Ask a Simple Question: Ragnarok Edition

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q160: Is there any other playable race besides the Azer whose head is always engulfed in flames?
No offence to the fire dwarves, but -2 to cha 2 racial HD and LA of 4 doesn't scream sorcerer.

Azerblood.

Check my planetouched handbook.

[kevin_video]

bumping

Q 161 What are the Top 3 domains that a person should choose from if they want to have Pelor as their cleric's deity, but not looking to take the Radiant Servant PrC?

Q 162 Is it just me, or is the math wrong on this CR: warrior 4/rogue 3 = CR 4. Shouldn't that be CR 5? Full CR for class level, and half for NPC level?

[Rebel7284]

A161 Pride, Destiny, Strength

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

Hopefully this Ragnarok edition is the right place for a simple 3.5 question.

When multiclassing, one may take max ranks in any skill belonging to any class that the multiclass character has.  How does the cross class skill rule work though?

For example, I have a rogue who goes into fighter after 2 levels.  As a fighter 4 I can take ranks in Appraise up to 7.  BUt when I spend my fighter skill points on more appraise, do I pay 1 skill point or 2 per rank?

[genuine]

Q164:(the above is probably 163, though unlabeled).

I have been told that the savage progressions on the WotC website "explicitly do not need to all be taken, even though the progressions in Savage Species book do." The person was saying that, for example, he could just take one one level of the aasimar progression and never finish it - effectively getting some bits of the race without an LA or HD. Anybody know if/where it 'explicitly' says that?

[Vinom]

Hopefully this Ragnarok edition is the right place for a simple 3.5 question.

When multiclassing, one may take max ranks in any skill belonging to any class that the multiclass character has.  How does the cross class skill rule work though?

For example, I have a rogue who goes into fighter after 2 levels.  As a fighter 4 I can take ranks in Appraise up to 7.  BUt when I spend my fighter skill points on more appraise, do I pay 1 skill point or 2 per rank?

You'd pay the normal cross class cost to the skill, 2 per rank, so if crossclass skills are really nessisary grab the able-learner feat, It doesn't negate the cross class maximum, but mean they only cost a single skill point per rank.

[Maat_Mons]

A164: The first article in the Savage Progressions series says this:

Characters are not required to complete all the levels of a given template class in uninterrupted succession. For example, a character who takes a level of wereboar could then take a level of fighter and a level of rogue (or any other combination of other class levels) before taking another level of wereboar. A character must still take the first level of wereboar before taking the second, just as with a normal class.

Also, Player's Guide to Faerun has a 0 LA version of the aasimar on page 191.  

[kevin_video]

Q 165 Dragon Magazine 358 pg 42. The Long-Range masterwork crafting upgrade adds to a bow +20 feet. That's fine for regular bows and crossbows, but what about an aquatic bow and its 10 foot ranged underwater? Does it still add +20?

[Fluffles]

Q 165 Dragon Magazine 358 pg 42. The Long-Range masterwork crafting upgrade adds to a bow +20 feet. That's fine for regular bows and crossbows, but what about an aquatic bow and its 10 foot ranged underwater? Does it still add +20?

By what you said about the feat, RAW it would yes.

[kevin_video]

Q 165 Dragon Magazine 358 pg 42. The Long-Range masterwork crafting upgrade adds to a bow +20 feet. That's fine for regular bows and crossbows, but what about an aquatic bow and its 10 foot ranged underwater? Does it still add +20?

By what you said about the feat, RAW it would yes.

Oh, not a feat. Just an upgrade to ranged weapons that increase the craft DC and adds more money to the final cost. But if RAW says it's good, then all the power to it.

[Tonymitsu]

Tome of Battle does a poor job of explaining the Martial Discipline Weapon enhancement:
It says that if you know a maneuver from the discipline the weapon is keyed to you get a +1 bonus to attack rolls.  If you are actually using a maneuver from this discipline then the bonus goes up to +3.
Q166A:  How long does this benefit last?  If I decide to use Dancing Mongoose at the beginning of my turn do I get the +3 for all attacks that turn, or just the bonus ones granted by the boost?  What if I use Defensive Rebuke?  Do I get it on all the attacks of opportunity as well?

It goes on to say a weapon can have this enhancement multiple times as long as it's keyed to a different discipline each time (so you can have a +1 devoted spirit glaive, or a +1 shadow hand tiger claw kukri).  Okay...
Then it says if you know maneuvers from both disciplines the weapon is keyed to, the bonus goes up to +3
Q166B:  Is this effect cumulative?  If I'm a Master of Nine with a +1 desert wind stone dragon tiger claw iron heart shadow hand diamond mind greatsword, do I get a +11 on my attack roll?

Finally is says if you are actually using maneuvers from both disciplines, specifically stating a Shadow Hand strike while in a Stone Dragon stance as an example, that the bonus goes up to +7
Q166C:  Do stances count as maneuvers for this enhancement?  If I'm attacking from a Devoted Spirit stance with a devoted spirit weapon do I automatically get a +3?  Does this then increase to a +7 if I use a Devoted Spirit strike while in a Devoted Spirit stance?
And does this effect stack with itself beyond two disciplines?  What if I'm a Ruby Knight Vindicator in a Devoted Spirit stance that uses a Shadow Hand boost, then takes an extra swift action for a White Raven boost and then uses a Stone Dragon strike?  With the appropriate weapon does that get me a +15 to the attack roll?

[weenog]

Ask a Simple Question: Ragnarok Edition

[Tonymitsu]

Ask a Simple Question: Ragnarok Edition

That is simple.

You should have seen what I trimmed it down from. 

[Runestar]

Q166A:  How long does this benefit last?  If I decide to use Dancing Mongoose at the beginning of my turn do I get the +3 for all attacks that turn, or just the bonus ones granted by the boost?  What if I use Defensive Rebuke?  Do I get it on all the attacks of opportunity as well?

For as long as the maneuver itself lasts. In the case of dancing mongoose, you would get +3 only on the bonus attacks, not for your normal attacks, IMO. I am AFB at the moment though, so I can't still a little fuzzy on its exact wording, but this is how I would play it.

Q166B:  Is this effect cumulative?  If I'm a Master of Nine with a +1 desert wind stone dragon tiger claw iron heart shadow hand diamond mind greatsword, do I get a +11 on my attack roll?

You would only get +7 to-hit, +1 from the +1 weapon property, another +6 from your 6 discipline properties. The +3 only applies when you are actually executing a maneuver from that discipline.

Q166C:  Do stances count as maneuvers for this enhancement?  If I'm attacking from a Devoted Spirit stance with a devoted spirit weapon do I automatically get a +3?  Does this then increase to a +7 if I use a Devoted Spirit strike while in a Devoted Spirit stance?
And does this effect stack with itself beyond two disciplines?  What if I'm a Ruby Knight Vindicator in a Devoted Spirit stance that uses a Shadow Hand boost, then takes an extra swift action for a White Raven boost and then uses a Stone Dragon strike?  With the appropriate weapon does that get me a +15 to the attack roll?

Yes, stances count. So if you wield a iron heart weapon, you get +3 to-hit as long as you stay in a iron heart stance. However, I don't think you can get multiple bonuses from the same discipline. So in an iron heart stance and when initiating an iron heart maneuver, you still get only +3 to-hit.

And yes, it stacks for different disciplines, limited by how many different maneuvers/stances you can muster simultaneously. Say I am a warblade20 with both a iron heart and diamond mind stance active, initiate a tiger claw boost followed by a white raven strike, I would get +12 to-hit.

So yes to your example. 

[Garryl]

Tome of Battle does a poor job of explaining the Martial Discipline Weapon enhancement:
It says that if you know a maneuver from the discipline the weapon is keyed to you get a +1 bonus to attack rolls.  If you are actually using a maneuver from this discipline then the bonus goes up to +3.
Q166A:  How long does this benefit last?  If I decide to use Dancing Mongoose at the beginning of my turn do I get the +3 for all attacks that turn, or just the bonus ones granted by the boost?  What if I use Defensive Rebuke?  Do I get it on all the attacks of opportunity as well?

It goes on to say a weapon can have this enhancement multiple times as long as it's keyed to a different discipline each time (so you can have a +1 devoted spirit glaive, or a +1 shadow hand tiger claw kukri).  Okay...
Then it says if you know maneuvers from both disciplines the weapon is keyed to, the bonus goes up to +3

A166a: Yeah, the description is stupidly obtuse, but at least the examples are technically accurate. Basically, if you have a weapon with discipline focus, you get a +1 bonus to hit if you know a maneuver from that school. If you are actively using a stance from that school, or a maneuver from that school, the bonus increases to +3. This means that the improved bonus applies to the attack rolls made as part of those maneuvers (or anything you do while in a stance). If you are using a boost, a counter, or a strike, you'll get the +3 bonus for any attacks that the maneuver makes you roll, but not for any others, even if the maneuver still has a duration still ongoing.
   For example, you would get the +3 bonus on the opposed attack roll for Wall of Blades and the attacks granted by Dancing Mongoose. You would not get the bonus on other attacks in the round you initiated Dancing Mongoose since you only make the 2 or 4 attacks granted by the maneuver while initiating it, everything else is before or afterwards. Likewise, Defensive Rebuke grants no improved attack bonus, as you don't make any attacks as part of the maneuver, you only boost the ones that come later.

Q166B:  Is this effect cumulative?  If I'm a Master of Nine with a +1 desert wind stone dragon tiger claw iron heart shadow hand diamond mind greatsword, do I get a +11 on my attack roll?

Finally is says if you are actually using maneuvers from both disciplines, specifically stating a Shadow Hand strike while in a Stone Dragon stance as an example, that the bonus goes up to +7

A166b: You can have a weapon with multiple discipline focus properties. The effects of each stack. So, if you have a +1 Shadow Hand, Tiger Claw kukri, you'll have +1 to hit from the weapon's enhancement bonus (as always), +1 if you know a maneuver from Shadow Hand (or +3 if you're using one), and a separate +1 or +3 for knowing or using a Tiger Claw maneuver, for a total of anywhere from +1 to +7 to hit, based on which schools you know from and are using at any given time.
   If you are a crazy Master of Nine who somehow manages to initiate or be in stances of all 9 schools at once, you could generate an attack bonus up to +27.

Q166C:  Do stances count as maneuvers for this enhancement?  If I'm attacking from a Devoted Spirit stance with a devoted spirit weapon do I automatically get a +3?  Does this then increase to a +7 if I use a Devoted Spirit strike while in a Devoted Spirit stance?
And does this effect stack with itself beyond two disciplines?  What if I'm a Ruby Knight Vindicator in a Devoted Spirit stance that uses a Shadow Hand boost, then takes an extra swift action for a White Raven boost and then uses a Stone Dragon strike?  With the appropriate weapon does that get me a +15 to the attack roll?

A166c: Stances are not maneuvers. RAW, they only act like maneuvers for the purposes of meeting prerequisites of other maneuvers, qualifying for feats and prestige classes, and other situations where they are specifically called out as such. Technically, you don't get the bonus for being in a stance. However, it's heavily implied by RAI (being specifically called out as such in the example), and the line between maneuvers and stances is blurry at best. I'm not going to open that can of worms again.

[Freshums]

Q167

Share Spells

At the master’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his familiar. The familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit.

If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the familiar again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.

A master and his familiar can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast).

If you use a wand to buff yourself, does that count as casting a spell such that it will also affect your companion/familiar/special mount?

[McPoyo]

Q167

Share Spells

At the master’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his familiar. The familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit.

If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the familiar again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of "You" on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.

A master and his familiar can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast).

If you use a wand to buff yourself, does that count as casting a spell such that it will also affect your companion/familiar/special mount?

Yes.

[Thistledown Thurbertaut]

Heres one.

Say I have a character at 7th level who has 49 hit points and Con 13.  I hit level 8 and jump to Con 14 going from +1 to +2 bonus.  And lets say I roll 6 HP.  Do I now have 57 HP or does the COn modifer work "retroactively" and jump me to 64?

[McPoyo]

Heres one.

Say I have a character at 7th level who has 49 hit points and Con 13.  I hit level 8 and jump to Con 14 going from +1 to +2 bonus.  And lets say I roll 6 HP.  Do I now have 57 HP or does the COn modifer work "retroactively" and jump me to 64?

Retroactively. The same way it drops your hp if you con mod drops due to damage or drain.

[Nameless Void]

Q168:

When an opponent attempts to sunder one of your items, are they in effect targeting you for the purposes of a feat like Karmic Strike?

My curiosity is born from, when an item is targeted by a spell it gains the save of it's wielder. Also, if some-one was trying to hit my armor then they are in effect trying to hit something on me.