D&D 3e/3.5e/d20The forum for conversations specifically related to the rules and procedures of Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition, 3.5 Edition, or any fantasy game using the d20 system or a variant thereof (commercially published or not).
Q902: Buffs like Nerveskitter that last for one round mean that your initiative drops on round #2? Doesnt initiative also drop if you get dmg dmg/drain etc?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Endelehia
A902
You roll once per combat for initiative,and that check applies for all the rounds of the combat.It doesn't change due to ability damage/boost.
A902
It says so in the phb in the chapter explaining combat,under the initiative paragraph.You can find an online document that explains its more thoroughly at the link bellow.
If a creature uses Alternate Form to assume the form of a human, what are its physical ability scores?
A 859: Humans have no ability modifiers.
Edit: I misunderstood the question, forgetting that Alternate Form gives you the ability scores of the creature you become, rather than the modifiers. As humans have no standard statblock, I don't believe there is a proper source that you could obtain the physical ability scores from.
However, you may be able to reverse engineer them. The way to determine racial ability modifiers for creatures that do not list them is to subtract 10 or 11 from them (or the score from 10/11, if a penalty). Humans have no modifiers, so it follows that their physical ability scores are either 10 or 11 across the board.
Wouldn't that mean that the creature would lose its racial ability modifiers while being human? So an elf could give up his Dexterity (or Intelligence for Sun Elves) and gain back the Constitution he gave up by being an elf?
I think the creature polymorphed into a human would gain the standard array of aility scores:
Quote:
Originally Posted by MMI p.6 f.
This line lists the creature’s ability scores, in the customary order: Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha. Except where noted otherwise, each creature is assumed to have the standard array of ability scores before racial adjustments (all 11s and 10s). To determine any creature’s racial ability adjustments, subtract 10 from any even-numbered ability score and subtract 11 from any odd-numbered score. (Exceptions are noted in the Combat section of a creature’s descriptive text.) Humanoid warriors are generally built using the nonelite array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8. Advanced creatures (such as the hound archon hero) are built using the elite array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8.
So the resulting human would have 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8 regardless of the stats of the target of the spell.
Hey all. I have a friend who insists that if you are standing on a grease spell or ice or a narrow surface you are 'balancing', even if you don't move. (and thus are vulnerable to sneak attack damage)
I insist that you are only 'balancing' if you are required to make a 'balance check', by moving across said surface. My argument is that it doesn't say anywhere in the rules that you have to make a balance check on a difficult surface unless you attempt to move across it, and thus you're not balancing and therefore not vulnerable to sneak attack damage.
For example, when someone casts a grease spell under you, you have to make a Reflex save to not fall prone. You make a balance check if you try move through it (and only if you try to move through it, not if you simply stay put to attack or defend) at which point you are flat footed and vulnerable to an attack of opportunity with sneak attack damage. If you don't try to move, you're not required to balance so you're not flat footed. Yes? No?
I see in the rules that slippery surfaces like ice increase the DC of any balance checks made, but do not require that you actually make one just for being there. Actually ice doesn't seem to require a balance check for regular movement either...
Anyways, if anyone can shed some light on this I'd be happy. Thanks.
Hey all. I have a friend who insists that if you are standing on a grease spell or ice or a narrow surface you are 'balancing', even if you don't move.
A 909
No, you are not balancing unless you use the Balance skill, and you cease balancing when you take any action which does not involve a Balance check. In D&D, walking across a precarious surface involves balancing, but merely standing on that surface does not. That's because there is no D&D action involved with standing in place, and a Balance check is tied to some action.
Quote:
Action: None. A Balance check doesn’t require an action; it is made as part of another action or as a reaction to a situation.
I think the creature polymorphed into a human would gain the standard array of aility scores:
Where is it indicated that Polymorph turns you into an 'average' specimen of the target species? I though you keep your stats, adjusted by the target race's modifiers.
Where is it indicated that Polymorph turns you into an 'average' specimen of the target species? I though you keep your stats, adjusted by the target race's modifiers.
C 859: The question wasn't about polymorph, though.
So I'm homebrewing on that Fox and Tree discipline and I say to myself, "Hey, that's a neat idea for a high level boost — create short-lived walls of wood! When it comes time to figure out quite how it works, I'll just reference the wall of wood spell as a template." After an hour of searching around, I've got to ask...
Does this game even have a wall of wood spell?! Maybe not that name, specifically, but a spell that makes a wall of wood? Anywhere??
For the Totemist class, can you shape any meld available to the class at any time, as long as you don't bind it to a chakra that's unavailable to you?
As a follow-up question, can you bind any meld to your totem chakra after level 2? (I want to know how early in the class I can get the Totem chakra benefit of blink shirt.
No, you are not balancing unless you use the Balance skill, and you cease balancing when you take any action which does not involve a Balance check. In D&D, walking across a precarious surface involves balancing, but merely standing on that surface does not. That's because there is no D&D action involved with standing in place, and a Balance check is tied to some action.
C 909
I am the friend here, and what is actually in question here is whether or not something loses its dex bonus, or is considered flat footed while being attacked on ice, loose rocks, or grease (mundane or magical, as in the Grease spell).
Edit: To clarify further, this should include climbing, standing on a narrow ledge, tightrope, or other precarious surface. It is not explicitly RAW, but I'm not really sure it has to be. One must make a Balance check when receiving damage, so why would they not be "considered balancing" while under attack or duress? If someone is standing on a tightrope and not "considered Balancing", they would be considered "Falling to the Ground". By virtue of remaining upright, one is balancing successfully. Am I way off base here?
Last edited by Empathaur : 09-17-2012 at 12:32 PM.
Reason: Clarity, Additional Points
Q 912
For the Totemist class, can you shape any meld available to the class at any time, as long as you don't bind it to a chakra that's unavailable to you?
Correct. Each soulmeld occupies a chakra, and has the option to be bound to that chakra; if you don't have access to the bind, the chakra can still be occupied, regardless of your level. (The same is true for the Incarnate and for a level 4+ Soulborn.) You are limited by level and Constitution as to how many soulmelds you can have at once, but not which ones.
Quote:
As a follow-up question, can you bind any meld to your totem chakra after level 2? (I want to know how early in the class I can get the Totem chakra benefit of blink shirt.
At or after Totemist level 2, you can bind any one soulmeld to your totem chakra. Before that you cannot.
You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing."
I believe what RustyNails wanted to know is whether you can be sneak-attacked simply because you are standing, but not moving, on a slippery or precarious surface. I would answer yes (in agreement with Empathaur) – unless you have 5 or more ranks in Balance skill. What matters is not whether you are moving or standing on a slippery or precarious surface when somebody tries to sneak-attack you, but whether or not you have at least 5 ranks in Balance skill at the time.
You are considered flat-footed while balancing, since you can’t move to avoid a blow, and thus you lose your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). If you have 5 or more ranks in Balance, you aren’t considered flat-footed while balancing. If you take damage while balancing, you must make another Balance check against the same DC to remain standing."
I believe what RustyNails wanted to know is whether you can be sneak-attacked simply because you are standing, but not moving, on a slippery or precarious surface. I would answer yes (in agreement with Empathaur) – unless you have 5 or more ranks in Balance skill. What matters is not whether you are moving or standing on a slippery or precarious surface when somebody tries to sneak-attack you, but whether or not you have at least 5 ranks in Balance skill at the time.
Good point, 5 ranks in balance would simply put the whole debate to rest, in game at least. I understand the logic of saying that a character is 'balancing' when on a bad surface, but I prefer the rules, and see the logic in them as well. You are not technically balancing unless required to make a balance check. Simple. The game doesn't ask for balance checks except in certain situations, as a part of some other action. You're not climbing unless you make a climb check, you're not swimming unless you make a swim check, and you're not tumblinlg unless you make a tumble check.
Being attacked for example never demands a balance check, regardless of where you're standing. It just means you're flat footed (without 5 ranks in balance) and if you get hit, you have to make that same balance check again, which also demonstrates that you have been balancing already. Difficult surfaces increase the DC of a balance check, but they don't demand that you actually make a balance check for standing there, and it doesn't say anything about a person being 'considered balancing' either. Maybe the creators of the game gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and decided everyone could automatically 'balance' well enough if they just stayed put? I don't know. IRL I sure know that standing still on a narrow ledge once you've established your balance is a lot easier than walking along it. If it were in game I would still say that since I made that first balance check, even 5 turns later if I'm still up there not moving, I'm still flat-footed, due to having to make that first balance check. I honestly don't have a problem with that and see that as logical, if not irrelevant.
For a tight rope, one could argue that the tight rope under them is constantly moving, requiring balance checks each turn. For a very narrow ledge, the DM could house rule that you must make a balance check each round whether you're staying put or not. That supports the game rules.
Dipping Wu Jen 1 gives you a bonus metamagic feat and the ability to use spell completion items of Wu Jen unique spells (along with a decent selection of wiz/sorc spells).
(1) Are there rules anywhere for how long the different races have to sleep/trance/whatever?
(2) Are there rules anywhere for the specific "resting mode" ( = sleep, trance, ...) of the races?
I know of the 8 hours rules for spell casters. I know that occasionally you find comments on this, for instance in the nightmare spell description. But is there some place actually dedicated to this topic in the rules?
Using the Feat Retraining rules from the PHBII, if a martial adept retrains one of her feats to Martial Study or Martial Stance, can she take a Maneuver or Stance that she did not have the Initiator Level for at the time the retrained feat was originally taken?
Example: A 7th level Swordsage retrains her 3rd level feat to Martial Stance: Assassin's Stance.
She technically qualifies for the feat at the level being retrained, but not the benefit the feat grants.
You can exchange one of the feats you previously selected for another feat. 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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martial Study
Select any maneuver from the chosen discipline for which you meet the prerequisite.
Martial Study has a prerequisite statement inside its Benefit section. You must meet all feat prerequisites for retraining.
a.If the base race has natural armor,how that will work out in hybrid form? Will they stack,only the largest value will apply,or it will be just the animal na?
b.If the animal has extra movement modes ( burrow,fly etc),does the hybrid form gains them as well?
c.If you do in fact gain those movement modes,what the case with flying?Assuming that your hands are being morphed into wing-like extremities,you should be able to use them either for handling items or flying,but not both at the same time.
d.Animals HD provide 2 skill points,but what skills(if any) are on the list?
Last edited by Endelehia : 09-22-2012 at 09:48 AM.
A917d
There is no single fixed list of skills; each animal has a unique set of "class" skills that it can spend its RHD skill points on. Many animals have only Listen and Spot on this list; Climb and Swim are usually present for animals with those movement modes, and Hide and/or Move Silently are likely for stealthy types. Beyond that it's nigh-impossible to generalize, but unless you're making an animal up from scratch, the Monster Manual should have the answers you need - look under Animal in the Glossary for the general rules (which I'm pretty sure are "any skill in the statblock is a 'class' skill", but double-check that, I'm not certain true of skills which get huge racial bonuses but generally don't have ranks). Then go to the animal in the MM (or other sourcebook) and hopefully you'll find your answers.
The minimum is 1 damage per successful hit, not subdual unless the original weapon was. Yes you can kill someone by repeatedly stabbing them with a pixie-sized dagger while you are a pixie. (This is also why commoners fear housecats.)
Can a gaze attack affect you through a scrying sensor?
For example, suppose you cast the Scrying spell and try to scry on a medusa. Do you risk being petrified where you sit, even though the monster is miles away? Do all those miles count and place you safely out of range of the medusa's gaze attack? Because, if those miles don't count, the short distance between the medusa and the sensor, plus the even shorter distance between the mirror you are using to scry and you, would easily fall within range of the medusa's gaze attack. But then again, is that really the medusa you are looking at when you scry, or only a harmless image of it (in a mirror, no less)?
I've looked for a rule for this and haven't found one, though there really must be one somewhere. I have a talent for failing to see rules right in front of my face, which is one of the reasons why I value this thread, with its many sharp-eyed observers.
Last edited by Duke of Urrel : 09-19-2012 at 08:38 AM.
RSS Feeds: 
Re: Simple Q&A D&D 3.5 (by RAW) XXI
