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

[Nuntius Mortis]

Q293: The Variant Child Template (the one from the D&D Wiki) halves the Hit Dice of the creature. How does apply to a creature with 3 HD? The result of the halving is 1.5 and the template doesn't mention anything about halving down or up the Hit Dice. So, what happens in that case? It counts as a 1 HD creature that substitutes its hit dice for its first level or not?

Q294: If a race mentions "advancement: by character class" do we ommit the Hit Dice it has and thus we do not take its BAB, Saves, Skills and Hit Dice-dependent benefits of its special attacks (if any)?

[SixthDeclension]

Q294: If a race mentions "advancement: by character class" do we ommit the Hit Dice it has and thus we do not take its BAB, Saves, Skills and Hit Dice-dependent benefits of its special attacks (if any)?

I believe if it has one HD you ignore it, but more than that you take them into account. Can't give a quote though.

[Nuntius Mortis]

Q294: If a race mentions "advancement: by character class" do we ommit the Hit Dice it has and thus we do not take its BAB, Saves, Skills and Hit Dice-dependent benefits of its special attacks (if any)?

I believe if it has one HD you ignore it, but more than that you take them into account. Can't give a quote though.

If it has 3 HD and you add a template to it and the HD falls to 1.5 (and due to rounding down to 1) you can ignore it, right?

[Negative Zero]

Q294: If a race mentions "advancement: by character class" do we ommit the Hit Dice it has and thus we do not take its BAB, Saves, Skills and Hit Dice-dependent benefits of its special attacks (if any)?

I believe if it has one HD you ignore it, but more than that you take them into account. Can't give a quote though.

If it has 3 HD and you add a template to it and the HD falls to 1.5 (and due to rounding down to 1) you can ignore it, right?

I don't think there are any templates that do that in WotC books, so it's DM's call.

A294: No. 'Advancement: by character class' means that they advance by character class, not that they go back and ignore their race and start over with character classes. Basically, they can't gain more racial HD beyond the ones they already have, and must take class levels to progress.

[Nuntius Mortis]

If it has 3 HD and you add a template to it and the HD falls to 1.5 (and due to rounding down to 1) you can ignore it, right?

I don't think there are any templates that do that in WotC books, so it's DM's call.

There is the Child Variant template in D&D Wiki but because it's not official it's surely up to the DM.

[Surreal]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

[Negative Zero]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

A296: So long as a spellbook constitutes "spells known" for a wizard, then prestige classes that grant an increase in "spells known" act as though he gained another wizard level for that purpose.

[Vinom]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

A295: So long as a spellbook constitutes "spells known" for a wizard, then prestige classes that grant an increase in "spells known" act as though he gained another wizard level for that purpose.

Which I believe cheapens the 'hidden arts' and I would recommend the varient where players have to attually find spells or research spells in order to transcribe them into their spell book...

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

A295: So long as a spellbook constitutes "spells known" for a wizard, then prestige classes that grant an increase in "spells known" act as though he gained another wizard level for that purpose.

Which I believe cheapens the 'hidden arts' and I would recommend the varient where players have to attually find spells or research spells in order to transcribe them into their spell book...

If you're writing it down, it bloody well isn't much of a hidden art.  Now oral tradition enforced by strict geas, that's a hidden art.

[Vinom]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

A295: So long as a spellbook constitutes "spells known" for a wizard, then prestige classes that grant an increase in "spells known" act as though he gained another wizard level for that purpose.

Which I believe cheapens the 'hidden arts' and I would recommend the varient where players have to attually find spells or research spells in order to transcribe them into their spell book...

If you're writing it down, it bloody well isn't much of a hidden art.  Now oral tradition enforced by strict geas, that's a hidden art.

What I mean is that a wizard shouldn't have fireball randomly appear in a spell book, it should be aquired and transcribed through effort...

[Nanshork]

Q 295: Does a Wizard who takes a prestige class not gain new spells in her spellbook per level? Relevant text below:

At each new wizard level, she gains two new spells of any spell level or levels that she can cast (based on her new wizard level) for her spellbook.

A295: So long as a spellbook constitutes "spells known" for a wizard, then prestige classes that grant an increase in "spells known" act as though he gained another wizard level for that purpose.

Which I believe cheapens the 'hidden arts' and I would recommend the varient where players have to attually find spells or research spells in order to transcribe them into their spell book...

If you're writing it down, it bloody well isn't much of a hidden art.  Now oral tradition enforced by strict geas, that's a hidden art.

What I mean is that a wizard shouldn't have fireball randomly appear in a spell book, it should be aquired and transcribed through effort...

Since wizards get spells for free at every level anyway that doesn't really answer Surreal's question.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Q296: Is there any way (preferably a feat) that allows a Barbarian to use the Concentration skill while Raging?

[InnaBinder]

Q296: Is there any way (preferably a feat) that allows a Barbarian to use the Concentration skill while Raging?

Steady Concentration, RoS p144.   

[BowenSilverclaw]

Q296: Is there any way (preferably a feat) that allows a Barbarian to use the Concentration skill while Raging?

Steady Concentration, RoS p144.   

I'm not sure that works...

It might, depending on how you read it, but I'd prefer something that actually mentions Rage...

[cru]

A296 Righteous Wrath (BoED) sounds like it might do it, but it does not say it.

[BowenSilverclaw]

Yeah, I'm looking for something explicit, not something vague like that, sorry.

Thanks anyway

[cru]

Well, hmm... rage mage while in spell rage can attempt concentration checks to avoid having spells disrupted. But I guess that won't help you much either.

[BowenSilverclaw]

It's mostly for being able to use the Diamond Mind Concentration maneuvers while Raging with a Barbarian/Warblade I'm working on.

[Mushroom]

Q297:Are there any ECL 20 outsiders besides the one in Savage species?(ECL 18-22 is fine as well)

[Nuntius Mortis]

Q297:Are there any ECL 20 outsiders besides the one in Savage species?(ECL 18-22 is fine as well)

A297: A lot. You'll find most of these at BoeD, BoVD, Fiendish Codex I and II and Fiend Folio (Fiend Folio has the best of them I may add). Check out the rilmani for example (FF, page 141) that range from ECL 25 (Aurumach) to 17 (Cuprilach) and 13 (Ferrumach) and really create (especially the first two only the last one would really shine on a Str and Con based build). Planar Handbook, Manual of the Planes and of course Monster Manuals (I to V) have some of them as well but I guess that you'll probably already know them. Epic Level Handbook has a lot of outsiders as well but most of them have really high ECLs with the exception of Mercane which only has ECL 7 and the amazing Chichimec which has ECL 23 but I doubt that it would be playable as a) the creature table indicates 27 HD and doesn't match at all with the ECL list that list it as ECL 23 and b) a DM would be really crazy to let you take it as a PC because that thing is actually a demigod (check out the abominations treat if you don't believe me and you'll see that it's actually better from a demigod). If you want something to enhance your PC and the Epic Level Handbook is available then just take the pseudonatural or the paragon templates.

PS: Sorry for not keeping the answer simple but the question had too many answers