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

[Emo_Duck]

Q182:
Is there a neat way to get Heal and/or Use Magic Device as class skills for a Dread Necromancer/Pale Master?
Tangentially related: What would be a good face item to refluff into a plague doctor's mask?

[Shiki]

Q182:
Is there a neat way to get Heal and/or Use Magic Device as class skills for a Dread Necromancer/Pale Master?

From here:

[...]

o Any

Aereni Focus - Player's Guide to Eberron (p.20)
Skill knowledge - UA (for use with UA Variant skill system) *check with your DM*

[...]

o Heal

Draconic heritage (Type) – Races of the dragon (sorcerer only)
Glimmerskin Halfling (race) - Dragon Magic

[...]

o Use Magic Device

Apprentice (spellcaster) - DMG II (also a knowledge)

[...]

There's always the possibility, if you are human, of dipping one level into a class that gets the skill(s) and taking Able Learner (Races of Destiny) at 1st level, but that's kind of less practical depending on the build.

Tangentially related: What would be a good face item to refluff into a plague doctor's mask?

Maybe something from Bunko? I've got no idea of the top of my head.

[Lycanthromancer]

There's an alchemical face mask that works against airborne gases and pathogens, and if it's airborne, the necklace of adaptation should work as well.

[behaigo]

Q183:

Are there any ways of getting more inspiration points other than more Factotum levels and the Font of Inspiration feat?

[Maat_Mons]

What would be a good face item to refluff into a plague doctor's mask?

If cost is no object, white skull mask (Magic of Faerun 167).  It gives a +4 morale bonus on saves against disease, fear, and paralysis, gives immunity to energy drain, and let's you immediately recognize everyone as alive, dead, undead, or other.  Unfortunately, it's 50,000 gp. 

Whatever you go with, have it built partially of targath (Eberron Campaign Setting 127).  The +2 resistance bonus on saves against disease will overlap with the cloak or vest of resistance you will probably wear, but it only costs 3 gp for enough targath to give the bonus. 

There's an alchemical face mask that works against airborne gases and pathogens …

Sewer mask (Cityscape web enhancement). 

[Lycanthromancer]

Q183:

Are there any ways of getting more inspiration points other than more Factotum levels and the Font of Inspiration feat?

A183: Technically the legacy champion, but only if it's boosting factotum (and since it only boosts factotum 7/10 levels, factotum is better for this). Assuming it's allowed, FoI is the best way to go, especially if you get extra feats and invest in some DCFS shenanigans.

[Ithamar]

Q184:  I'm aware of Crypt Spawn & Spectral Mage (both from Magic of Faerun).  Any other templates that can turn [Outsider] -> [Undead]?

Edit:  They need to have a playable LA entry.

[weenog]

Q184:  I'm aware of Crypt Spawn & Spectral Mage (both from Magic of Faerun).  Any other templates that can turn [Outsider] -> [Undead]?

Gravetouched Ghoul, sort of.  The template applies to "any corporeal aberration, fey, giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid with Intelligence and Charisma scores of 3 or higher" but it's explicitly mentioned elsewhere in the same book that the demigod Doresain has the power to add the gravetouched ghoul template to creatures to which the template is normally not applicable (for example, he sends gravetouched ghoul succubus demons, gravetouched ghoul erinyes devils, and gravetouched ghoul ice devils as his planar allies).

If you can convince him to help you out, you should be good to go.

LA is +2 and it's not a bad template if you're not a spellcaster that abhors all LA as a matter of principle.

[Lycanthromancer]

Psianimate Dead really isn't template-based, but it can affect the corpse of ANY corporeal creature, whether the creature was living or not, and type doesn't matter one whit.

Hell, it can even animate previously-destroyed undead. And golems.

[Ithamar]

Well psionics is out, but I'll have to check our Doresain.  Thanks!

[LunaticsLament]

Q184  How would being undead affect a dragonfire adept's breath weapon, given that it's reflex DC is based on Constitution.  Judging by the fact that a dracolich's breath weapon switches to Charisma, I really wasn't sure.

[brujon]

Q 185:

So, looking at the Anthropomorphic Animal tables in Savage Species, something seems out of place:

Giant Octopus(Large), gets LA+0, it's listed the template gives them 2d8 HD, but their Starting ECL is 2. (Lol?) And also that their Ability Bonuses are STR +2 DEX +6 CON -2 INT +0 WIS +4 CHA +4.

Octopus(Small), gets LA+1, it's listed the template gives them 2d8 HD, but their Starting ECL is 3.(Lol²). And also that their Ability Bonuses are STR +6 DEX +4 CON +2 INT +0 WIS +4 CHA +4.


Going by the template instructions, and by the DMG instructions on deriving Ability Modifiers from the stat block of the creatures, i derive that:

Relevant Excerpts(on spoiler)

Abilities

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.)

Hit Dice: A Small anthropomorphic animal has 1 Hit
Die. A Medium-size one has 2 Hit Dice, and a Large one has
3 Hit Dice. Anthropomorphic animals
use d8s for Hit Dice. Only
Small anthropomorphic animals
lose their monster Hit Dice when
they take class levels.

Abilities: Str by size
change, Dex by size
change, Con by size
change, Int becomes 11,
Wis +2, Cha +4. See Table
A–58.

The offending table: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/files/articles/awakened.zip

An Anthropomorphic Octopus gets: STR +4 DEX +4 CON(From Size Change WTF?)  INT(Says it goes to 11.) WIS +4 and CHA-4. (Was +2 STR and +6 DEX, but since it grows from Small to Medium, it gains +2 STR and -2 DEX)

An Anthromorphic Giant Octopus gets: STR +8 DEX +6 CON(From Size Change WTF?) INT(Says it goes to 11.) WIS +4 CHA -4. (Was +10 STR and +4 DEX, but since it shrinks from Large to Medium, it gains +2 DEX and -2 STR)

Furthermore, the template instructions say that if the base creature was Small, then it only gains 1 HD, and that it LOSES that HD if it gains Class Levels. (In effect, making it so that it has no Hit Die on character creation). And that if the base creature was Large, then it has 3 HD, which it DOESN'T lose on character creation.


So, the table is horribly, horribly wrong on both counts. I want to play an Anthropomorphic Octopus (To have 6 arms and get Multiattack/Rapidstrike, etc....).

Judging by the Ability Modifiers, i'd wager the LA on Octopus/Giant Octopus is mixed. IE: Giant Octopus +1 LA, Octopus +0.

So(Finally), my question is, am i right? Am i wrong? Did the Octopus/Giant Octopus changed much from 3.0 MM to 3.5 MM? It's all very frustrating, because the ONLY place that lists LA for the Anthropomorphic Animals is that table, and the table is contradicting the rules set in the template!

And what in the name of Gygax is this about CON from size? Size doesn't changes CON!

HEALP!

[weenog]

I think you're running into the problem of trying to apply reason and common sense to avoid an absurd result (little octopus being more of a brute than big octopus), when you're relying on the RAW to deliberately provide an absurd result (octopus man so you can get a bunch of extra attacks in).  This tends not to lead anywhere good.

[brujon]

Q184  How would being undead affect a dragonfire adept's breath weapon, given that it's reflex DC is based on Constitution.  Judging by the fact that a dracolich's breath weapon switches to Charisma, I really wasn't sure.

Draconomicon seems to have mixed opinions. Zombie Dragon retains it's breath weapon, but it deals half damage. Skeletal Dragon loses it althogether. Vampiric Dragon retains it's Breath Weapon, and under special attacks, say they use 10+1/2HD+CHA "Unless noted otherwise".

Given the general trend of the undead dragons in Draconomicon, i'd say intelligent undead retain their breath weapon at full strenght (and base DC off CHA), and mindless dragons either use their breath weapon at half-force, or don't use them at all. Skeletal Dragon can't use their breath weapon because it doesn't have any organs to breathe with, and Zombie Dragon has damaged organs(so their breath is weaker.)

But i'd say, check with your DM. RAW doesn't agree, but RAI it seems to follow that general trend.

[kevin_video]

Q 186 Other than four levels of Fighter, and Pious Templar 3, what ways are there to gain the feat Weapon Specialization?

[wotmaniac]

Q184  How would being undead affect a dragonfire adept's breath weapon, given that it's reflex DC is based on Constitution.  Judging by the fact that a dracolich's breath weapon switches to Charisma, I really wasn't sure.

special attacks that were previously CON-based do indeed switch to CHA-based when you become undead (provided, of course, you actually get to keep them -- which depends on which specific undead you're going for).
I think it's referenced somewhere in the MM glossary.

[brujon]

I think you're running into the problem of trying to apply reason and common sense to avoid an absurd result (little octopus being more of a brute than big octopus), when you're relying on the RAW to deliberately provide an absurd result (octopus man so you can get a bunch of extra attacks in).  This tends not to lead anywhere good.

The thing is, i'm planning this as a Min/Maxxing exercise for a build i'm planning, and i need it to work by RAW. But RAW doesn't agree. The table says one thing, the instructions for the template say another thing. They conflict with each other, and it SEEMS that the LA on the two was mixed up. General consensus seems to be that text trumps table, so at least the HD/Abilities part is golden. But the LA part is not. Text is also not very clear on what INT and CON becomes. (It says that INT becomes 11, if we assume that's to calculate as if on the stat block, then INT ability bonus is +0, if not, then it's saying "don't even bother putting points here, it's always 11"). CON is even more of an issue. It says CON based on size increase/decrease. But CON doesn't modifies with size. And the table gives different values for the different octopuses. DOES NOT COMPUTE!

[brujon]

Q 186 Other than four levels of Fighter, and Pious Templar 3, what ways are there to gain the feat Weapon Specialization?

You might want to check: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871954/Lists_of_Stuff

They have all sorts of nifty ways to gain basically everything there. There's also a version of that list right here on the Min/Maxing boards, on the stickied post "Handy Links to CO Work" or something like that.

[kevin_video]

Q 186 Other than four levels of Fighter, and Pious Templar 3, what ways are there to gain the feat Weapon Specialization?

You might want to check: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871954/Lists_of_Stuff

They have all sorts of nifty ways to gain basically everything there. There's also a version of that list right here on the Min/Maxing boards, on the stickied post "Handy Links to CO Work" or something like that.

The only other two they mentioned were Divine Crusader 5, and Favored Soul 3.

[brujon]

Q 186 Other than four levels of Fighter, and Pious Templar 3, what ways are there to gain the feat Weapon Specialization?

You might want to check: http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871954/Lists_of_Stuff

They have all sorts of nifty ways to gain basically everything there. There's also a version of that list right here on the Min/Maxing boards, on the stickied post "Handy Links to CO Work" or something like that.

The only other two they mentioned were Divine Crusader 5, and Favored Soul 3.

Variant Monk from Dragon 310, gets Fighter Bonus feats at 1, 2 and 6. Need not meet the pre-requisites. So, splash 2 levels of monk and have fun selecting 2 epic fighter feats...