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

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Lucid dreaming is a skill from manual of the planes that lets you kill people in their sleep.

[Maat_Mons]

Q16
Where can I find the ability Telepathic Projection as mentioned in answer 6?  What's its full text?

Telempathic Projection is from Expanded Psionics Handbook.  Also here.   

[carnivore]

LUCID DREAMING (WIS; TRAINED ONLY)
Use this skill to realize that you are dreaming, consciously direct
elements of a dream, and move into other dreamscapes.
Check: Making a Lucid Dreaming check is a standard action
that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Task DC
Realize you are dreaming 5
Change one aspect of your personal dreamscape 15
Change one aspect of another’s dreamscape 20
Change your personal appearance 20
Depart one dreamscape for another 15
Depart a dreamscape for the Dreamheart 25
Pull another with you into the Dreamheart *
Leave the Dreamheart 20
*You must first successfully grapple your opponent.
Then, instead of attempting to pin him or her, make a Lucid
Dreaming check (DC 25) on your next action. If you succeed,
you and your foe tumble into the Dreamheart.
Change Aspect: An aspect of a dreamscape includes background
features such as lighting, terrain, architecture of a
given building, vegetation (or lack thereof), and other relatively
innocuous characteristics of a dreamscape. You can’t
use Lucid Dreaming to make a bolt of lightning strike a foe
or open a pit below an enemy.
Change Appearance: You can adopt the outward
appearance of another creature within two size categories
of your own. None of your abilities change, just your
appearance.
Retry: You can make a Lucid Dreaming check once per round.

 

[Slaughterhouserock]

Q 18:  Are there rules for training NPCs?  I've recently acquired some elven archers(warrior class) and would like to get them some PC levels if possible.

[E-mail]

Q19

Im building and optimizing a bard for use as an NPC in a campaign that Im running, but I have encountered trouble. The bard in question will be a half-elf, with all three half-elf bard substitution levels from Races of Destiny, and the last one at bard level 8, Secrets of the Diplomat, is bothering me. It states that I give up a 4th level bard spell known gained at that level, but bars doesn't gain 4th level spells before level 10. Do I miss something here?

[betrayor]

Q12:I remember that there was a way to abuse time regresion but I can't remember what was it...
Anyone knows?

Bump and...
Q20:Would Astral projection protect you from dying because of the use of Transcend Mortality spell?

[bearsarebrown]

Q20 The Undead control limit on Animate Dead. Is that your Overall Caster Level or your Caster Level for Animate Dead?

[snakeman830]

Q20 The Undead control limit on Animate Dead. Is that your Overall Caster Level or your Caster Level for Animate Dead?

Spells only ever check for your caster level when casting the spell, so it would be your caster level for Animate Dead.

However, if you're a multiclass caster and can cast the spell from multiple classes, I think it's RAI that the various caster levels stack for determining the control cap (but not anything else).

[bearsarebrown]

However, if you're a multiclass caster and can cast the spell from multiple classes, I think it's RAI that the various caster levels stack for determining the control cap (but not anything else).

I'm talking about simple things like +1 caster level to Necromancy Spells.

[PhaedrusXY]

However, if you're a multiclass caster and can cast the spell from multiple classes, I think it's RAI that the various caster levels stack for determining the control cap (but not anything else).

I'm talking about simple things like +1 caster level to Necromancy Spells.

Yes of course that should apply. It's your CL for Animate Dead, when you actually cast the spell.

[bearsarebrown]

Q21 "All Necromancy spells you cast are at +4 caster level..." Does this include an Animate Dead SLA?

[McPoyo]

Q21 "All Necromancy spells you cast are at +4 caster level..." Does this include an Animate Dead SLA?

SLAs aren't spells, so no.

[X-Codes]

Q 18:  Are there rules for training NPCs?  I've recently acquired some elven archers(warrior class) and would like to get them some PC levels if possible.

A18: Only plot device level stuff like rebuilding AFAIK, and even then their stats will still suck.  For something a little more accessible, you might be able to re-train them to accept 2 flaws.  At that point they can have PBS, Rapid Shot, and Far Shot.  Arrange them in ranks of 10 alongside someone that can reliably hit a DC 20 Int + BAB check and use the Concentrated Volley rules from Heroes of Battle to go to town.

Q19

Im building and optimizing a bard for use as an NPC in a campaign that Im running, but I have encountered trouble. The bard in question will be a half-elf, with all three half-elf bard substitution levels from Races of Destiny, and the last one at bard level 8, Secrets of the Diplomat, is bothering me. It states that I give up a 4th level bard spell known gained at that level, but bars doesn't gain 4th level spells before level 10. Do I miss something here?

A19: I'd say change Sending to 3rd-level and have the feat replace the 3rd-level spell gained.  The official errata may have done something different.

Q21 "All Necromancy spells you cast are at +4 caster level..." Does this include an Animate Dead SLA?

A21: Actually, if the caster level of your SLA is based off your arcane/divine caster level then it becomes a check-with-your-DM kinda thing.  For Animate Dead specifically, it *will* apply to the amount of undead you control, even through the SLA, if you can cast the spell (and possibly even if you can't), and that's really the important part.  You only need a CL 5 Animate Dead and Desecrate to animate whatever undead you wanted aside from Dragons.

[Ramaloke]

Q22: What type of action is it to maintain a grapple if you have improved grab? It says that to maintain a grapple you have to move into your opponents square, which is free movement, or in the case of improved grab, you drag them into your square. Now what has me so confused is how do you maintain a grapple after that.

So I grapple, then next round I drag him to me, then what do I do on the third round? He's already in my square.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q22: What type of action is it to maintain a grapple if you have improved grab? It says that to maintain a grapple you have to move into your opponents square, which is free movement, or in the case of improved grab, you drag them into your square. Now what has me so confused is how do you maintain a grapple after that.

So I grapple, then next round I drag him to me, then what do I do on the third round? He's already in my square.

A22: You don't have to maintain the grapple after the first round. Unless your opponent tries to escape, he's still grappled automatically the next round after you've moved into his square (or dragged him into yours). So you don't do anything at all.

[muhammed]

Q23: where can I find ACF and feats for the Spellthief class

[betrayor]

Q23: where can I find ACF and feats for the Spellthief class

Dragon magazine 353....

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Also here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070606

[X-Codes]

Hmm... Godsblood Spelltheft is a pretty good feat if you pick the right domain.  I guess Font of Inspiration just kinda over-shadows it.

[Ramaloke]

Q22: What type of action is it to maintain a grapple if you have improved grab? It says that to maintain a grapple you have to move into your opponents square, which is free movement, or in the case of improved grab, you drag them into your square. Now what has me so confused is how do you maintain a grapple after that.

So I grapple, then next round I drag him to me, then what do I do on the third round? He's already in my square.

A22: You don't have to maintain the grapple after the first round. Unless your opponent tries to escape, he's still grappled automatically the next round after you've moved into his square (or dragged him into yours). So you don't do anything at all.

That sounds good, Im working on something that can do 10 grapple attacks per round.