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

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q144: besides false life, are there any other arcane spells that give a HP boost?

Hoard life from one of the dragon books also does.

[X-Codes]

Then there are the Vampiric Touch(PHB) and Channeled Lifetheft(CM) spells which require a melee touch attack on an enemy to gain temporary HP.

Actually, Channeled Lifetheft is close range, no touch attack of any variety required, plus it causes exhaustion.  That'd be a pretty damn good spell if it wasn't competing with the likes of Telekinesis.

[bananaphone]

Then there are the Vampiric Touch(PHB) and Channeled Lifetheft(CM) spells which require a melee touch attack on an enemy to gain temporary HP.

Actually, Channeled Lifetheft is close range, no touch attack of any variety required, plus it causes exhaustion.  That'd be a pretty damn good spell if it wasn't competing with the likes of Telekinesis.

Oooops!  I stand corrected.

Q 146:
If I apply a Ray of Enfeeblement followed up by a Ray of Exhaustion, would I be able to reduce my enemy's Strength to zero?

[Maat_Mons]

As a general guideline, whenever the rules don’t stipulate an order of operations for special effects (such as spells or special abilities), you should apply them in the order that’s most beneficial to the creature.

I think your opponent applies modifiers to his ability scores in the order most beneficial to him.  So, I think it would be the penalty for exhaustion, then the penalty from ray of enfeeblement (with the minimum of 1), then the bonus from a belt of giant's strength (if he's wearing one). 

[thebigstupidfighter]

Q 146:
If I apply a Ray of Enfeeblement followed up by a Ray of Exhaustion, would I be able to reduce my enemy's Strength to zero?

I disagree, I think once his strength is already reduced to 1, there's no undoing that to save his strength score, so yes this would work. I think that general rule is meant more for things a character would have on all the time. Just my opinion though.

Q147: What book are wand slots from? Not the Warforged version, the one where you can have awand in a weapon. Google searching and searching in these forums is getting me nothing.

[Sinfire Titan]

Q 146:
If I apply a Ray of Enfeeblement followed up by a Ray of Exhaustion, would I be able to reduce my enemy's Strength to zero?

I disagree, I think once his strength is already reduced to 1, there's no undoing that to save his strength score, so yes this would work. I think that general rule is meant more for things a character would have on all the time. Just my opinion though.

Q147: What book are wand slots from? Not the Warforged version, the one where you can have awand in a weapon. Google searching and searching in these forums is getting me nothing.

A147: Dungeonscape. They are called Wand Chambers, 300gp IIRC.

[Maat_Mons]

100 gp. 

[X-Codes]

Q 146:
If I apply a Ray of Enfeeblement followed up by a Ray of Exhaustion, would I be able to reduce my enemy's Strength to zero?

I disagree, I think once his strength is already reduced to 1, there's no undoing that to save his strength score, so yes this would work. I think that general rule is meant more for things a character would have on all the time. Just my opinion though.

AFAIK penalties to an ability score (Ray of Enfeeblement and Ray of Exhaustion) cannot reduce strength to 0.  If you hit someone with a Ray of Enfeeblement and then deal Strength damage to it, then maybe.

[Widow]

Q144: besides false life, are there any other arcane spells that give a HP boost?

Necromantic Cyst Empowerment or whatever gives a bonus 100HP, but of course it is level 8 and you need a necromantic cyst feat.

[bananaphone]

As a general guideline, whenever the rules don’t stipulate an order of operations for special effects (such as spells or special abilities), you should apply them in the order that’s most beneficial to the creature.

I think your opponent applies modifiers to his ability scores in the order most beneficial to him.  So, I think it would be the penalty for exhaustion, then the penalty from ray of enfeeblement (with the minimum of 1), then the bonus from a belt of giant's strength (if he's wearing one). 

I've heard that ruling before, which seems a bit silly.  If you were fighting a bunch of Shadows, you could cast Ray of Enfeeblement on yourself to prevent your STR from ever reaching zero.

@X-Codes    Most Stat Penalty inducing spells have a line of text that states "The subject's score cannot drop below 1" or some such.  Seems to be a specific rule per the spells, and not one based upon it being a "penalty", otherwise wouldn't the Fatigue(-2 Dex, -2 Str) and Exhaustion (-6 Str, -6 Dex) conditions have that same line of text?

[Maat_Mons]

I'd suggest the house-rule that the minimum 1 thing only applies if the ability score was not already less than 1 before the penalty was applied.  Much like the bucket of water trick, Wizards clearly didn't consider all the corner cases. 

While we're on the subject of silly things, it would seem silly to me if a creature with strength 12 and a -6 penalty to strength is rendered helpless by ray of enfeeblement, but a creature with strength 6 and no penalty is not. 

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Q148
What Feats/Spells grant extra Action Points (including Temporary) that can be taken by non-Divine Casters?

[Shadowhunter]

Q148
What Feats/Spells grant extra Action Points (including Temporary) that can be taken by non-Divine Casters?

A148.
Non-divine?
Don't you mean non-arcane?

Since the most commonly used spell for this is an arcane one and I've never seen a divine one that dealt with Action Points.
But anyway, in case you did mean non-divine or just haven't heard of it:

UNFETTERED HEROISM

Transmutation
Level: Bard 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
You tap deep into your own
arcane power to enhance the
innate heroism within you. Each
round that this spell is in effect,
you gain a free temporary action
point. If you don’t spend this
point by the beginning of your
next turn, you lose it (though
only spend one action point to
modify the result of any one die
roll or action, as normal).
You must have at least one action
point to cast unfettered heroism.
Once this spell ends, whether the
duration expires or it is dispelled,
you become fatigued.
Special: Human spellcasters cast
this spell at +1 caster level.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

I mean Non Divine as in Heroic Devotion.
I know of Unfettered Heroism, but am in need of Action Points to activate it do to not starting with Action Points.

[Amechra]

Q149:

What's the easiest way to get Smite Law/Chaos without taking a template/alternate paladin?

[bearsarebrown]

Q 141: Is there anyway to make constructs affected by bardic music? Specifically Astral constructs (coming from a shaper/constructor) gaining the benefit of dragonfire inspiration.

Technically DFA isn't Mind-Affecting. Read it closely.

[X-Codes]

Q 141: Is there anyway to make constructs affected by bardic music? Specifically Astral constructs (coming from a shaper/constructor) gaining the benefit of dragonfire inspiration.

Technically DFA isn't Mind-Affecting. Read it closely.

AFAIK it's written somewhere that creatures immune to mind-affecting cannot gain morale bonuses.  In any case, Inspire Courage is a mind-affecting ability.  Dragonfire Inspiration's damage boost is based on the morale bonus to damage granted by Inspire Courage.  Since, for non-living constructs, this value is 0, there are no damage dice added.

That said, I'm fairly certain there's a feat in one of the Eberron books that allows bards to affect constructs.  If not, check Complete Adventurer for Requiem and just change all references to Undead to Constructs.

[bearsarebrown]

I know that morale is Mind-Affecting. It claims the 'normal morale bonus of IC' or something like that though.

[X-Codes]

I know that morale is Mind-Affecting. It claims the 'normal morale bonus of IC' or something like that though.

...and for astral constructs, that value is zero.

[snakeman830]

I know that morale is Mind-Affecting.

Where is this actually stated?  I know that most Morale bonuses are from mind-affecting effects, but I can think of two cases where this isn't the case (Barbarian Rage bonus to Will saves and the Aura of Vitality spell in Spell Compendium).