Ask a Simple Question: Singing Tesla Coil Edition

[Vinom]

Q20: Where does it say that NPC classes only add 1/2 per level to a creature's CR?

Under Improving Monsters. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#addingClassLevels

Specifically under nonassociated class levels.

Levels in NPC classes are always treated as nonassociated.

Good, going to buy myself a cheap magewright slave to make my magic items.

[Daniel678]

Q21. I need a number of weapon enhancements whose "plus value" equals 63. They can be epic, preferably useful to a caster and from the sources allowed here (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872858/The_Iron_Siege?post_id=338484494#338484494). What would you suggest?

Q22. What ways are there for an undead to be able to benefit from foresight?

[PhaedrusXY]

Q22. What ways are there for an undead to be able to benefit from foresight?

Why wouldn't an undead benefit from it? It's a Divination, and it's not Mind Affecting.

[SeekingKnight]

Q23

Hi.  I am wondering in terms of CR and amount of exp given if a monster has say 10 racial hit die and the dm added on 6 levels of fighters And six levels of some magic casting class would it be safe to assume the monster is epic or CR10-12 is more reasonable?  Thanks.

[Daniel678]

Q22. What ways are there for an undead to be able to benefit from foresight?

Why wouldn't an undead benefit from it? It's a Divination, and it's not Mind Affecting.

Hm, good point. I guess I'm used to mind blank and thought of it in the same way.

[ksbsnowowl]

Q23

Hi.  I am wondering in terms of CR and amount of exp given if a monster has say 10 racial hit die and the dm added on 6 levels of fighters And six levels of some magic casting class would it be safe to assume the monster is epic or CR10-12 is more reasonable?  Thanks.

A 23: In this case the monster HD don't matter, what matters is the monster's base CR.

Then you need to know what its associated classes are.  It's not going to have both a casting class and fighter as associated classes, so at the most, 6 levels of fighter and 6 levels of wizard will add +9 to the CR of the creature.

Edit:  The racial HD do matter in regards to associated/nonassociated class levels.  Because the creature has more HD (10) than class levels in any one class progression, then at least one of those (because they are so different) will be nonassociated.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q23

Hi.  I am wondering in terms of CR and amount of exp given if a monster has say 10 racial hit die and the dm added on 6 levels of fighters And six levels of some magic casting class would it be safe to assume the monster is epic or CR10-12 is more reasonable?  Thanks.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#addingClassLevels

[Lobo6717]

Q 24 Do prestige classes that advance arcane spell casting count for the caster level with respect to familiars?

i.e. Fighter 1/Wizard 6/Runesmith 3/Abjurant Champion 5 has a CL of 14.  Does that all apply to familiars?

[kevin_video]

Q20: Where does it say that NPC classes only add 1/2 per level to a creature's CR?

Under Improving Monsters. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#addingClassLevels

Specifically under nonassociated class levels.

Levels in NPC classes are always treated as nonassociated.

Good, going to buy myself a cheap magewright slave to make my magic items.

They don't have access to a lot of spells though.

[veekie]

A24
Not normally, though I believe the Obtain Familiar feat is derived from your caster level instead of your class level.

[SeekingKnight]

I do not know the associated classes for the monster as I was just the player and not the DM.  He just added in 6 levels of fighter and 6 levels of some spellcasting class to make the encounter tougher.  The demon itself was a CR 10 in the module but we just figured it was a CR 12.  Which reminds me.

Q25

According to the an encounter calculator we should have got around 3600 exp each for the fight instead of 1800.  Dooes this seem fair?  We are 5 level 5 characters and the demon was (at the time) CR12.

[Unbeliever]

Q26This might be more of a DM question, but I trust this board's collective take on the rules. 

Here's the situation for a game tomorrow:  the PCs (15th level, reasonably optimized but nothing crazy) are walking through corridors that have Guards and Wards cast on them.  G&W lets you conceal doors w/ a simple illusion, but since nobody has a reason to randomly interact w/ the hidden doors it's a pretty solid concealment technique.  True Seeing would foil it, but I don't think the party will have that up and let's assume not.  Behind a couple of these doors is a Grisgol, who will want to surprise the party w/ a nice present of a Meteor Swarm. 

Can the PCs do anything to avoid being surprised by this?  If so, what?  I'm leaning towards giving them at least a Listen check to hear the thing behind the door, since I want to be fair, but it seems like the set-up is bad for them in this regard. 

Thanks

[Talore]

Q27 Are there any good (from an OP standpoint) prestige classes for wizards that are dragon-focused?

[Zombieboots]

Q28 Best suggestion for a 5th level maneuver?
Warblade 9th, Stormguard Warrior Focused.

[Shadowhunter]

Q27 Are there any good (from an OP standpoint) prestige classes for wizards that are dragon-focused?

A 27:
I think Wyrm Wizard is good enough.
Draconomicon/Races of the Dragon/Dragon Magic.
I can never remember which book has what material, so I just lump them in the same folder..

Q28 Best suggestion for a 5th level maneuver?
Warblade 9th, Stormguard Warrior Focused.

A 28:
Dancing Mongoose & Rapid Counter gives more attacks to fuel Stormguard.
Iron Heart Focus is always useful.

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 29a: Which issue of Dragon had expanded info for the Wheel of Time RPG?

Q 29b: Which issue of Dragon had the 3.5 Oriental Adventures conversion?

[FurryFury]

A29a: 2001 Annual
A29b: 318

[kevin_video]

Q 30 A creature is CR 7 and has "standard" treasure, but only uses natural attacks and has not items on them. How much is the treasure worth? The amount of the CR (7400), or something else?

[McPoyo]

Q 30 A creature is CR 7 and has "standard" treasure, but only uses natural attacks and has not items on them. How much is the treasure worth? The amount of the CR (7400), or something else?

the standard 7400. It's likely to have it in a lair depending on int, though.

[Havok4]

Q 30 A creature is CR 7 and has "standard" treasure, but only uses natural attacks and has not items on them. How much is the treasure worth? The amount of the CR (7400), or something else?

the standard 7400. It's likely to have it in a lair depending on int, though.

And some of its treasure is likely stuff left over from other things it has killed.