Ask a Simple Question, Get a simple answer

[woodenbandman]

Q 602: Would the arms from the Insectile template allow a character to gain extra STR multipliers on their Two Handed Weapon? I know a Thri-Kreen can gain x 2.5 (can I have source for this rule, by the way), but it says that the arms do not grant extra attacks. Would they allow a character to gain x3.5 STR damage on their attacks?

[ksbsnowowl]

Q601 what class/es would be most appropriate for a hellboy like character?

Don't know about class, but for race check out the Legion Devil in Fiendish Codex II.  Most effective if there is more than one of you, though.

[Bozwevial]

Q603: Can an eternal blade's blade guide make Knowledge checks for the purposes of Knowledge Devotion, as long as the eternal blade has at least one rank in those skills?

[PhaedrusXY]

Q 602: Would the arms from the Insectile template allow a character to gain extra STR multipliers on their Two Handed Weapon? I know a Thri-Kreen can gain x 2.5 (can I have source for this rule, by the way), but it says that the arms do not grant extra attacks. Would they allow a character to gain x3.5 STR damage on their attacks?

A602: The source is savage species. I don't remember the page. Yeah, they could get extra Str damage from them.

[Sunic_Flames]

Q604: Are there any item based means of getting telepathy, or permanent/persistable/long duration spells that do the same? No, the DMG helm doesn't count as relying on enemies to fail some trivially easy save just to speak telepathically to them if they're within 60 feet = Epic Fail is Epic.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q604: Are there any item based means of getting telepathy, or permanent/persistable/long duration spells that do the same? No, the DMG helm doesn't count as relying on enemies to fail some trivially easy save just to speak telepathically to them if they're within 60 feet = Epic Fail is Epic.

What about Rary's Telepathic Bond? It can be made permanent via Permanency, but it is only to the people who you cast it on, and the range is unlimited, so that might be a bit weird interacting with Mindsight...

[Sunic_Flames]

Which is the problem, as it is primarily for Mindsight and secondarily for covert communication.

To preempt the obvious, I can't qualify for a Mindbender dip, or this wouldn't even be a problem. No arcane caster level and no charm person. Of course, those things only actually matter if for some reason you wanted to go beyond one level, as otherwise the PRC abilities have nothing to do with charming people.

Also, I'd lose actual class features if I did that. So I'd rather not.

Edit: Lists of stuff offers two soulmelds, but soulmelds use item slots (not to mention several feats). Let's see... Open Least Chakra (Crown), Shape Soulmeld (Shedu Crown)... I think something else I'm missing, and still can't use a helm. Um, fuck that shit.

Also, for some reason talking to people mentally is 'mind affecting'... so I guess Mind Blanked stuff can't even hear you?

[mavriskyla]

i'm doing a repost since Phaedrus showed this thread to me...

1) "Racial bonuses" to skills overlap or stack with each other? Case in mind, race+inherited+acquired template, e.g. a halfling gets a +2 racial bonus to move silently. We apply to it both an inherited template that gives a racial bonus to move silently, let's say +4 and the vampire template, which gives another +8. What will be the final bonus? +8, since it's the bigger one? +14 in case they overlap? The +8 of the vampire surpasses the +4 of the inherited template but stacks with the halfling's +2 for a total of +10?

2) How exactly do the following abilities interact: "uncanny dodge" (not improved uncanny dodge, the basic one) and sneak attack. The exact wording of sneak attack is:

would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not)

If I get this correctly, uncanny dodge let's you keep your dexterity bonus to AC, but technically you're still considered flat-footed so you can be sneak-attacked. Am I right?


I wasn't covered by Phaedrus' answer since the line about "a rogue 4 levels higher than you" refers to improved uncanny dodge and it's about flanking. It doesn't say anything about a rogue with improved feint bluffing you into flat-footedness, or a rogue winning initiative and attacking you the first round...

Thanks everyone in advance.

[Bozwevial]

Mavriskyla:

1) Racial bonuses don't stack, you'd simply use the highest bonus.

2) The word "would" is in that sentence to cover the cases of characters with negative Dexterity modifiers. So no, someone with uncanny dodge can't be sneak attacked in such a manner. (I could be wrong, though--but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.)

[BowenSilverclaw]

Which is the problem, as it is primarily for Mindsight and secondarily for covert communication.

To preempt the obvious, I can't qualify for a Mindbender dip, or this wouldn't even be a problem. No arcane caster level and no charm person. Of course, those things only actually matter if for some reason you wanted to go beyond one level, as otherwise the PRC abilities have nothing to do with charming people.

Also, I'd lose actual class features if I did that. So I'd rather not.

Got any spare feats, Foxboy?
Shape Soulmeld (Shedu Crown) and Open Least Chakra (Crown) will get you Telepathy...

[Sunic_Flames]

Which is the problem, as it is primarily for Mindsight and secondarily for covert communication.

To preempt the obvious, I can't qualify for a Mindbender dip, or this wouldn't even be a problem. No arcane caster level and no charm person. Of course, those things only actually matter if for some reason you wanted to go beyond one level, as otherwise the PRC abilities have nothing to do with charming people.

Also, I'd lose actual class features if I did that. So I'd rather not.

Got any spare feats, Foxboy?
Shape Soulmeld (Shedu Crown) and Open Least Chakra (Crown) will get you Telepathy...

You ninjaed my edit. See above. Don't you also need an essentia pool or some shit?

At this point I'd be better off just trying to make a item that doesn't suck.

[Kuroimaken]

1) "Racial bonuses" to skills overlap or stack with each other? Case in mind, race+inherited+acquired template, e.g. a halfling gets a +2 racial bonus to move silently. We apply to it both an inherited template that gives a racial bonus to move silently, let's say +4 and the vampire template, which gives another +8. What will be the final bonus? +8, since it's the bigger one? +14 in case they overlap? The +8 of the vampire surpasses the +4 of the inherited template but stacks with the halfling's +2 for a total of +10?

What Boz said.

However, remember that the halfling gets a size bonus to hide that is independent of racial bonuses, and that would stack.

[Chemus]

Q604: Are there any item based means of getting telepathy, or permanent/persistable/long duration spells that do the same? No, the DMG helm doesn't count as relying on enemies to fail some trivially easy save just to speak telepathically to them if they're within 60 feet = Epic Fail is Epic.

A604:JanusJones twice pointed out the ghostwise halfling to me. With a web enhancement (at work now), Class Chronicle it can get Improved Speak Without Sound; a [Psionic] feat. Psion/Psychic warrior can get it free. Hidden Talent (XPsi, Sideabr p...67?) nets you an effective ML, so two feats + Mindsight will get it for ya, I think.

[Sunic_Flames]

Except you have to be some other race, and this is an existing character.

Fuck it, I'm just going to Diplomacy check my DM into making a Telepathy feat.

Something like...

Telepathy [General]:

Prerequisite: Int 16, caster level 6th.

Benefit: You gain telepathy, out to 100 feet as the ability.

Normal: You have to open your mouth to talk to people. Shut yo mouth foo.

Strictly inferior to Mindbender dipping, so shouldn't be a problem. Alternately, get him to waive the arcane and charm parts. But then, I'd rank craft reserve a bit higher than one feat. Especially since 2k XP will get you a feat in this campaign...

[BowenSilverclaw]

Well...
Soulmelds are somewhat akin to Magic Items, so no reason you shouldn't be able to convince your DM to let you turn a Shedu Crown into a custom Item
EDIT: Especially if you can 'buy' feats with XP already...

[Agita]

Q 605

Is there a feat that can give you a manifester level for the purpose of qualifying for other feats? I checked Hidden Talent, and it won't work because it seems to give a ML only when manifesting the chosen power by RAW.

Q 605b

For that matter, is there any way to aqcuire a ML without class levels or already having one?

[woodenbandman]

2) How exactly do the following abilities interact: "uncanny dodge" (not improved uncanny dodge, the basic one) and sneak attack. The exact wording of sneak attack is:

would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not)

If I get this correctly, uncanny dodge let's you keep your dexterity bonus to AC, but technically you're still considered flat-footed so you can be sneak-attacked. Am I right?[/quote]

I would like to disagree with Boz here. I would like to think that this simply allows you to keep your dex bonus when you're flat footed, and thus also keep your dodge bonuses and stuff like that. You're still vulnerable to sneak attack. I can't think of an example of something similar to this, but the uncanny dodge ability does not render you immune to being flat-footed, just removes the negative consequences, kind of like the spell "Disobedience" or something like that, which allows you to be affected by a compulsion effect but immune to the compulsion-y side effects of it. You can still fail your save against the effect, in which case it affects you once the disobedience spell runs out.

The flat footed condition states that you lose your Dex bonus to AC, and the uncanny dodge condition removes that stipulation, meaning that it's a modification of the flat-footed condition. As I recall, if something modifies a condition, it modifies it in exactly the way specified, and no other way. Uncanny dodge does not state that you cannot be sneak attacked when flat footed, so I assume that you can. Otherwise it's horribly overpowered, because it basically gives you immunity to precision damage.

[PhaedrusXY]

Otherwise it's horribly overpowered, because it basically gives you immunity to precision damage.

No it doesn't. It only works vs. things that would make you lose your Dex to AC. It does nothing for being flanked, immobilized, grappled, etc. And I have never seen anyone interpret it the way you're saying. The little section of text in parenthesis is there to clarify exactly what that "would" is meant to say.

The Improved version clearly states that it defeats sneak attacks based on flanking. Too bad they weren't as clear with the normal version, but I feel 100% certain that that's how its supposed to work. Otherwise the ability is complete crap.

[Kuroimaken]

Okay, so I re-read Uncanny Dodge just now... And while I can understand a bit of the debate, I don't find there's much grounds for discussion here.

Sneak attack works whenever you are denied your Dex bonus to AC. It is dependent on the bonus itself being denied, not on the condition that makes it so. Uncanny dodge lets you keep your Dex bonus when you're flatfooted or against an invisible opponent, which means it protects you against Sneak Attack under those conditions only. You can still be sneak attacked by feinting opponents and anything that doesn't specifically cause the flat-footed condition or works via invisibility.

Note that this doesn't eliminate an invisible attacker's +2 bonus or anything of the sort.

[ZeroSum]

D20 SRD, Rogue

She retains her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if she is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, she still loses her Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.

Note lack of information related to flanking.

A rogue of 8th level or higher can no longer be flanked. This defense denies another rogue the ability to sneak attack the character by flanking her, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target does.

It's the flanking bit that still lets a rogue sneak attack someone with uncanny dodge.  It's improved uncanny dodge that prevents flanking and thus prevents sneak attack due to loss of dex to AC or flanking.