Ask a Simple Question, Part 18: Lucid Dreaming Ghost Pixie Hood Edition

[kevin_video]

Q 65 Blinding Beauty (humanoid within 60' looking at the pixie makes FortNeg Save or is blind) + Pixie's Greater Invisibility (can suppress or resume as a free action) = blindness to any humanoid looking in your direction, which refuses to close its eyes?

"Now everyone can share total concealment!"

Unless they've got True Seeing, or See Invisibility, I don't see how you could make anyone go blind because you don't see anything. It'd be like saying that looking at the air makes you blind. Why? You can't see air, but you know it's there.

[Epimetheus]

Q 65 Blinding Beauty (humanoid within 60' looking at the pixie makes FortNeg Save or is blind) + Pixie's Greater Invisibility (can suppress or resume as a free action) = blindness to any humanoid looking in your direction, which refuses to close its eyes?

"Now everyone can share total concealment!"

Unless they've got True Seeing, or See Invisibility, I don't see how you could make anyone go blind because you don't see anything. It'd be like saying that looking at the air makes you blind. Why? You can't see air, but you know it's there.

Maybe I should explain more clearly. For blinding beauty (BoED):

Any
Humanoid within 60’ that looks at the caster
becomes permanently Blind (FortNeg).

As the Pixie, I cast Blinding Beauty on myself while Invisible. I fly over to the middle of a bunch of humanoids I want to make permanently blind. I yell "Look at me!" and go visible as a free action. Then I go invisible as a free action. Then I go visible again as a free action. Then invisible. And repeat until all are blind. This assumes that every time I go visible, a save is triggered because the humanoids are looking at me.

So what I wanted to know was if the saves are triggered every time.

And if they have True Seeing or See Invisibility, they are probably less screwed. Except for the fact that:

The
caster can suppress & unsuppress this ability
as a Free Action.

Which might also be taken to extremes and be considered as triggering infinite saving throws if the ability is suppressed and unsuppressed continuously.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

The DM might say that one on-off-on cycle per round is reasonable, but I doubt anything past that.

[kevin_video]

Q 36 If two classes give you the same feat, can you automatically switch it out for something else? Ie Quick Draw from Ranger (combat style throwing) and Quick Draw from Master Thrower? If yes, where I can locate said rule?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q 36 If two classes give you the same feat, can you automatically switch it out for something else? Ie Quick Draw from Ranger (combat style throwing) and Quick Draw from Master Thrower? If yes, where I can locate said rule?

Nope.  Most allow for an alternate to be chosen, but they have specific text for it.  It'd be a reasonable houserule though.

[kevin_video]

Q 36 If two classes give you the same feat, can you automatically switch it out for something else? Ie Quick Draw from Ranger (combat style throwing) and Quick Draw from Master Thrower? If yes, where I can locate said rule?

Nope.  Most allow for an alternate to be chosen, but they have specific text for it.  It'd be a reasonable houserule though.

Fair enough. Might just be easier to choose a different combat style though.

Q 67 Can you power attack with a whip? It doesn't say it's under the light weapon category.

Q 68 Besides the Exotic Weapon Master ranged weapon close combat ability, is there a feat or something that'll allow you to throw stuff in melee without provoking AoO?

[Maat_Mons]

Q62 Does a spell or acquired template exist which allows an Undead creature to gain a Constitution score or some other source of bonus HP that scales? If a spell, a Druid or Sorcerer needs to be able to persist it with no class features used (feats and other spells are fine).

There's a d20 feat that works just like Unholy Toughness where you can use your CHA mod in place of your CON for bonus hp. It's called Death's Blessing, and requires you to be undead with CHA 13+. It's in Tome of Horrors III.

Dragon Magazine 319 has a feat that does the same thing for int (and doesn't require you to be undead).  It's called faerie mysteries initiate, and it's a regional feat for Greyhawk.  Valid regions are Celene, gray elf, high elf, Lendore isles, tallfellow halfling, Verbobonc, wild elf, and wood elf. 

[Godless_Paladin]

Q69:  The "Steadfast Boots" on page 138 of the Magic Item Compendium say that you are always treated as though you had readied a two handed weapon you're wielding against a charge.  I'm not exactly sure how to interpret this... does this mean that you actually get a free (double damage!) standard attack on someone who charges you?  What if more than one person charges you?  How exactly do these boots work anyways!?

[carnivore]

Q 67 Can you power attack with a whip? It doesn't say it's under the light weapon category.

A67
yes.... from page 58, FAQ

"Can you use a whip with two hands, thus gaining 1.5 x Strength bonus?
Given that the whip is a one-handed weapon, while it might appear awkward, the rules of the game are clear that this is certainly possible.

Can you use the Power Attack feat in combination with a whip?
Actually yes, this is also possible, since the whip is listed as a melee weapon."

Q 68 Besides the Exotic Weapon Master ranged weapon close combat ability, is there a feat or something that'll allow you to throw stuff in melee without provoking AoO?

A68
yes ....Master Thrower tricks:
Defensive Throw – Avoid generating Attacks of Opportunity with your throw for 1 round by making a Concentration check vs. DC (10 + number of
threatening opponents).

Tumbling Toss – At any point in a Tumble move, you may make a single thrown attack as a Standard Action. If you make a Tumble check vs. DC 25, no Attack of Opportunity is generated. You cannot be wearing more than Medium armor.


 

[Saxony]

Q 68 Besides the Exotic Weapon Master ranged weapon close combat ability, is there a feat or something that'll allow you to throw stuff in melee without provoking AoO?

A 68: Close Combat Shot ability from Order of the Bow Initiate (Complete Warrior, class, page 68) makes you immune to such Attacks of Opportunity. The class requires Weapon Focus (Bow of some kind), however. The ability is general and works for thrown weapons.

[snakeman830]

Q 67 Can you power attack with a whip? It doesn't say it's under the light weapon category.

A67
yes.... from page 58, FAQ

"Can you use a whip with two hands, thus gaining 1.5 x Strength bonus?
Given that the whip is a one-handed weapon, while it might appear awkward, the rules of the game are clear that this is certainly possible.

Can you use the Power Attack feat in combination with a whip?
Actually yes, this is also possible, since the whip is listed as a melee weapon."

A rare case where the FAQ agrees with itself.  On a similar note, you can Power Attack with the Pyrokinetecist's Fire Lash, despite specifically being a Ranged touch attack precisely because of this rule.

[BeholderSlayer]

Q70: The Arcane Strike feat is confusing me. It states you gain the attack bonus for a number of rounds equal to the spells level, as well as damage at 1d4XSpell level sacrificed. However, the example given states that the +4 attack bonus and 4d4 damage only last until his next turn.

Of course, I don't read the first paragraph that way at all. I read it such that he would gain the +4 bonus for 4 rounds, and for those 4 rounds he would gain 1d4 X 4 damage, meaning either 4, 8, 12, or 16 damage (roll 1d4, multiply it times spell level).

Is the example given wrong?

[Lobo6717]

A70  The feat actually says that it only lasts until the beginning of the next turn

You must sacrifice one of your spells for the day... to do this, but you gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed...

That last part does not say 1 round for each level.  It is referring to the amount of the bonus.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Also, you'd be rolling a number of d4 equal to the spell level and then adding them together.

[BeholderSlayer]

A70  The feat actually says that it only lasts until the beginning of the next turn

You must sacrifice one of your spells for the day... to do this, but you gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed...

That last part does not say 1 round for each level.  It is referring to the amount of the bonus.

My brain must have inserted "each," thanks for pointing that out...I read it like 8 times and for some reason saw the same thing.

[Sobolev]

A70  The feat actually says that it only lasts until the beginning of the next turn

You must sacrifice one of your spells for the day... to do this, but you gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed...

That last part does not say 1 round for each level.  It is referring to the amount of the bonus.

My brain must have inserted "each," thanks for pointing that out...I read it like 8 times and for some reason saw the same thing.

That's how your brain works.  That's why most people can't review their own writing immediately after writing it.

[X-Codes]

A70  The feat actually says that it only lasts until the beginning of the next turn

You must sacrifice one of your spells for the day... to do this, but you gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed...

That last part does not say 1 round for each level.  It is referring to the amount of the bonus.

My brain must have inserted "each," thanks for pointing that out...I read it like 8 times and for some reason saw the same thing.

There are university studies published about this phenomenon, if that makes you feel better.  

Q71: Is there anything you can do with a familiar with an at-will Silent Image SLA other than the usual Silent Image shenanigans?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Use it to power an energy transformation field?

What's the familiar?

[KellKheraptis]

Q 72: A sorcerer or wizard takes Heartfire Fanner to level 4.  This grants bardic music ability as a bard 9 (5 at level 1, plus the 4 class levels -love that Dragon shoddy wording-).  If I'm not mistaken, if I were to sub out the new music abilities for music feats, that would be at HFF 2 and HFF 4, correct?

[Sobolev]

Q73: Is Factotum 1 + Able Learner an actual good splash?