Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer 26: Still better than CustServ

[Maat_Mons]

Q169: Is there  way for a cleric to get magic missile on his spell list other than the Force domain?

The arcane disciple cleric variant from Dragon 311 gets to add any sorcerer/wizard or bard spell up to one level lower than the highest level spell he can cast to his spell list every class level.  He also gains bonus feats as a wizard and has all spells of the magic domain added to his spell list, but he gains no domains, doesn't get heavy armor proficiency, and only gets d6 hit dice. 

[Sobolev]

I guess my point is if Dragonborn throws away everything but score adjustments, and both of these are aberrations, but one has -2 Charisma, why don't we avoid that one.

Because Cha doesn't matter to a Totemist.

I guess my point was basically, I see no other advantage to being an Elan, and I see a disadvantage (though a very minor one).  Mechanically, the Dragonborn Synad should serve the purpose just SLIGHTLY better than the Dragonborn Elan, unless I'm missing something.  I skimmed some Racial feats, but most for both modify racial traits that neither has anymore, so that can't be the answer.  I mean, if we're just theorycrafting, Dragonborn Synads are more resilient against opposing Psions using Ego Whip.

[McPoyo]

Your aging is still as base race, isn't it? That's a hefty plus for the elan.

[Agita]

Your aging is still as base race, isn't it? That's a hefty plus for the elan.

Nope, Dragonborn get a new aging table.

[zook1shoe]

A159 No.  An ability to bypass fear immunity bypasses fear immunity only.  You are still trying to affect a creature that is immune to mind-affecting effects with a mind-affecting effect.

I read the way the ability differently.

[LunaticsLament]

A168  They keep the template, and lose much of what it grants.  Best to avoid inherited (or early-acquired) templates with dragonborn unless the LA is real low and the template is mostly granting stuff dragonborn can keep.  A Lolth-touched whatever who has seen the error of its ways or been modified magically and changed alignment might work well, for example. Str and Con +6 apiece (keep), +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently (lose), immunity to all fear effects (lose), alignment changes to Chaotic Evil (already happened and dropped), LA +1 (quick and cheap to buy off).

Ah, damn.  I was hoping for phrenic, as it is a gestalt and that with dragonborn would have complimented both sides.

[weenog]

A159 No.  An ability to bypass fear immunity bypasses fear immunity only.  You are still trying to affect a creature that is immune to mind-affecting effects with a mind-affecting effect.

I read the way the ability differently.

I don't have my books handy, so I answered the question, not the book.  Can you quote the specific text of the ability?

[zook1shoe]

"Greater Master of Terror (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, the increased difficulty of all save DCs for all spells you cast with the fear descriptor increases from +1 to +2. In addition, your fear spells are so potent, that they can even affect individuals normally immune to fear, such as a paladin, although they still gain a saving throw to resist the effect. A target whose HD exceed your caster level by 4 or more is immune to your mastery of terror. For instance, if you are a Sorcerer 7/Dread Witch 4 (overall caster level10), a paladin of 14th level or higher is immune to your fear spells."

How I read it, the fear spell affects any creature normally immune to fear (for any reason). I don't see anything limiting the immunity to just a "Fear Immunity" ability (like a paladin). But I see it affecting a creature immune to mind-affecting abilities, since in an indirect way, they are immune to fear.

Also, I read that its the ENTIRE spell affects the creature, not just a fear portion.

But I do agree that there might be a line somewhere, like a fearful empowered fireball affecting a fire immune and fear immune creature, either dealing or not dealing the fire damage part to said creature.

[weenog]

I'm afraid I can't buy that.  It does say your fear spells can affect individuals normally immune to fear, but it doesn't give you a broader exception that you can freely ignore all other effects that might indirectly get in the way of causing fear.  Therefore, you don't have the ability to freely ignore all other effects that might indirectly get in the way of causing fear, and they operate normally.

I don't believe it's RAI that you can ignore immunity to mind-affecting effects either.  To intend for this ability to bypass immunity to mind-affecting effects, that would mean you intended for dread witches to go around terrifying machines and other entirely mindless things, which is clearly absurd.  Around here we're no strangers to absurdity, but that's generally RAW territory, and the RAW doesn't seem to support bypassing other immunities that only screw you up indirectly.

[BruceLeeroy]

It could simply mean that you mean for Dread Witches to scare vampires, not mindless things. Immunity to mind-affecting does not necessitate mindlessness. Your example is a bit of hyperbole.

This ability doesn't grant the specific ability to penetrate mind-affecting. So it doesn't. But I think it should.

[weenog]

My example is the end point of that interpretation that the dread witch ability does more than exactly what it says it does.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

But I see it affecting a creature immune to mind-affecting abilities, since in an indirect way, they are immune to fear.

So you're saying you can make the dirt afraid of you, despite it not having a mind?

Not buying it.

[BruceLeeroy]

But I see it affecting a creature immune to mind-affecting abilities, since in an indirect way, they are immune to fear.

So you're saying you can make the dirt afraid of you, despite it not having a mind?

Not buying it.

Counterpoint: Everything Wizard 20. And it's dirt with feelings that you don't buy?

[weenog]

Wizard 20 typically has RAW support for all the absurd stuff it pulls.  And it doesn't change the dread witch situation.

[X-Codes]

Q170?: Is there an ability somewhere that removes the "you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent" requirement on charging?

[Hazren]

"can even affect individuals normally immune "

I'd say yes you can affect an individual that has immunity to fear regardless of how they have that immunity. To extend that to talking about dirt or any other thing that can't be labled an individual is just wrong on so many levels.

[weenog]

So you really think a violet fungus, an iron golem, a gelatinous cube and a hulking corpse should be terrified of a dread witch?  (That sounds like the most messed up PCs as monsters party ever.)

[X-Codes]

I think this discussion brings up many fine points as to why blanket immunities are a really stupid design mechanic.

[Unbeliever]

So you really think a violet fungus, an iron golem, a gelatinous cube and a hulking corpse should be terrified of a dread witch?  (That sounds like the most messed up PCs as monsters party ever.)

Isn't that like, the whole point of the PrC? 

[rot42]

Q 166 Got a player that wants a powerless ioun stone that's got a spell trigger continual light cast on it, so that it not only casts light for everyone to see, but it also make it look like he's got a halo circling his head. How does one go about designing something that? And how much would it cost?

A 166: Watch Lamp, Magic Item Compendium 147 gives you a hands free torch that turns on and off as a Swift. You could add the slotless cost and subtract the spell trigger cost. Quite affordable even in the early levels.

If I wanted to just put that ability on the dull gray ioun stone, could I just add the 25 gold of that to the 500 gold of the item? Or would I still need to double the cost for a "slotless" item?

All the other ioun stones have the "slotless" cost included, so presumably a "slotted dull grey ioun stone" would be 12.5 gp. Add that to the item cost, and then double to remove the slot restriction, I think. Just hiring someone to cast Continual Flame on the stone would be 85 gp, though that lacks a certain panache.