Ask a Simple Question, Part 20: Return of the Dread Gazebo

[Garryl]

Where's WotC got some Catfolk pouncers? Is it in RotW? Let me check my books and get back to you on that.

Also, to answer Q72:
A 72: According to the rules for advancing a monster with class levels, what classes are considered associated depends on their role. Since Assassin is considered an associated class for the Bar-Igura, but Sorcerer isn't, I'm guessing that the monster is supposed to be a stealthy type, not a caster. So Ranger and Rogue would also be associated, along with similar sneaky classes and PrCs. The gish PrCs you mentioned are not sneaky types, but rather combat (Fighter/Barbarian/Paladin category) and spellcasting focused. If Bar-Iguras are supposed to get into a straight up fight (good combat abilities, decent attack bonuses and damage, competent AC and saves) then those PrCs will be considered associated. If Bar-Iguras aren't, then the PrCs won't count as associated as they do not play to the monster's normal strengths.

[kevin_video]

Where's WotC got some Catfolk pouncers? Is it in RotW? Let me check my books and get back to you on that.

Also, to answer Q72:
A 72: According to the rules for advancing a monster with class levels, what classes are considered associated depends on their role. Since Assassin is considered an associated class for the Bar-Igura, but Sorcerer isn't, I'm guessing that the monster is supposed to be a stealthy type, not a caster. So Ranger and Rogue would also be associated, along with similar sneaky classes and PrCs. The gish PrCs you mentioned are not sneaky types, but rather combat (Fighter/Barbarian/Paladin category) and spellcasting focused. If Bar-Iguras are supposed to get into a straight up fight (good combat abilities, decent attack bonuses and damage, competent AC and saves) then those PrCs will be considered associated. If Bar-Iguras aren't, then the PrCs won't count as associated as they do not play to the monster's normal strengths.

It was a WotC module in Dungeon that I read at a friend's, that he was going to do on his player's next week. Seemed a little strange that an NPC would be built that way. Thought maybe I wasn't understanding something. There was a bar-lgura in the same book, built with its pounce, and the Spring Attack feat as well. Thought there had to be something to it.

Speaking of the bar-lgura, it's a demon scout. It uses its invisibility, then pounces. So does this mean that a gish PrC is therefore a toss-up? It's all about stealth, but once it finds a victim, it skirmishes and attacks.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

The whole point of Ur-Priest is to

give the DM a completely broken option so he can make his villains less sucky?

[E-mail]

Q76:

I am building an Arcane Hierophant, but I have hit a snag. Does the class actually require me to be able to summon a familiar to work, or is the ability to enhance my animal companion as if it was a familiar granted by the Arcane Hierophant class? If so, I would like to trade my ability to obtain a familiar away for the rapid summoning ACF at level 1.

Thanks.

[Kuroimaken]

Q76:

I am building an Arcane Hierophant, but I have hit a snag. Does the class actually require me to be able to summon a familiar to work, or is the ability to enhance my animal companion as if it was a familiar granted by the Arcane Hierophant class? If so, I would like to trade my ability to obtain a familiar away for the rapid summoning ACF at level 1.

Thanks.

You can just eat up a feat for Obtain Familiar after grabbing the ACF. Problem solved.

[kevin_video]

Bump

Q 72 A little while back, I was reading a Dungeon mag, and came across a bar-lgura with sorcerer, and learned that it was not an associated class. While I don't fully understand why that is, I have a follow-up question? Since the assassin is apparently an associated class where it's 1:1 instead of the sorcerer's 2:1, what of PrC classes like Abjurant Champion, Eldritch Knight, or Swiftblade? Would these too be 2:1 like the sorcerer levels are?

Q 73 I've seen Death Knights in pre-made adventure modules, but not in MMII (I guess they skipped that), who have DR/Magic, DR/Magic and Bludgeoning, and now DR/Magic and Cold Iron. Is there no consistency whatsoever for Death Knights in D&D? What am I supposed to be using? Just choose one each time?

Q 74 If a character has pounce and Spring Attack, can they charge with the pounce, then move back X feet after they've done a full attack?

A couple of the questions have been touched on, but nothing definite yet.

Q 77 Does Meld Into Stone stop Blindsense? I figured it did, but a player was saying it didn't.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Yeah, it does.  The rock blocks LoS.


Not sure whether or not it would block scent or 2e infravision, though.  I suppose it depends upon whether your PCs can smell what the rock is cooking.

[wotmaniac]

Q76:

I am building an Arcane Hierophant, but I have hit a snag. Does the class actually require me to be able to summon a familiar to work, or is the ability to enhance my animal companion as if it was a familiar granted by the Arcane Hierophant class? If so, I would like to trade my ability to obtain a familiar away for the rapid summoning ACF at level 1.

Thanks.

you don't need it, but if you trade away your familiar for an ACF, then you just don't get those levels worth of familiar advancement. 
for example, if you're a druid 4/wiz 3/AH 5, then your effective wizard level for familiar abilities would be 5.
That's the strict RAW .... my group has seen fit to houserule it to not allow familiar abilities at all unless you actually have the ability to summon a familiar.

Or you could just do what Kuroimaken said.  That way (at least by strict RAW), the familiar abilities would continue to advance when you go in to Mystic Theurge once you're done with AH

Q 72 A little while back, I was reading a Dungeon mag, and came across a bar-lgura with sorcerer, and learned that it was not an associated class. While I don't fully understand why that is, I have a follow-up question? Since the assassin is apparently an associated class where it's 1:1 instead of the sorcerer's 2:1, what of PrC classes like Abjurant Champion, Eldritch Knight, or Swiftblade? Would these too be 2:1 like the sorcerer levels are?

Q 73 I've seen Death Knights in pre-made adventure modules, but not in MMII (I guess they skipped that), who have DR/Magic, DR/Magic and Bludgeoning, and now DR/Magic and Cold Iron. Is there no consistency whatsoever for Death Knights in D&D? What am I supposed to be using? Just choose one each time?

Q 74 If a character has pounce and Spring Attack, can they charge with the pounce, then move back X feet after they've done a full attack?

A72
well, if it's got full bab and gives additional options for melee, I'd say that counts as "associated" for martial types.

A73:
just pick one and stick with it.

A74
I'm not touching that one with a 10-ft pole.

[Garryl]

Bump

Q 72 A little while back, I was reading a Dungeon mag, and came across a bar-lgura with sorcerer, and learned that it was not an associated class. While I don't fully understand why that is, I have a follow-up question? Since the assassin is apparently an associated class where it's 1:1 instead of the sorcerer's 2:1, what of PrC classes like Abjurant Champion, Eldritch Knight, or Swiftblade? Would these too be 2:1 like the sorcerer levels are?

Q 73 I've seen Death Knights in pre-made adventure modules, but not in MMII (I guess they skipped that), who have DR/Magic, DR/Magic and Bludgeoning, and now DR/Magic and Cold Iron. Is there no consistency whatsoever for Death Knights in D&D? What am I supposed to be using? Just choose one each time?

Q 74 If a character has pounce and Spring Attack, can they charge with the pounce, then move back X feet after they've done a full attack?

A couple of the questions have been touched on, but nothing definite yet.

I believe I answered #74 with a fairly definitive "no" on the last page. To reiterate, Spring Attack requires an attack action, while Charge is a full-round action, distinct and separate from the action needed for Spring Attack. As for why WotC has Catfolk with Catfolk Pounce and Spring Attack, they may wanted to have some trick to fall back on after the initial rush. Once you're in melee, it's hard to charge again, and it's even worse since Catfolk Pounce only works against flat-footed opponents. That means it will usually be useful in the first round of combat (if that), so Spring Attack is an option to keep those fighters moving. Also, WotC has a tendency to design non-optimized NPCs to go up against non-optimized players (which is probably the norm for their customers, as much as we at the CO boards may try to forget). Non-synergistic abilities are simply par for the course in that regard.

[RobbyPants]

Q 78) Okay.  So devils have imps and demons have quasits, which both make really interesting familiars for themed casters.  Is there an equivalent fiend for yugoloths/daemons, and if so, what book is it in?

Ideally, it would be a tiny creature that is CR 2.

[Viletta Vadim]

Q79 Okay, a PC of mine just got hit by a no-save blindness effect and a no-save deafness effect that rung as rather bullshit to me.  The creature that did this looked human, but was probably disguised somehow (it admitted to not being human), and was both immune to electricity and resistant to fire, so I'm thinking some sort of demon.  It's probably somewhere in the level 7-12 range.  Any ideas what this could have been?

[X-Codes]

Q79 Okay, a PC of mine just got hit by a no-save blindness effect and a no-save deafness effect that rung as rather bullshit to me.  The creature that did this looked human, but was probably disguised somehow (it admitted to not being human), and was both immune to electricity and resistant to fire, so I'm thinking some sort of demon.  It's probably somewhere in the level 7-12 range.  Any ideas what this could have been?

A79 For all I care it's a plot device.  Have the party cleric prep 2x Remove Blindness/Deafness tomorrow and move on with your life.

[The_Laughing_Man]

Q79 Okay, a PC of mine just got hit by a no-save blindness effect and a no-save deafness effect that rung as rather bullshit to me.  The creature that did this looked human, but was probably disguised somehow (it admitted to not being human), and was both immune to electricity and resistant to fire, so I'm thinking some sort of demon.  It's probably somewhere in the level 7-12 range.  Any ideas what this could have been?

A79: I suspect that the effect was Holy Word. Assuming that your PC is nongood. And the creature was Ghaele. Other than that Leonal might fit the description as well and it might even be a DM controlled NPC with levels.

[Agita]

Q79 Okay, a PC of mine just got hit by a no-save blindness effect and a no-save deafness effect that rung as rather bullshit to me.  The creature that did this looked human, but was probably disguised somehow (it admitted to not being human), and was both immune to electricity and resistant to fire, so I'm thinking some sort of demon.  It's probably somewhere in the level 7-12 range.  Any ideas what this could have been?

A79: I suspect that the effect was Holy Word. Assuming that your PC is nongood. And the creature was Ghaele. Other than that Leonal might fit the description as well and it might even be a DM controlled NPC with levels.

Unlikely, Holy Word's Bildnenss and Deafness are temporary.

[Viletta Vadim]

The effect in question is temporary, but the character's not just good but exalted.  Blasphemy (and Dictum and Word of Chaos) aren't blindness/deafness like Holy Word, so those don't fit, either.

Hm... if there's a Power Word: Deaf to go with Power Word: Blind, I suppose that could work, but that would mean my lone 7th-level PC was just facing a 13+th-level mage, and I'd like to have more faith in this GM than that.

[Kuroimaken]

The effect in question is temporary, but the character's not just good but exalted.  Blasphemy (and Dictum and Word of Chaos) aren't blindness/deafness like Holy Word, so those don't fit, either.

Hm... if there's a Power Word: Deaf to go with Power Word: Blind, I suppose that could work, but that would mean my lone 7th-level PC was just facing a 13+th-level mage, and I'd like to have more faith in this GM than that.

Can't find a Power Word: Deaf spell anywhere. There are, however, many effects that induce deafness. Did he take damage as well?

[Viletta Vadim]

Can't find a Power Word: Deaf spell anywhere. There are, however, many effects that induce deafness. Did he take damage as well?

That, I don't know.  I hurt him with some fire damage, he cast a spell, I went blind (just like that; no visual effects or anything), and the round after, I went deaf (no way of knowing if there were any visual effects, there), and that was that.  He left.

[The_Laughing_Man]

That, I don't know.  I hurt him with some fire damage, he cast a spell, I went blind (just like that; no visual effects or anything), and the round after, I went deaf (no way of knowing if there were any visual effects, there), and that was that.  He left.

I was going to suggest Blindness/Deafness earlier but there is a saving throw.. I don't know if there is a metamagic that allows you to cast the same spell (blindness/deafness) twice like you describe above.

[Kuroimaken]

Can't find a Power Word: Deaf spell anywhere. There are, however, many effects that induce deafness. Did he take damage as well?

That, I don't know.  I hurt him with some fire damage, he cast a spell, I went blind (just like that; no visual effects or anything), and the round after, I went deaf (no way of knowing if there were any visual effects, there), and that was that.  He left.

Invisible spell would explain the lack of visual effects. Silence on a pre-cast object could explain the deafness, but it lasts A LOT, so it's unlikely.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Q80
Can effects that increase size or increase the damage of naturals weapons by a size (Enlarge Person, Improved Natural Attack, Sharptooth, etc) stack with the effects of Greater Mighty Wallop to increase the damage of a natural weapon beyond Colossal, or will the extra size increases of Greater Mighty Wallop start to overlap with other effects?