Ask a simple question, get a simple answer, part IV, never gonna give you up...

[PhaedrusXY]

you seem to have a long history of not liking Skip Williams (or at least his design skills).
so, I'm assuming that if WotC sent you a survey to fill-out on what could be done to best improve WotC products, you would simply send it back with "FIRE SKIP WILLIAMS" written all over it. 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you -- just making an observation.

He hasn't worked for them for a while now, but he sure did a lot of damage while he did...

[KellKheraptis]

you seem to have a long history of not liking Skip Williams (or at least his design skills).
so, I'm assuming that if WotC sent you a survey to fill-out on what could be done to best improve WotC products, you would simply send it back with "FIRE SKIP WILLIAMS" written all over it. 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you -- just making an observation.

He hasn't worked for them for a while now, but he sure did a lot of damage while he did...

If I could disembowel one person pertaining to D&D and hang them by their own entrails, it would be Jack Vance, for raping every magic system since 1st edition >.>

[wotmaniac]

you seem to have a long history of not liking Skip Williams (or at least his design skills).
so, I'm assuming that if WotC sent you a survey to fill-out on what could be done to best improve WotC products, you would simply send it back with "FIRE SKIP WILLIAMS" written all over it. 

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you -- just making an observation.

He hasn't worked for them for a while now, but he sure did a lot of damage while he did...

If I could disembowel one person pertaining to D&D and hang them by their own entrails, it would be Jack Vance, for raping every magic system since 1st edition >.>

no, blame Gygax for ripping him off.

[pithica]

I must be the only person in the world that likes the Vancian system.

[wotmaniac]

I must be the only person in the world that likes the Vancian system.

no, unfortunately my current group prefer it.
myself, I prefer a point based system, much like what psionics runs on.

[KellKheraptis]

I must be the only person in the world that likes the Vancian system.

no, unfortunately my current group prefer it.
myself, I prefer a point based system, much like what psionics runs on.

Definitely.  But mention it around a DM who got to experience 1st Ed (aka Godlike) psionics, and they'll have a coronary.  A lot of fuss was made about it, so the 2nd Ed psionicist was so nerfed he was almost useless, and now in 3.5 they're for the most part balanced (until TO gets ahold of them, but then again, that's TO, not the class).

EDIT : And while I'm here...

Q180: Can a reserve feat fuel a Su ability?  Such as...Arcane Fire?

[wotmaniac]

I must be the only person in the world that likes the Vancian system.

no, unfortunately my current group prefer it.
myself, I prefer a point based system, much like what psionics runs on.

Definitely.  But mention it around a DM who got to experience 1st Ed (aka Godlike) psionics, and they'll have a coronary.  A lot of fuss was made about it, so the 2nd Ed psionicist was so nerfed he was almost useless, and now in 3.5 they're for the most part balanced (until TO gets ahold of them, but then again, that's TO, not the class).

EDIT : And while I'm here...

Q180: Can a reserve feat fuel a Su ability?  Such as...Arcane Fire?

I think that you'll need to be a little more specific -- how exactly do you plan to use it?

[pithica]

My problem with the point system is that it inherently increases the flexibility of the most flexible characters to begin with, and I don't like widening the gap. But that's just me.

Q180: Can a reserve feat fuel a Su ability?  Such as...Arcane Fire?

Arcane fire specifies that it requires a 9th level slot to gain it, and that the use burns up the energy of a spell to manifest it, so I would say no, since the Reserve Feats are (Su)'s and not spells. If Reserve feats were (Sp)'s I'd say it'd probably work, but that's just my gut instinct.

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 181: Is a wraith's Constitution Drain (Su) ability a form of negative energy damage or energy drain?  IE - would it be prevented by Death Ward?

[wotmaniac]

Q 181: Is a wraith's Constitution Drain (Su) ability a form of negative energy damage or energy drain?  IE - would it be prevented by Death Ward?

A181
since it doesn't explicitly say so, then by RAW -- no.  It is simply a "supernatural" effect.
Aside from the fact that it would really reduce the effectiveness of wraiths and other undead, I don't see a big issue with house-ruling otherwise.

[ksbsnowowl]

Not looking to houserule; just wanted to confirm what it is or isn't. 

Always good to know you rule correctly as a DM, even when you're half-guessing.

[KellKheraptis]

My problem with the point system is that it inherently increases the flexibility of the most flexible characters to begin with, and I don't like widening the gap. But that's just me.

Q180: Can a reserve feat fuel a Su ability?  Such as...Arcane Fire?

Arcane fire specifies that it requires a 9th level slot to gain it, and that the use burns up the energy of a spell to manifest it, so I would say no, since the Reserve Feats are (Su)'s and not spells. If Reserve feats were (Sp)'s I'd say it'd probably work, but that's just my gut instinct.

In other words, the only one who can do it with a Sp is an Archlock, who has a better Eldritch Blast anyway, gotcha

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

phaedrus knows how to get a thread goin, huh. I actually like both mp and vancian. But then again I play that 'psionics is different' (but inferior)

Q182: Where are the tier's for the missing base classes? Paragon classes, incarnum, ardent, etc. Its rather frustrating JaronK didn't update his thread to include ALL classes...

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q182: Where are the tier's for the missing base classes? Paragon classes, incarnum, ardent, etc. Its rather frustrating JaronK didn't update his thread to include ALL classes...

incarnum can't have anything nice.

[Suzerain]

Q182: Where are the tier's for the missing base classes? Paragon classes, incarnum, ardent, etc. Its rather frustrating JaronK didn't update his thread to include ALL classes...

Probably buried somewhere in the first tier thread (49 pages?) for incarnum and psionics classes. Heck, there's even magewright at the end somewhere... as for paragons, they're more prestige classes than base classes, and can't be compared to base classes either way, because they only have 3 levels. So, uh, ask here: Tier System for PrCs. I need to update the OP anyway with the additions of the Eberron books... but not without commenting on them... sigh

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 183: What types of unintelligent undead are there other than skeletons and zombies?  I'm looking for other things that are templates, that then can have the Awaken Undead spell applied to them.

[wotmaniac]

Q 183: What types of unintelligent undead are there other than skeletons and zombies?  I'm looking for other things that are templates, that then can have the Awaken Undead spell applied to them.

A183
did you check crystal keep?  they've got a "templates" file -- really sweet.

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 183: What types of unintelligent undead are there other than skeletons and zombies?  I'm looking for other things that are templates, that then can have the Awaken Undead spell applied to them.

A183
did you check crystal keep?  they've got a "templates" file -- really sweet.

Thank you, good sir, for reminding me.  There is also the revived fossil and the web mummy (web spider from MMIV, IIRC).

[Dusk Eclipse]

Where do you find the feat Eldritch Claw?

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 184: Where do you find the feat Eldritch Claw?

Don't forget to number your question.

It's from an issue of Dragon, though I don't know which one.



Q 185: Say you have a character with a +1 strength bonus wielding a +1 flaming longsword (a steel longsword) who attacks a creature with DR 10/adamantine.  The most sword damage that the character can do is 10 points of slashing damage, not overcoming the DR.  Is the targeted creature subjected to the fire damage, or not?