Ask a Simple Question, Get a Simple Answer, Part III, The Reckoning

[veekie]

Q117: Given we've got a party riding on 240' moving Phantom Steeds, what to do about that Druid's Animal Companion? Obviously the Bear will have some trouble riding an illusionary horse, so what measures could be taken to enable it to fly and not lag too far behind the party's speed?

Give it a bottle of air and put it into a bag of holding.

Or use a cargo kite from the raptoran section of Races of the Wild

I like the kite idea.

[PhaedrusXY]

"As a full-round action, make one attack with an unarmed strike or special monk weapon, using your highest base attack bonus but taking a -2 penalty on this attack roll. If the attack hits, it deals double damage (as does any other attack you make before the start of your next turn)... This is an extraordinary ability."

Well, that doesn't mention crits, so it should work (at least according to Phaedrus' explanation, I'm AFB at the moment, so I can't double-check...)

Doh, looks like I'm wrong!  Sorry

Multiplying Damage

[Operation Shoestring]

Q118: So i'm trying to sell a Incarnate1/Psion5/Soulmanefester 1 to my dm.  Problem is, I have a psicrystal, and the SRD is confusing and self-contradictory on how the psicrsytal works.  Do I have:

a) a 5 hd psicrystal, for my psion level

b) a 6 hd psicrystal, for my manifester level.

c) a 7 hd psicrystal, based on my hd.

Can anyone help?

Q119: Does my psicrystal advance BAB, saves, Skillpoints, attribute points and feats for his hd?

Q120: With the build above, I used "open least chakra: crown, to fullfill a prereq."  After I take 3 levels of soulmanifester, can I Psychic reformation that feat away since my class levels now open all my least charas?

Q121: Does a bound "charming veil" allow me to fulfill the "able to manifest mindlink" prerequisite of Thrallherd?

[Negative Zero]

Q120: I'm not proficient in Incarnum, but I know that a Prestige Class can qualify for itself. This makes it possible to retrain a melee build so that you no longer have any base class levels.

[Vinom]

Q117: Given we've got a party riding on 240' moving Phantom Steeds, what to do about that Druid's Animal Companion? Obviously the Bear will have some trouble riding an illusionary horse, so what measures could be taken to enable it to fly and not lag too far behind the party's speed?

Give it a bottle of air and put it into a bag of holding.

Or use a cargo kite from the raptoran section of Races of the Wild

I like the kite idea.

I'm building a chara that can easily top that 240' speed.

[woodenbandman]

Q:121Can I use snap kick with grapple attempts?

[Kuroimaken]

Q:121Can I use snap kick with grapple attempts?

Unfortunately, no.

[cru]

Q:121Can I use snap kick with grapple attempts?

Unfortunately, no.

Well, why not?

Snap Kick (ToB): When you make a melee attack

Initiating a Grapple (Rules Compendium): Starting a grapple is an attack. (...) you can make a melee touch attack to grab the target. (...) If you can make multiple attacks due to a high base attack bonus, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times by making a full attack.

I guess it boils down to whether a melee touch attack (grapple) is a melee attack with a melee weapon (Snap Kick requirement).

[Kuroimaken]

Q:121Can I use snap kick with grapple attempts?

Unfortunately, no.

Well, why not?

Snap Kick (ToB): When you make a melee attack

Initiating a Grapple (Rules Compendium): Starting a grapple is an attack. (...) you can make a melee touch attack to grab the target. (...) If you can make multiple attacks due to a high base attack bonus, you can attempt to start a grapple multiple times by making a full attack.

I guess it boils down to whether a melee touch attack (grapple) is a melee attack with a melee weapon (Snap Kick requirement).

I would assume not since grappling is presented as an attack option, but not an attack per se. Likewise with Trip or Disarm.

[Emy]

Q122: Is there any support for divine and arcane castings of animate dead having separate control pools?

I thought I remembered a FAQ entry or Sage Advice or something, but can't find it (and therefore, may have imagined it.)

[PhaedrusXY]

Q118: So i'm trying to sell a Incarnate1/Psion5/Soulmanefester 1 to my dm.  Problem is, I have a psicrystal, and the SRD is confusing and self-contradictory on how the psicrsytal works.  Do I have:

a) a 5 hd psicrystal, for my psion level

b) a 6 hd psicrystal, for my manifester level.

c) a 7 hd psicrystal, based on my hd.

Can anyone help?

It is based on your levels in psionic classes. Assuming Soul Manifester is a PrC that advances manifesting, your psicrystal would be the same as one for a Psion 6.

Q119: Does my psicrystal advance BAB, saves, Skillpoints, attribute points and feats for his hd?

God... this is not a simple question. RAI, probably not (per WotC Cust Serv). Per the RAW, it has it's own hit dice, and so it's BAB would advance and it would gain feats. However its skill points are explicitly the same as the master's, except for the 4 ranks in Spot, Listen, and Search. And it's saves explicitly use the Master's base saves and relevant ability scores. See the Psionics FAQ on the WotC boards for more details on this (in the monsters section).

Q120: With the build above, I used "open least chakra: crown, to fullfill a prereq."  After I take 3 levels of soulmanifester, can I Psychic reformation that feat away since my class levels now open all my least charas?

Yes, per the RAW. Expect many DMs to balk at this.

Q121: Does a bound "charming veil" allow me to fulfill the "able to manifest mindlink" prerequisite of Thrallherd?

No idea. I have never even looked in the Incarnum book. How is it worded? Having Mindlink as a Psi-like ability qualifies you (like the Kalasthar does).

[Emy]

Q121: Does a bound "charming veil" allow me to fulfill the "able to manifest mindlink" prerequisite of Thrallherd?

No idea. I have never even looked in the Incarnum book. How is it worded? Having Mindlink as a Psi-like ability qualifies you (like the Kalasthar does).

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a

I think it's the Psion's Eyes bind he wants, and not Charming Veil.

It says "You can use the mindlink power at will for the duration of this soulmeld."

It should qualify.

[Exileman]

Q123: Dragon 310 presents fighting styles for the monk.  Do the options there get added to the list of possibilities at 1, 2, and 6 or do they replace options like stunning fist?

[Agita]

Q 124

If a Changeling Wizard with the 1st racial substitution level chooses to trade in their ability to acquire a familiar for the Immediate Magic ACF, do they gain both the SLAs for Illusion and Transmutation?

Q 124b

If yes, are their uses tracked separately, or do they draw from a single pool of uses?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q125) If I apply the fell energy metamagic (Any numerical bonus granted by a spell modified with this feat increases by +2 for all undead creatures it affects. Only effects described as bonuses gain this benefit.)
to Incorporeal enhancement ("The undead affected by this spell gain a +1 deflection bonus to Armor Class, +1d8 bonus hit points, a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 bonus to turn resistance. Each of these enhancements doubles for every 5 caster levels."), do I apply the fell energy increase before or after multiplying.

That is, if normally a 20th-level caster grants undead +4 to AC, +4d8 bonus hit points, +4 on attack rolls and +8 to turn resistance, does fell energy give +6 to AC, +4d8+2 bonus hit points, +6 on attack rolls and +10 on turn resistance, OR does fell energy have a final total of +12 to AC, +4d8+8 bonus hit points, +12 to attack rolls and +16 to turn resistance?

[Emy]

A125: You don't double it at all. Incorporeal inhancement has a more recent printing in the Spell Compendium, which says each bonus "improves by the base amount for every 5 caster levels beyond 5th." Whichever order you apply them in, the bonus that has been modified by Fell Energy Spell is certainly not the "base amount".

Normal (20th level caster):
+4 AC, +4d8 bonus HP, +4 attack, +8 turn resistance

Fell Energy (20th level caster):
+6 AC, +4d8+2 bonus, +6 attack, +10 turn resistance

edit - Use it on desecrate for fun and profit.

edit #2 - Actually, just be undead yourself and throw it on all of your buffs. mage armor, shield, animalistic power, protection from x, create magic tattoo (just to name a few low-level ones. I'm not certain it'll work on the +1 CL use of create magic tattoo since it doesn't use the magic word 'bonus'. CMT uses other than +1 CL and 10+CL/3 SR should work fine though.) Wouldn't work with magic weapon, but probably would with magic fang. I... think this is one of my new favorite Dragon Magazine feats.

edit #3 - use Fell Energy Spell with metamagic cost reduction on wishes granting inherent ability score bonuses. 

edit #4 - I forgot about shroud of undeath! "You are treated as if you were undead for the purpose of all spells and effects that specifically affect undead creatures." 

[BowenSilverclaw]

Q126: Is there any way, magical or otherwise, that let's you reload a crossbow without using 2 hands (one to hold, one to reload)?

[Agita]

Q126: Is there any way, magical or otherwise, that let's you reload a crossbow without using 2 hands (one to hold, one to reload)?

A 126

Creative application of a Hand of the Mage?

[Risada]

A126 There's a weapon enhancement.... quickloading that allows you to put a "magical 100 bolt    
cartridge" on your crossbow... I guess it's on MIC...

[Nanshork]

A 126: That third hand item for artificer's would do it to, am AFB so not sure if it can perform that task without an infusion.