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

[Thurbane]

Q101: I have a monk and would like to take the benefit of thicket of blades. I do not want to multiclass because I want the spell resistance at higher level (for story reasons). I could consider getting a single level in something else, no more. do I have ways to get thicket of blades?

A101

You've got a couple of options:

1/2 of all non-initiator class levels count towards IL.

Thicket of Blades is a 3rd level Warblade stance, meaning you need IL 5.

So Monk 8/Warblade 1 could take the stance as the stance known for Warblade 1 (assuming you meet all the other reqs).

You could also get it with the Martial Stance feat, if you meet the reqs and have IL 5 (so Monk 10); you could take it as your 12th level feat.

Finally, there is the magic item option, usually as a Martial Script, which is a consumable item.

[edit] Ninja'd, while I was stuck on a phonecall :/ [/edit]

[Troacctid]

So Monk 8/Warblade 1 could take the stance as the stance known for Warblade 1 (assuming you meet all the other reqs).

This is incorrect—you can only gain a 1st level stance at Warblade 1.

[Thurbane]

This is incorrect—you can only gain a 1st level stance at Warblade 1.

Can I have a citation for that? My understanding is that you can take any stance that you meet the reqs for?

Never mind, I answered my own question:

http://archive.wizards.com/default.a...060802a&page=2

Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to warblades.

[edit] ninja'd from being on the phone again! :P [/edit]

[Troacctid]

Can I have a citation for hat? My understanding is that you can take any stance that you meet the reqs for?

You are specifically granted a 1st level stance at level 1.

Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to warblades.

Contrast with the wording for maneuvers, which does allow for higher-level choices.

Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and White Raven.

[heavyfuel]

Q 100

How do the feats Combat Expertise and Stone Colossus (RoF) interact?

Say I have both feats, and take a -5 penalty to hit. Do I gain a +5 dodge bonus and +5 natural armor bonus to AC?

A 100

Using either feat is independent from using the other. If you use Combat Expertise for -5/+5, you don't get the bonus from Stone Colossus. The reverse is also true.

However, nothing says you can't use both at one. So you could take -5 on Combat Expertise and -5 on Stone Colossus and gain a total of +10 AC

[St Fan]

Q 102

A question about items familiars:

If you ever lose the chosen item (have it removed from your possession for a continuous period of more than one day per level) or if the item is destroyed, you automatically lose 200 XP per level as well as all benefits derived from possessing the linked item (plus any resources you put into the item). If you recover the item, you regain these XP. You may replace a lost or destroyed item familiar after you have advanced one level, as if you were gaining an item familiar for the first time.

The consequences for losing an item and having it destroyed are the same. However, let's say you've lost an item, and forged a bond with a new one on your next level.

What happen then if you recover the original item that you believed were lost forever?

I doubt you can have two item familiars, so my guess is that forging the new link severed the previous one, making it lose its item familiar properties.

But it would still have its original magic, as well as any other improvements made to it by the same processus as other magical items...

[Arkhios]

Q 103

another question about familiars in general:

Starting at its master's 3rd level, a familiar can deliver a touch spell. How would this ability interact with Produce Flame? could your familiar hold the charge and deliver the touch attacks, and while just holding it, shed light like a torch?

[Muktidata]

Q.104

The Divine Oracle prestige class requires that you be able to cast two Divine Spells for entry. Can those be satisfied by two cantrips? Please provide citations.

[Skevvix]

A 104. Yes, pg 35 of Complete Divine has no mention of spell level in the requirements.

[heavyfuel]

Q.104

The Divine Oracle prestige class requires that you be able to cast two Divine Spells for entry. Can those be satisfied by two cantrips? Please provide citations.

A 104 - Continuation.

Divine Oracle requires you be able to cast two divination spells, not two divine spells. They can, however, be cantrips/orisons.

[Goaty14]

Q 105

The Inspire Courage handbook mentions that having a level in Sorcerer grants the dragonblood subtype. Is this true?

[Venger]

A 105 No, it's not.

[St Fan]

Q 106

Perusing some forums, I've seen the general thinking seems to be that it is legit by RAW to use Cleave after an Attack of Opportunity that fell its victim, but is considered illogical (after all, the second target didn't provoke an AoO) and thus frequently houseruled against.

However, I do believe there is a RAW argument against it. The rules for Making an Attack of Opportunity state:

"An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack," and also that "[The Combat Reflexes] feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity,"...

To me, "a single melee attack" would preclude any Cleave to follow. Only feats that explicitly allow more than one melee attack on an AoO (which do exist, like Double Hit from the Miniatures Handbook) can break this limit.

Am I correct with this interpretation?

Q 107
While I'm at it, this made me think of something else...

The few techniques adding a supplementary attack in exchange for a to-hit malus (most often -2) on all attacks (like Flurry of Blows or Snap Kick) usually specify that the malus carry over to attacks of opportunity made after your turn. In fact, as far as I know it is the case for any technique that lower your chance to hit, like Combat Expertise or Power Attack.

However, is it the case with Two-Weapon Fighting? Do you still have the malus to your primary hand to Attacks of Opportunity following an off-hand attack?

What made me wonder is how exactly it interacts with the aforementioned "Double Hit" feat...

When making an attack of opportunity, you may make an attack with your off hand against the same target at the same time. You must decide before your first attack roll whether you want to also use your off hand. If you do, both attacks take the standard penalties for fighting with two weapons.

[Venger]

A 106 No

A 107 Yes. Yes.

Double hit doesn't change anything. You follow twfing rules normally.

[St Fan]

A 106 No

A 107 Yes. Yes.

I'd love to see an actual argument rather than terse answers.

[Thurbane]

Q 108

Does wearing a spiked gauntlet impede the use of that hand for other tasks, such as wielding a different weapon, casting spells or using a skill such as Disable Device? Citation needed if possible, please.

[jdizzlean]

Q 109

RAI for the Dragonborn template seems to be that you must be good, but RAW doesn't explicitly state that it has a alignment restriction. Can you in fact be evil and be a dragonborn?

[Thurbane]

A 109

You don't need to be good, but you do need to be non-evil:

Prerequisites: In order to be accepted as a suitable candidate, the supplicant must be non-evil and have an Intelligence score of at least 3.

There are also consequences to becoming evil after gaining the template, as per the Tarnished Dragonborn section (RotD p.15).

[Blue Jay]

Q 110

Does the duskblade's Arcane Channeling ability allow him to channel a spell from a wand?

[Venger]

A 108 You only take penalties that are printed. Spiked gauntlet and "finesse"-like skills such as disable device lack any such proviso that spiked gauntlets impede their operation. You take no penalty, but I can't cite what doesn't exist.


A 110 No.

[Wacky89]

Q 111
Can i use the power Animal Affinity multiple times to different stats or does it count as same source and doesnt stack?

Q 112
If i have supernatural transformation for my psionic powers. Are every power standard action to manifest or do they have their normal manifest time?

[Venger]

A 111 Yes, you can use it on multiple stats.

A 112 Supernatural transformation doesn't affect manifesting time. It is unchanged.

[Troacctid]

Q 111
Can i use the power Animal Affinity multiple times to different stats or does it count as same source and doesnt stack?

If the bonus is to a different attribute, then the stacking rules don't come into play, so this works fine.

Q 112
If i have supernatural transformation for my psionic powers. Are every power standard action to manifest or do they have their normal manifest time?

Supernatural Transformation only works on an innate spell-like ability. "My psionic powers" is not a legal choice.

[Arkhios]

I'd love to see an actual argument rather than terse answers.

This is simple RAW thread, not the place for arguments when the answer is as simple as that. If you want to have an argument about the topic, either for or against, start a separate thread.

[St Fan]

A 111 contention

A 111 Yes, you can use it on multiple stats.

If the bonus is to a different attribute, then the stacking rules don't come into play, so this works fine.

You are both wrong.

Same Effect with Differing Results
The same power or spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. The last effect in a series trumps the others. None of the previous spells or powers are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell or power in the series lasts.

No spell or power stack with itself, unless there is a specific exception given in the spell/power's description.

Animal Affinity only affect one attribute, and initiating it again just replace which attribute, overriding the previous use.

To affect more than one attribute, you specifically use the "Augment" variant of the power, which cost 5 additional power points. Trying to cheap out by initiating the power again isn't allowed, and it would render this option nonsensical.

[Venger]

A 111 again We both already answered this question correctly. Please don't muddy the waters.

The augment allows you to boost more than one ability simultaneously. That's the utility it offers over manifesting the power once for strength and once for dexterity, for example.

[Troacctid]

A 111 contention





You are both wrong.




No spell or power stack with itself, unless there is a specific exception given in the spell/power's description.

Animal Affinity only affect one attribute, and initiating it again just replace which attribute, overriding the previous use.

To affect more than one attribute, you specifically use the "Augment" variant of the power, which cost 5 additional power points. Trying to cheap out by initiating the power again isn't allowed, and it would render this option nonsensical.

I'll answer this as if it were another question.

You've referenced the stacking rules from the SRD, which is stripped of the examples. Here is the original text from the PHB.

The same spell can sometimes produce varying effects if applied to the same recipient more than once. For example, a series of polymorph spells might turn a creature into a mouse, a lion, and then a snail. In this case, the last spell in the series trumps the others. None of the previous spells are actually removed or dispelled, but their effects become irrelevant while the final spell in the series lasts.

The rules go on to clarify how it works when spells are rendered irrelevant.

Sometimes, one spell can render a later spell irrelevant. For example, if a wizard is using a shapechange spell to take the shape of an eagle, a polymorph spell could change her into a goldfish. The shapechange spell is not negated, however, and since the polymorph spell has no effect on the recipient’s special abilities, the wizard could use the shapechange effect to take any form the spell allows whenever she desires. If a creature using a shapechange effect becomes petrified by a flesh to stone spell, however, it turns into a mindless, inert statue, and the shapechange effect cannot help it escape.

TL;DR the previous castings are still active and providing their bonuses. New castings do nothing to override that.

[Blue Jay]

Q 110

Does the duskblade's Arcane Channeling ability allow him to channel a spell from a wand?

Sorry, I have a corollary to add, because I forgot one piece of the question.

Q 110b

A duskblade cannot channel a spell from a wand. Is there an exception if he's got the wand in a wand chamber in his weapon?

[Venger]

A 110b That does not change the answer. Arcane channeling allows a duskblade to channel spells that he gets via slots from being a duskblade. Regardless of how he owns, handles, or uses wands, arcane channeling does not allow him to use wands.

[Blue Jay]

A 110b That does not change the answer. Arcane channeling allows a duskblade to channel spells that he gets via slots from being a duskblade. Regardless of how he owns, handles, or uses wands, arcane channeling does not allow him to use wands.

Technically, it says he can channel any spell he knows: it doesn't restrict him to just his duskblade spells.

Okay, no more tangents, Blue Jay.