Simple Q&A D&D 3.5 (by RAW) XXI

[Lord Haart]

Q612
Is a character that has fly speed (i. e., from Fly spell) able to start falling on purpose (not descending at double speed or safely floating down but truly falling with all consequences as if he wasn't able to fly at all)? If so, what kind of action would it take?

[Curmudgeon]

A 612 No.

The Fly spell is explicit both in what happens when using the granted fly speed, and in what happens when its effect ends.

Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.

Voluntary choices effectively end the effect, resulting in a slow descent for 1d6 rounds. A Fly subject can fall normally only if they are in an Antimagic Field.

[Khedrac]

A609 No - alternative class features are only applicable to that class.

A610 this can't be adressed solely RAW for much the same reasons as Drowning - (round 3 says "they drown" but does not say what that means). So adding in real world and common sense (oops) we get:
Plants breath yes, and they can be suffocated (if you stop them photosynthesising) but strangulation requires an ariway to be blocked - somthign normal plants, and by extension treants, do not possess - therefore no strangulation
Eating - most plants "eat" soil - they absorb nutrients from the soil (or whatever they are groing on). If they photosynthesise they make energy storing compounds from CO2 using sunlight as an energy source. Carnivorous plants require extra nutrients they cannot otherwise get through their roots - either they soil is too mineral poor (or non-existent) or too toxic. Given rich soil most stop developing the inect/animal traps! So treants can be starved, expect it to take a very long time. (Note some plants can break down rock, sicne treants are based on Tolkein's ents they can probably do this surprsingly quickly.)

[Dark Kerman]

Q 613
What spells can detect alignment, in both items and creatures?

[Andezzar]

A 613

Detect [Alignment] does the trick. You would need all four of them to pinpoint the alignment.

I'm pretty sure some of the "ask your deity" spells would also work.

Q 614

If a creature with a base land speed of 30ft. wears medium or heavy armor (movement down to 20ft.), puts on boots of springing and striding (+10 ft. enhancement bonus to speed) and gets hasted (+30f enhancement bonus to speed, not more than twice the normal speed), is its speed 40, 50 or 60 ft?

[Menteith]

Q615
Can a Cloistered Cleric trade their Knowledge Domain through Divine Magician, or does it have to be one of their other domains?

[Mightypickle]

Q616

Is it necessary to make a concentration check to activate a wand or similar magic item in adverse conditions? (Say, a storm for instance)

Q617

Also, does using a wand ever provoke an AoO?

[willpell]

A617

Not generally; I won't swear to "not ever", but under usual circumstances you don't provoke. An AoO generally means you had to preoccupy yourself long enough to let your guard down; a wand just has to be pointed while saying a command word, so by default it doesn't open you up to extra attacks, the way reading a scroll or thinking up a full spell would. The guy who made the wand already did that part for you.

[Sponson]

Q 618
A. If a spellsword channels Dispel Magic into his weapon and attempts to sunder the opponent's weapon, would the Dispel Magic effect remove all magical qualities of the weapon before I roll for sunder attempt (because it is an intended "targeting dispel")?

B. Conversely, if I channel Lightning Bolt and attempt to Combat Brute - Sundering Cleave a target, does the Lightning Bolt go off when it sunders against the weapon, or when it hits the opponent?

C. Am I able to choose?

Q 619
If I trip an opponent with a Battering Ram channeled into my weapon, does it go off when I trip them - or when I hit them with my melee attack via Improved Trip?

How does this interact with a simultaneous Brutal Surge? Do they go x+y distance? Or just which ever is further?

[Andezzar]

Repost time:

Q 521

Is the CON damage from a charge attack doubled on a valorous wounding weapon? What about a valorous wounding lance?

Q 522

Is there a cheaper way to get double damage on a charge and CON damage on a weapon than +1 valorous wounding (32k)?

[Pandyman]

Q 620 What craft skill would you use to craft glasswork items, if using core books only? (Eg. glasses with corrective lenses, glass mugs, etc)

[Andezzar]

A 620

There is no listed skill for such an itme, but the list of skills is not exhaustive. The DM could invent a sill for such an itme. I'd say it's Craft (Glassworking).

Q 621

Do you have to be an epic character to use the epic usages of skills?

[Curmudgeon]

A 615 No.

Divine Magician is an ACF for the standard Cleric class, not the Cloistered Cleric variant. The text of the ACF is explicit:

You gain only one domain (including spells and granted power) at 1st level, rather than two.

Use of this ACF requires that you gain only one domain; that would hold even if you're allowed to apply Divine Magician to Cloistered Cleric. The specification is in terms of what you're left with rather than what you give up.

A 621 No.

There is no such requirement.

[whibla]

A614

Firstly, the enhancement bonuses to speed, from the boots and the haste spell, do not stack. Secondly, the bonus is applied to your base move (all modes of..).

So, with this in mind, your armoured movement rate, while hasted, would be 40' (down from a base of 60').

If your haste ran out, and you were still wearing your boots then your armoured movement rate would be 30' (down from a base of 40').

[Crake]

Q622
Does a boost to speed that doesn't specify what movement speed it applies to apply to all movement speeds (example: speed of thought and the xeph "burst" ability)? If this is the case, since the winged template from savage species has a speed of landspeed(note that it does not say base land speed)+20, would it apply twice to their flight speed, since it increases land speed and also flight speed?

[Accordion Twome]

Q623: Does a monster with natural attacks and/or improved grab have to get the improved unarmed strike feat before it it can get the improved grapple feat?

[willpell]

Q623: Does a monster with natural attacks and/or improved grab have to get the improved unarmed strike feat before it it can get the improved grapple feat?

A623
Per RAW, yes. I encourage asking the DM to rule otherwise.

[Baphomet]

Man, Curmudgeon, you're on a roll. Thanks!
One more real quick:
Q624:
If a creature immune to mind-affecting spells has a geas or other compulsory spell cast on them, can they pretend it worked via some clever bluffing or does the caster know it failed?

[powerdemon]

Q 625

Besides Bracers of Armor, and the Robe of the Archmagi, what non-armor items can be enchanted with armor enchantments?

[mattie_p]

A 624: The caster knows it fails.

Check the saving throw under spell descriptions:

Succeeding on a Saving Throw

A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature’s saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.

The "you" referred to above is the caster. The caster is able to sense if the spell affects the target(s).

[soulsabre345]

Q 626

If a Raptoran becomes a Dragonborn, they keep their wings, but do they keep the +10 to jump checks?

[Menteith]

Q627
Can a tower shield be wielded with two hands?

[Curmudgeon]

A 626 No.

Wing-Aided Movement: Raptorans can use their wings to help with movement even if they can’t fly yet. The extra lift from her wings gives a raptoran a +10 racial bonus on Jump checks.

Speed: You retain your original base land speed, as well as any other modes of movement possessed by your original race. Other racial traits related to speed or movement, such as the dwarf’s ability to move at full speed in medium or heavy armor, are lost.

The Raptoran Jump check bonus is a trait related to movement, and is consequently lost after the Rite of Rebirth.

A 627 No.

You can't wield a tower shield.

Shield, Tower

This massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your AC. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must give up your attacks to do so. The shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding. You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else.

Shield Bash Attacks

You can bash an opponent with a light shield or heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon.

[St Fan]

Q 628

Can an extraplanar creature able to cast Dimensional Anchor cast the spell on herself to become immune to Dismissal, Banishment or similar spells or effects (including the banishment portion of a Holy Word)?

[Baphomet]

A 624: The caster knows it fails.

Check the saving throw under spell descriptions:



The "you" referred to above is the caster. The caster is able to sense if the spell affects the target(s).

I had read that, but wasn't sure if it applied since the cause for failure isn't a saving throw, but an immunity. Regardless, thanks!

[Curmudgeon]

A 628

Yes, assuming their attack roll is higher than their touch AC.

[Thurbane]

Q 629

Is there any feats, class abilities or anything else that can reduce the -2 to hit penalty suffered while using a Tower Shield in combat?

[willpell]

Man, Curmudgeon, you're on a roll.

Not that I disagree, but do notice that Whibla is using the same avatar as Curmudgeon.

[willpell]

Q630
The Monster Manual and Planar Handbook both list Tieflings as having resistance to Electricity as well as Fire and Cold. This makes them more resistant than Fiendish creatures, which I thought was odd, so I looked them up in Races of Destiny to see if it was the same there. Only to find that this book's Tiefling entry apparently omits the resistances altogether. I'm assuming it's just a misprint, but was it ever errata'ed?

Q31
As Outsiders, do Aasimars and Tielfings have proficiency with all simple and martial weapons regardless of their class?

[Andezzar]

A 631

Yes, that is part of the Outsider type.

Q632

Who qualifies for Human only items and abilites? Only someone whose Race is Human or anyone whose subtype is Human?