deals splash damage. Consequently, the splash weapon rules shouldn't activate.

In any instance, your player was right. The splash rules have you count range increments in squares so you're not gonna be far enough off the mark to burn yourself most of the time. Either way, if the range increment is "100 feet or however far" then that's one range increment, so you would only count one square away from the target, not 20.

Depending on the version of fire seeds you choose, you turn acorns into splash weapons that you or another character can throw, or you turn holly berries into bombs that you can detonate on command.

It's possible I misinterpreted the meaning for the misfire range. I thought it meant "it misfires a distance equal to its range increment," but it's quite possible that wording actually means it lands a number of 5 ft squares away equal to how many range increments it is. Of course, that would mean if fire seeds just has a "range increment" of 100 ft that you'll always at least deal splash damage to the target since it has a 10 ft radius, which I'm not sure should be how it works, either....

[Skevvix]

A 683

I assume you meant to say "add shield AC to touch AC" and not "Wis to AC".

But no, they don't. Both feats let you use your shield bonus to Touch Ac, and bonuses with the same name don't stack

So for clarification, how is it that you can I your Wisdom bonus to ac multiple times?

[heavyfuel]

So for clarification, how is it that you can I your Wisdom bonus to ac multiple times?

A 683 - Clarification

I don't personally know if there's a way.

Taking levels in two classes that have such a class feature might work, however the two most famous ones - Monk and Swordsage - don't synergize because of the armor requirement. Swordsages have to wear light armor and monks have to wear no armor.

Usually, questions on "how" are better left for separate threads and not the RAW Q&A.

[Thurbane]

So for clarification, how is it that you can I your Wisdom bonus to ac multiple times?

As a side-note, this is probably a good place to check: [3.x] X stat to Y bonus

[inexorabletruth]

Q 687

What is the difference between HP and Bonus HP?

It's surprisingly unclear in the SRD, so thank you in advance if you have a good explanation.

[Crake]

Q688

Does a familiar with alternate form gain the bonus natural armor in their altered forms, or only in their natural form?

[Andezzar]

A 688

Only in their natural form, however it gains the antural armor of the new form:

The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, and movement modes of its original form, as well as any extraordinary special attacks of its original form not derived from class levels (such as the barbarian’s rage class feature).
The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its new form.