Ask a simple question: Monty Python edition

[weenog]

There's got to be a way to exploit familiars, ring gates, and readied actions...

[Anklebite]

There's got to be a way to exploit familiars, ring gates, and readied actions...

there already are plenty of ways.

[CantripN]

Q68: Could someone please explain to my DM how exactly Wings of Flurry works as reg. Targeting people, it's being an area spell, a targeted spell, and does it affect allies in the area?

Bump.

Also, Q77: Assuming a PC is blinded by a Powerword:Blind, does casting Greater Arcane Sight work while he's blinded, or does he need to see things normally?

Q78: How the hell does Blindsight/Blindsense/Tremorsense interact with an Invisible person who has Darkstalker? Can they see him? Do they ignore the Invisibility? Do they need to make a Spot Check with an increased DC? They don't even have eyes to make a Spot check in some cases... Oh, and it seems that Scent works on people with Darkstalker (not hard to avoid, but this alone won't do).

Q79: Does a Spellguard Ring allow you to let yourself benefit from allies' spells, by letting them ignore a protection that blocks them?
Ex: Can you use a Spellguard Ring to let your party's Bard cast Heroism and/or Snowsong on you, despite them being [Mind-Affecting] and you having Mindblank/Plant Body.
In essence, can they "be immune to the effects" of your protection spell?

[weenog]

It might be the lack of coffee talking but I'm thinking if you could use a pair of ring gates to transmit a punch in the face 100 miles from where you launched it, you can probably use it to carry your empathic link with your familiar a long way, too.

The ability specifies a distance of 1 mile but I don't see any prohibition against measuring the distance through wormholes.

[PhaedrusXY]

It might be the lack of coffee talking but I'm thinking if you could use a pair of ring gates to transmit a punch in the face 100 miles from where you launched it, you can probably use it to carry your empathic link with your familiar a long way, too.

The ability specifies a distance of 1 mile but I don't see any prohibition against measuring the distance through wormholes.

RAI it should work. RAW, it might not. You can explicitly cast spells and attack through it, but it never says that "all effects" pass through it.

[weenog]

So, wear one of the ring gates as an anklet?

[PhaedrusXY]

So, wear one of the ring gates as an anklet?

And walk on one foot? I guess it won't matter if you fly every where, but you'll basically be missing your foot.

[weenog]

Just prop the other ring gate up entry side down at foot height off the ground.  Or glue it to another ring gate for a longer range, however much you want/can afford, and prop the last one in the chain up the same way.

[snakeman830]

A78: First off, Darkstalker does work against Scent

When you hide, creatures with blindsense,
blindsight, scent, or tremorsense must
make a Listen check or a Spot check (whichever DC
is higher) to notice you, just as sighted creatures would make
Spot checks to detect you.

Second, they would need to make a Spot Check at an increased DC to notice you.  Somewhere in the PHB (can't recall where exactly), it's mentioned that a stationary invisible creature gets a +40 bonus to its hide check and a moving one gets a +20 bonus.  of course, if the Move Silently result is higher, then they have to make a Listen check instead.

[CantripN]

A78: First off, Darkstalker does work against Scent

When you hide, creatures with blindsense,
blindsight, scent, or tremorsense must
make a Listen check or a Spot check (whichever DC
is higher) to notice you, just as sighted creatures would make
Spot checks to detect you.

Second, they would need to make a Spot Check at an increased DC to notice you.  Somewhere in the PHB (can't recall where exactly), it's mentioned that a stationary invisible creature gets a +40 bonus to its hide check and a moving one gets a +20 bonus.  of course, if the Move Silently result is higher, then they have to make a Listen check instead.

Ah, but the effect of Invisibility is not a +20/40 bonus to Hide! It's just that sighted people have this problem with SEEING them, which in turn makes it harder to SPOT them! A Destrachen (?) never had any eyes to begin with, so how does that bother it? Sure, it would need to make a Spot/Listen Check, whichever DC is higher, but why would the object not being visible to the naked eye be a concern to someone not using it's eyes?

Another concern is this: Blind creatures automatically fail spot checks, by definition. Does that mean that if the Darkstalker forces it to use Spot, it fails? I'd assume they'd have to just use Listen vs. Move Silently.

This feat is a world of pain for a DM.

[Endarire]

Q82
May I get the full feat description for Reserves of Strength from Dragonlance Campaign Setting?

[snakeman830]

In the case of blind creatures, I would just rule that Invisibility has no effect, even though RAW that's not the case.  Although, since they auto-fail Spot checks, they would have to succeed on the Listen check instead.  Sucks if the one with Darkstalker is incorporeal, though.

[Zaxter]

Q83: We all know half-ogres are the least expensive way to get large size (at least without using that half-minotaur or whatever it was from dragon magazine). What's the second least expensive way?

[Agita]

Q83: We all know half-ogres are the least expensive way to get large size (at least without using that half-minotaur or whatever it was from dragon magazine). What's the second least expensive way?

A 83

Enlarge Person+Permanency cast by a NPC. That's really even less expensive than half-ogre, actually, though HO does have its perks, like not being vulnerable to dispelling.

[CantripN]

In the case of blind creatures, I would just rule that Invisibility has no effect, even though RAW that's not the case.  Although, since they auto-fail Spot checks, they would have to succeed on the Listen check instead.  Sucks if the one with Darkstalker is incorporeal, though.

So against a Desctrachen, casting a Silence on our Darkstalker would mean auto-hide? Cute, and actually makes sense.
But now I'm left with another problem.

Some creatures have Blindsight from sense other than Hearing. Sharks, Grell, Dragons and other come to mind, with the first 2 sensing electricity and dragons sensing everything. Let's consider what happens when they are able to see, and when they aren't.

The Shark would roll either a Spot or a Listen, whichever DC is higher. If it were blinded, it would have to use Listen? And what if our Darkstalker has +60 Hide but only +12 Move Silently? Does blinding someone suddenly improve their ability to sense him?

How about the Grell? It never had eyes, but Silence DOES NOT negate it's Blindsense, so it's not really based on hearing all that much. Does it have the ability to sense the Darkstalker with Spot? No, no eyes. Listen? No, it's Incorporeal/Silenced. So what skill check does it use, as it's senses obviously can detect the creature, we're just not sure on the mechanics...

And the dragon. Let's not get started on that one. But he's the Grell + a lot. What skill check does he use if he's blinded and the Darkstalker can't be heard?

I really wish the people who'd written that feat had though about how it really works, because as written, it rams the rules to a bottomless abyss. Suffice to say, the easiest part of it to break is the ability to use just Hide and ignore Move Silently, until you get to the DM wise enough to have it's monsters close their eyes and insist on a Listen check.

...or does the Darkstalker feat only apply vs people with special senses and normal people still try both checks? That would almost make sense, so you must match it's Spot OR Listen DC to get the benefit of your special sense against it, but your sight and normal hearing work irregardless.

[Unbeliever]

...

I really wish the people who'd written that feat had though about how it really works, because as written, it rams the rules to a bottomless abyss. Suffice to say, the easiest part of it to break is the ability to use just Hide and ignore Move Silently, until you get to the DM wise enough to have it's monsters close their eyes and insist on a Listen check.

...or does the Darkstalker feat only apply vs people with special senses and normal people still try both checks? That would almost make sense, so you must match it's Spot OR Listen DC to get the benefit of your special sense against it, but your sight and normal hearing work irregardless.

This is how I run the feat.  Essentially, Darkstalker cancels out their super senses, forcing them to make normal checks as appropriate. 

Note that I believe Darkstalker says you are adept at hiding, etc. from creatures w/ such senses, not "you scoff at their senses and make them cry."  Meaning, the Destrachan can still use its Blindsight to detect you, the Dragon can still try to smell (or whatever) you, but they have to roll just like all the other plebs.

[Maat_Mons]

Another concern is this: Blind creatures automatically fail spot checks, by definition. Does that mean that if the Darkstalker forces it to use Spot, it fails? I'd assume they'd have to just use Listen vs. Move Silently.

RAW, a creature's inability to succeed on the spot check does not cause them to get a listen check instead.  Darkstalker specifies criteria for forcing a spot or listen check and a creature's ability to succeed on such checks is not a part of the criteria.  Allowing blind creatures listen checks would be a house rule.  There are better house rules for darkstalker (see previous post). 

[Kuroimaken]

Q84: Assuming sufficient funds and Boccob's Blessed Books, how many GP would it take to inscribe every Wizard spell in existence, assuming one spell per scroll bought?

[snakeman830]

Quite a tall order there, but I'm pretty sure your estimates of 5 mil are still plenty.

In the PHB alone, there are:
24 9th levels
35 8th levels
35 7th levels
43 6th levels
43 5th levels
41 4th levels
42 3rd levels
50 2nd levels
39 1st levels

The number of Wizard Cantrips is moot because you start play with all of them in your spellbook for free.

[Maat_Mons]

Number of wizard spells by level (according to Wizard's spell index):
0: 28
1: 117
2: 152
3: 131
4: 110
5: 107
6: 85
7: 73
8: 56
9: 54

I'm sure you can work the rest out.