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

[bearsarebrown]

A188: It would have both subtypes. Probably not kosher for Exalts to cast it. But spell alignment discussions end with Deathwatch and the realization that they're fucking retarded.

Q189 I KNOW there is a handbook somewhere on adding spells to your spell list. Where is it?

[Mixster]

Several combatants can be in a single grapple. Up to four combatants can grapple a single opponent in a given round. Creatures that are one or more size categories smaller than you count for half, creatures that are one size category larger than you count double, and creatures two or more size categories larger count quadruple.

Yeah, but they could all just grapple one target, and get grappled by one, and thus they would all be in the same grapple. Right?

I have to get this into one of my games.

[Vistella]

Q190
we have a monk with decisive strike and improved trip and an unarmed attack tohit bonus of +15 (just a flat number, doesnt matter from where)

now if he uses his decisive strike and tries to trip the opponent, he does his trip attempt at +13 and if the opponent gets tripped he gets the extra attack from improved trip at +15?
cause decisive strike just says

which should mean the trip attempt is a +13 and all other attacks dont suffer from the -2 as improved trip doesnt state anything about using the same attack bonus as befor, unlike cleave and such, no?

Q191
does using combat expertise count as fighting defensively for the purpose of other abilities which rely on fighting defensively?
for example agile fighting which says: When fighting defensively or using total defense, this bonus becomes +2.
does that kick in when using CE for -1 +1 already?

[Rebel7284]

A189 http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2777.0

[PhaedrusXY]

Q190
we have a monk with decisive strike and improved trip and an unarmed attack tohit bonus of +15 (just a flat number, doesnt matter from where)

now if he uses his decisive strike and tries to trip the opponent, he does his trip attempt at +13 and if the opponent gets tripped he gets the extra attack from improved trip at +15?
cause decisive strike just says

(as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn).

which should mean the trip attempt is a +13 and all other attacks dont suffer from the -2 as improved trip doesnt state anything about using the same attack bonus as befor, unlike cleave and such, no?

His trip attempt is not an attack roll. It's a opposed strength check. So penalties to attack rolls will not modify it. The touch attack required before the trip attempt would suffer the -2 penalty. Due to the bolded part, so would the free attack from Improved Trip.

[Vistella]

Q190
we have a monk with decisive strike and improved trip and an unarmed attack tohit bonus of +15 (just a flat number, doesnt matter from where)

now if he uses his decisive strike and tries to trip the opponent, he does his trip attempt at +13 and if the opponent gets tripped he gets the extra attack from improved trip at +15?
cause decisive strike just says

(as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn).

which should mean the trip attempt is a +13 and all other attacks dont suffer from the -2 as improved trip doesnt state anything about using the same attack bonus as befor, unlike cleave and such, no?

His trip attempt is not an attack roll. It's a opposed strength check. So penalties to attack rolls will not modify it. The touch attack required before the trip attempt would suffer the -2 penalty. Due to the bolded part, so would the free attack from Improved Trip.

but the bolded part belongs just to the double damage part as its a new sentance (and yeah, i was talking about the touch attack)

[Zebu]

Q 192 Concerning Lesser Shivering Touch, from Frostburn-- what does the duration do?  Does the subejct take 1d6 damage at the end of that time, or every round the spell lasts, or right at the start?

[PhaedrusXY]

Q190
we have a monk with decisive strike and improved trip and an unarmed attack tohit bonus of +15 (just a flat number, doesnt matter from where)

now if he uses his decisive strike and tries to trip the opponent, he does his trip attempt at +13 and if the opponent gets tripped he gets the extra attack from improved trip at +15?
cause decisive strike just says

(as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn).

which should mean the trip attempt is a +13 and all other attacks dont suffer from the -2 as improved trip doesnt state anything about using the same attack bonus as befor, unlike cleave and such, no?

His trip attempt is not an attack roll. It's a opposed strength check. So penalties to attack rolls will not modify it. The touch attack required before the trip attempt would suffer the -2 penalty. Due to the bolded part, so would the free attack from Improved Trip.

but the bolded part belongs just to the double damage part as its a new sentance (and yeah, i was talking about the touch attack)

OK... I guess you're right.

[Vistella]

so its a cheesey way to circumwent the -2 on an attack roll (as touch attacks are usually easier to get through), nice

and in case it got missed, i edited another question up there earlier:
Q191
does using combat expertise count as fighting defensively for the purpose of other abilities which rely on fighting defensively?
for example agile fighting which says: When fighting defensively or using total defense, this bonus becomes +2.
does that kick in when using CE for -1 +1 already?

[cru]

Q 192 Concerning Lesser Shivering Touch, from Frostburn-- what does the duration do?  Does the subejct take 1d6 damage at the end of that time, or every round the spell lasts, or right at the start?

away from books, but I think you deal 1d6 damage once upon casting and the damage is gone when duration expires.

[Ithamar]

Q193:  At only ECL 2, how can a Chaotic Evil PC beat Detect Evil?  (And don't tell me to buy a sheet of lead.)

[PhaedrusXY]

so its a cheesey way to circumwent the -2 on an attack roll (as touch attacks are usually easier to get through), nice

and in case it got missed, i edited another question up there earlier:
Q191
does using combat expertise count as fighting defensively for the purpose of other abilities which rely on fighting defensively?
for example agile fighting which says: When fighting defensively or using total defense, this bonus becomes +2.
does that kick in when using CE for -1 +1 already?

No, they're totally different abilities. You can even fight defensively at the same time you use Combat Expertise.

[Vistella]

A193
be a bard with undetectable alignment (or buy a bard to cast it on you, or a wand, or potion, etc)

[snakeman830]

Q 192 Concerning Lesser Shivering Touch, from Frostburn-- what does the duration do?  Does the subejct take 1d6 damage at the end of that time, or every round the spell lasts, or right at the start?

away from books, but I think you deal 1d6 damage once upon casting and the damage is gone when duration expires.

No.  That would be a penalty, not damage.  The spell does Dex damage.

The duration on (lesser) Shivering Touch is widely regarded as a typo because it doesn't do anything.  Nothing in the spell deals with the duration in any way, shape, or form.

Bumping:

Q185: Are there any dieties of nocturnal wildlife or nature of other planes?  Preferably with a NG, CG, N, or CN alignment?

[cru]

No.  That would be a penalty, not damage.  The spell does Dex damage.

Why do you think that dex damage must be permanent/instantaneous? D&D is exception-based, it is perfectly possible to have a dex damage effect with a duration.

[snakeman830]

No.  That would be a penalty, not damage.  The spell does Dex damage.

Why do you think that dex damage must be permanent/instantaneous? D&D is exception-based, it is perfectly possible to have a dex damage effect with a duration.

Because damage by definition is instantaneous.  You take damage and it's there until it's healed/repaired.  If it worked as you say, then there would be a clause in the spell saying "at the end of the duration, all ability damaged caused by this spell is healed" or something like that.

[cru]

No.  That would be a penalty, not damage.  The spell does Dex damage.

Why do you think that dex damage must be permanent/instantaneous? D&D is exception-based, it is perfectly possible to have a dex damage effect with a duration.

Because damage by definition is instantaneous.  You take damage and it's there until it's healed/repaired.

temporary (ability damage) or permanent (ability drain).

[snakeman830]

No.  That would be a penalty, not damage.  The spell does Dex damage.

Why do you think that dex damage must be permanent/instantaneous? D&D is exception-based, it is perfectly possible to have a dex damage effect with a duration.

Because damage by definition is instantaneous.  You take damage and it's there until it's healed/repaired.

temporary (ability damage) or permanent (ability drain).

Precisely.  The damage is there until it's healed (which happens naturally).  Ability drain never heals on its own, hence the temporary nature of damage as opposed to the permanant nature of drain.

[cru]

You have kinda failed to prove that ability damage is instantaneous. But yeah, whatever works for you.

[bearsarebrown]

You have kinda failed to prove that ability damage is instantaneous. But yeah, whatever works for you.

It's temporary in the same sense that HP damage is temporary. It is eventually naturally healed but it doesn't "wear off"