Simple RAW Thread for 3.5 #34: Mere mortal, not immortal, not starcrossed, anymore

[Venger]

A 77 Channel charge. Lost empires of Faerun p7

[Troacctid]

Q 77
What's the name of the feat that allows for one to use a spell slot to fuel a wand (essentially turning wands into cheaper knowstones)?

Wand Bonding, from City of Stormreach.

[Arkhios]

A 76
Your character level.

Re 76: Your quote is specifically about familiars, not animal companions. Note, that I was asking about an animal companion, not a familiar. Besides, that was part of the reason why I'm asking it. I know how to handle it for a familiar, but not how I would handle it for an animal companion. Animal Companion ≠ Familiar. Share Spells for an animal companion does *not* specify the nature of the spells which apply to it, so they could just as well be from wizard spell list as from druid spell list.

[Necroticplague]

Re 76: Your quote is specifically about familiars, not animal companions. Note, that I was asking about an animal companion, not a familiar. Besides, that was part of the reason why I'm asking it. I know how to handle it for a familiar, but not how I would handle it for an animal companion. Animal Companion ≠ Familiar. Share Spells for an animal companion does *not* specify the nature of the spells which apply to it, so they could just as well be from wizard spell list as from druid spell list.

Re:Re 76:
Ah, sorry, misread your question. Here's the closest I can find:

Animal Companion Basics: Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Class Level: The character’s druid level. The druid’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.

Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Consitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

So, by all appearences, since an Animal Companion doesn't have any special kind of exception like a Familiar does, you'd use the Companion's HD normally.

[Arkhios]

Re:Re 76:
Ah, sorry, misread your question. Here's the closest I can find:


So, by all appearences, since an Animal Companion doesn't have any special kind of exception like a Familiar does, you'd use the Companion's HD normally.

Still not sure if that answers to the core of my question. Let me rephrase it:

If I cast Tenser's Transformation on my animal companion, which one does the 'your character level' in the spell's description refer to: the character who casts the spell or the targeted creature with Share Spells ability? Note that the creature does not cast the spell itself. As is, personal spells are intended to be cast on yourself, but, to me, Share Spells seems to create a corner case loophole for which I couldn't find a clear answer to.

[Falontani]

Does the alternate class feature Spiritual Totem: Bear's Improved Grab work on weapon attacks? Only Unarmed strikes? How does it function, it only links the actual improved grab ability which states it should be noted in the creature's entry which attack qualifies.

[Troacctid]

Does the alternate class feature Spiritual Totem: Bear's Improved Grab work on weapon attacks? Only Unarmed strikes? How does it function, it only links the actual improved grab ability which states it should be noted in the creature's entry which attack qualifies.

A 78

It works as the standard Improved Grab ability.

If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.

Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.

A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature’s descriptive text).

When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.

When you hit a creature with a melee weapon, you can start a grapple as a free action if they're at least one size smaller than you. You can choose to take -20 on grapple checks to not be considered grappled yourself. If you successfully grapple them, they are pulled into your space.

[Debatra]

Still not sure if that answers to the core of my question. Let me rephrase it:

If I cast Tenser's Transformation on my animal companion, which one does the 'your character level' in the spell's description refer to: the character who casts the spell or the targeted creature with Share Spells ability? Note that the creature does not cast the spell itself. As is, personal spells are intended to be cast on yourself, but, to me, Share Spells seems to create a corner case loophole for which I couldn't find a clear answer to.

Whenever a spell description says "you", "your", etc., it is referring to the caster.

[lylsyly]

Q79 What is the least resisted (immunities, ect) energy type?

[Troacctid]

Q79 What is the least resisted (immunities, ect) energy type?

Sonic, followed by acid.

[Nich_Critic]

Q80 How does movement with multiple modes/speeds work? If have a 30 ft move speed and a 60ft fly speed, and move 15 feet then begin to fly, what is the farthest I'm allowed to move?

[Arkhios]

Q80 How does movement with multiple modes/speeds work? If have a 30 ft move speed and a 60ft fly speed, and move 15 feet then begin to fly, what is the farthest I'm allowed to move?

A80 (tentative)

I believe the 15 ft. movement on ground counts against the total fly speed, so you could still fly 45 ft. afterwards. But I'm not entirely sure of this.

[Falontani]

A80 (tentative)

I believe the 15 ft. movement on ground counts against the total fly speed, so you could still fly 45 ft. afterwards. But I'm not entirely sure of this.

This is correct

[St Fan]

Q 81

My question is: can you retrain a feat that is its own prerequisite?

Okay, that sounds weird, so let’s develop a bit. The retraining rules for feats specify...

If the new feat has prerequisites, not only must your character meet them in his current state, but you must also be able to show that he met them at the time you chose the previous feat.

So, early in his career, a character has taken a feat with the slot at level 3, let’s say Deflect Arrows. Later on, he gains Deflect Arrows as a bonus feat. Having now two redundant feats, he decides to retrain the first on his next level up.

Now, can he choose the exchange to be for a feat with Deflect Arrows as a prerequisite (like Spinning Defense)?

He fulfills the condition of meeting the prerequisite in his current state, thanks to the bonus feat. He also met the prerequisite at level 3, since he could have taken the feat at the time save for the fact he didn’t have enough feat slots. However, the feat slot used for the exchange is the one that provides said prerequisite, meaning he couldn’t have taken Spinning Defense at the time with this one slot for lack of Deflect Arrows...

[Nich_Critic]

This is correct

Q80 follow up I have one player in the game saying that the answer should be 15, since as a move action you're allowed to move up to your speed, which is 30. He would also claim that if you began the move by flying, you could move 60 ft whether some of it was walking or not.

Another interprets speed to be the rate at which you can move in one move action, so if you mix modes, you need to account for the different rate of speed. If you move 15 ft on land of your 30, you've used up half your movement, so you are only entitled to half your fly movement, which is 30ft of 60. (As an aside, I believe this is roughly how it works if you do something like tumble or swim without a swim speed. In effect, since the fly speed is twice the ground speed, you move 10 ft for each 5ft of movement spent, just like when you tumble at half speed, you move 5 ft for each 10ft spent. I don't know if that should affect the argument at all)

Are either of those positions defensible?

[Jopustopin]

Q82: The half-ogre in races of destiny has the giant type. Armor pricing indicates "humanoids" vs "non-humanoids". I've always read this pricing as being sort of generic term for humanoid in which even an ogre would be basically humanoid shaped. Is this false? Does the armor for a half-ogre cost X4 for being large and for him not being a humanoid? What about a half-dragon human?

[Venger]

A 80 There is no definitive RAW answer to this. It is beyond the scope of the thread.

A 81 This is specifically disallowed. You didn't qualify at level 3, so you can't take it.

A 82 Yes, it's using the term "humanoid" in the colloquial sense, meaning bipedal with 2 arms, 2 legs, one or more heads and a tail. You don't pay extra

[Malimar]

Q83

Weapons of Legacy: How do you tell which Legacy Item Abilities are Least, Lesser, or Greater?

[Venger]

A 83 It's in the index starting on p 188.

[Malimar]

Q83 Addendum

I meant for the existing Weapons of Legacy in Chapter 3, not for the purpose of creating new ones. Or is the only way to determine which abilities are Least/Lesser/Greater really to consult the Ability Menus? What about abilities that aren't in the menus?

(This is probably a dumb obvious question but I've scanned the whole book for an explanation and can't find one. I suspect it's as simple as "abilities unlocked at 5-10 are Least, 11-15 are Lesser, and 16-20 are Greater", but I can't find it saying that anywhere.)

[Sir_Chivalry]

Q84 So let's say I'm a character with ranks in Tumble and wearing medium or heavy armour (or carrying a heavy load), can I still make use of abilities like Drunken Master's Stagger:

Stagger (Ex): By tripping, stumbling, and staggering, a drunken master of 2nd level or higher can make a charge attack that surprises his opponents. This ability has two beneficial aspects: First, the charge need not be in a straight line, even though the character can still move up to twice his speed. Second, if a drunken master makes a DC 15 Tumble check before beginning a charge, his movement through threatened squares provokes no attacks of opportunity.

Or does the prohibition against using Tumble while speed is reduced carry over to using the skill for class features?

[Venger]

A 83 Yeah, you've got it basically figured out

A 84 You could use the first part of the ability, but not the second, since you can't use tumble in bulky armor. Activating stagger still necessitates hitting a tumble dc, which is using the skill.

[Vaern]

Q85 A

Can the tarrasque die by drowning?
The tarrasque's regeneration ability states that no form of attack can deal lethal damage to it.
However, the description of regeneration explicitly states that it does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation. Drowning is not a form of attack - merely a hazard of having lungs - and one might say that adjusting its health directly to 0, then -1, and then -10 is not necessarily "dealing damage" to it.

Q85 B

If drowning can't "kill" a tarrasque, would it at least still be reduced to -1 HP and unable to recover via its regeneration ability?

[Venger]

A 85a/b No. This is an effect that would kill it instantly, so in the third round after failing its save, it would take 868 points of nonlethal damage as described in its regeneration ability.

[Luckmann]

Q 86:

Is there anything preventing weapons from being enchanted with non-weapon enchantments, such as +Skill, Ability bonus, AC bonus, etc?

[Necroticplague]

Q 86:

Is there anything preventing weapons from being enchanted with non-weapon enchantments, such as +Skill, Ability bonus, AC bonus, etc?

A 86:
No, but there is also not anything that allows for it, so they can't, by default.

For your examples, 'weapon' or 'held' isn't even a possibility for the Common Magic Item Effects table.

[Sloanzilla]

Q87: The Luckstealer's (Races of the Wild) "Curse of the Fatespurned" is a spell-like ability. Would the roll to overcome spell resistance while attempting to use the curse be D20 + total caster level or D20 + the level of luckstealer?

[Troacctid]

Q87: The Luckstealer's (Races of the Wild) "Curse of the Fatespurned" is a spell-like ability. Would the roll to overcome spell resistance while attempting to use the curse be D20 + total caster level or D20 + the level of luckstealer?

I don't see anything saying that spell resistance applies to it at all. But the general rule is that you use the caster level of the effect to determine whether that effect can beat spell resistance, and the caster level of a spell-like ability is equal to your character level unless otherwise specified.

[Sloanzilla]

OK thanks. All I had was that it was a spell like ability (so SR often applies) and that the SAVE (not spell resistance), is based on the prestige class level. If spell resistance were based on prestige class, however, you'd never be able to overcome it.

(Luckstealers lose one caster level upon entry).

[flappeercraft]

Q88
For the purpose of Miracle replicating spells, would sanctified and or corrupt spells count as being on the cleric list or on the "any other list".