Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer 26: Still better than CustServ

[Cephid Arcanis]

Q245:
How can I get an aura like effect for my level 12ish wizard?
I want beings nearby to actually feel his power. 'As The Frost' is great, but very short duration.
Anything to slow, crush, brain frizzle etc nearby beings?
Items?
Any way to add an effect to an aura spell/ability? (such as anticipate teleportation)

I think Body of the Sun is second level and persistable, if you want to go that route.  

Yeah, that could work. (with braces of entangling blast for fun.)

Is persist any good withour metamagic abuse?

Anyone know of a list of persistable arcane spells? I found several links but they had been wiped.

[Maat_Mons]

But, saying that it takes NO TIME AT ALL strongly implies that it doesn't impede other actions (which would explain why they're called "free" actions).

Yes, but I don't see how “doesn't impede other actions” can be taken as support for “can be taken when it's not your turn.”  The first relates to what free actions do and do not restrict, and the second relates to what free actions are and are not restricted by.  I don't think the one really gives any information about the other. 

Another bit of text I think is relevant is “When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions.”  Of course, there are exceptions to this, but I'm inclined to default to it unless there is clear reason not to. 

[Cephid Arcanis]

Guys, I can't believe you are still going on this.   

Immediate action: other turn if not flat footed.

Free, standard, full, swift: Own turn.

Talking: exception.

It it that simple. A DM can make any exception they like about your particular case, but rules are as above.

[radionausea]

Q. 246

Why do people take 4 levels of Prestige Paladin whenever put it in a build? Maybe I'm blind but I can't see anywhere that says you get access to Paladin spells at that level rather than any other. So why bother going that far just for remove disease?  What am I missing..?

[Esgath]

Q. 246

Why do people take 4 levels of Prestige Paladin whenever put it in a build? Maybe I'm blind but I can't see anywhere that says you get access to Paladin spells at that level rather than any other. So why bother going that far just for remove disease?  What am I missing..?

A 246: If you look at the bottom of page 71 in UA, the section called "Unique Spells" you will see, that one does definitely gain paladin spells to his spell list.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q. 246

Why do people take 4 levels of Prestige Paladin whenever put it in a build? Maybe I'm blind but I can't see anywhere that says you get access to Paladin spells at that level rather than any other. So why bother going that far just for remove disease?  What am I missing..?

A 246: If you look at the bottom of page 71 in UA, the section called "Unique Spells" you will see, that one does definitely gain paladin spells to his spell list.

That does not answer his question...

You add all of the Paladin spells to your list with even one level of Prestige Paladin. I've never seen a build that specifically took four levels, and have no idea why someone would, because at 4th level you lose another caster level and get nothing to show for it except Remove Disease, which of course is a joke ability... So I don't know the answer to the original question. I'd think either 1 or 3 levels would be optimal, depending on how much you cared about getting Charisma to saves and/or a mount.

[radionausea]

That's odd, pretty much every build on here that takes it that I've seen has 4 levels.

Off the top of my head:

Sample Builds:

Paladin of Sorrow?
Requires an alignment shift from LN to LG sometime over the course of ten levels - I'm sure that can be managed.
Dread Necromancer 1/Rainbow Servant 10/ Prestige Paladin 4/ Full casting 5
Prestige paladin gives access to the Sword of the Arcane Order feat, and hence wizard spells.  The two lost caster levels are worth it, especially with battle blessing as an option.  Play a kobold, throw on draconic archetypes, and add all druid spells as well.

but thanks for clarifying

[solara]

That's odd, pretty much every build on here that takes it that I've seen has 4 levels.

Off the top of my head:

Sample Builds:

Paladin of Sorrow?
Requires an alignment shift from LN to LG sometime over the course of ten levels - I'm sure that can be managed.
Dread Necromancer 1/Rainbow Servant 10/ Prestige Paladin 4/ Full casting 5
Prestige paladin gives access to the Sword of the Arcane Order feat, and hence wizard spells.  The two lost caster levels are worth it, especially with battle blessing as an option.  Play a kobold, throw on draconic archetypes, and add all druid spells as well.

but thanks for clarifying

Sword of the Arcane Order, which lets you prepare wizard spells in your Paladin spell slots, requires Paladin 4. That's the ONLY reason to take Prestige Paladin 4.

[Esgath]

Q. 246

Why do people take 4 levels of Prestige Paladin whenever put it in a build? Maybe I'm blind but I can't see anywhere that says you get access to Paladin spells at that level rather than any other. So why bother going that far just for remove disease?  What am I missing..?

A 246: If you look at the bottom of page 71 in UA, the section called "Unique Spells" you will see, that one does definitely gain paladin spells to his spell list.

That does not answer his question...

You add all of the Paladin spells to your list with even one level of Prestige Paladin. I've never seen a build that specifically took four levels, and have no idea why someone would, because at 4th level you lose another caster level and get nothing to show for it except Remove Disease, which of course is a joke ability... So I don't know the answer to the original question. I'd think either 1 or 3 levels would be optimal, depending on how much you cared about getting Charisma to saves and/or a mount.

As I reread it, I stumbled here:

UNIQUE SPELLS
... In general, any character who enters one of these prestige classes should
gain access to spells unique to that class’s spell list from the
Player’s Handbook, at the same levels indicated for the standard
class. ...

Normal paladin gets his casting at 4th level, I thought that you'd need also 4 levels of prestige paladin for spellcasting.

[PhaedrusXY]

UNIQUE SPELLS
... In general, any character who enters one of these prestige classes should
gain access to spells unique to that class’s spell list from the
Player’s Handbook, at the same levels indicated for the standard
class. ...

Normal paladin gets his casting at 4th level, I thought that you'd need also 4 levels of prestige paladin for spellcasting.

I'm pretty sure levels there is referring to spell level, not class level. Otherwise, a prestige bard would never gain access to 6th level bard spells (pre-epic...), and well... it just doesn't make a lot of sense. So for example Otto's Irresistible Dance would be 6th level for a prestige bard, not 8th.

[radionausea]

On the same note, I think that SoTA requires Paladin 4 because that's the level at which a base class paladin acquires spellcasting. For a Prestige Paladin that doesn't matter.

[PhaedrusXY]

On the same note, I think that SoTA requires Paladin 4 because that's the level at which a base class paladin acquires spellcasting. For a Prestige Paladin that doesn't matter.

Ah, now I think you're onto something! Regardless of "why" the Sword of the Arcane Order feat says "paladin 4" in the prereqs, you still require 4 levels of paladin to take it (because that's what it says). I'm sure this is why you've seen prestige paladin in a bunch of builds, radionausea. Those builds probably had SotAO. I'd forgotten that.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

On the same note, I think that SoTA requires Paladin 4 because that's the level at which a base class paladin acquires spellcasting. For a Prestige Paladin that doesn't matter.

Ah, now I think you're onto something! Regardless of "why" the Sword of the Arcane Order feat says "paladin 4" in the prereqs, you still require 4 levels of paladin to take it (because that's what it says). I'm sure this is why you've seen prestige paladin in a bunch of builds, radionausea. Those builds probably had SotAO. I'd forgotten that.

That's exactly why I did it that way.

[Cazador75]

Q. 247

What PrCs can a Warlock (pure, no more classes) cualify for with full casting (invocations) progression? (Just Core+Completes)

[wotmaniac]

Q. 247

What PrCs can a Warlock (pure, no more classes) cualify for with full casting (invocations) progression? (Just Core+Completes)

any of them that have "caster level" as the prerequisite, as opposed to "can cast 'x' spell".

[Lycanthromancer]

Q. 247

What PrCs can a Warlock (pure, no more classes) cualify for with full casting (invocations) progression? (Just Core+Completes)

any of them that have "caster level" as the prerequisite, as opposed to "can cast 'x' spell".

So long as they don't require, say, a divine caster level.

[Faithless tbe Wonder Boy]

Q248

The arcane archer can use Imbue Arrow to place an area spell on an arrow and fire it.  Per the SRD, this takes a standard action to both cast the spell and fire the arrow.  Does this also apply to spells with longer casting times?

I'm specifically wondering if I could, say, use Imbue Arrow to fire and cast Hindsight, and get the effects of it in a round instead of an hour.

[something random]

Q249:Can a Druid//Totemist benefit from soulmelds while wildshaped?

[Lycanthromancer]

Q249:Can a Druid//Totemist benefit from soulmelds while wildshaped?

A249: They still have bodies and Con scores, and soulmelds are class/feat abilities rather than items.

So, yes.

Though I have no idea what happens when you lose a body part with something shaped on it, like hands when you wildshape into, say, a snake.

Protip: Don't Do That.

[Sinfire Titan]

Q249:Can a Druid//Totemist benefit from soulmelds while wildshaped?

A249: They still have bodies and Con scores, and soulmelds are class/feat abilities rather than items.

So, yes.

Though I have no idea what happens when you lose a body part with something shaped on it, like hands when you wildshape into, say, a snake.

Protip: Don't Do That.

See MoI Chapter 7's opening pages. It explains that some creatures have forms inappropriate for shaping soulmelds and that these creatures end up being very restricted meldshapers; whereas some creature have the proper chakra slots despite being distinctly nonhumanoid (wolves or Dragons, for example, have all of the required body slots).