Ask a Simple Question 25: Welcome to DIE!

[Hasmadad]

Q264: How does an NPC become immune to diplomacy?  An Expert is wrecking my campaign. Edit: This is not a joke question, I hope to get an actual answer to this.

Pull the player to the side and tell them to cut back on the diplomacy it's wrecking the campaign would be the easiest if it's a mature player. They sometimes run with something and don't realise they are making a mess of things.

Or if you need to apply negative modifiers to their diplomacy on a regular bassis till they get the hint.

Are you dressed like the person you are trying this on? No, then that's a minus 5 because he thinks you are too stuck up or a bum.
Are you the same class as the person you are trying this on? No, then that's a minus 10 because he thinks his class is the only equal on the planet.
Are you from the same country or region as the person? No, then that's a minus 20 due to bigotry.
Are they the same race? No another minus 20.

You can come up with all sorts of things to bring something in check. Just explain up front what you are doing and use it equaly to player and NPC alike.

[ksbsnowowl]

Q 270: A troll druid has wildshape.  When he wildshapes into an animal form, he loses regeneration until he returns to his troll form, correct?

[Halinn]

On the diplomacy front, you could use the assumption that the key diplomancy expert has to use his Lucid Dreaming to visit the subjects, making a warforged or necropolitan (possibly elves) virtually immune to the indirect exposure.

[kevin_video]

Q 271 If creating a character for what's likely to be a 20 level campaign, what elemental attack would most be effective for all 20 levels out of fire, cold, electricity, and acid?

[Sinfire Titan]

Q 271 If creating a character for what's likely to be a 20 level campaign, what elemental attack would most be effective for all 20 levels out of fire, cold, electricity, and acid?

A271 Acid, obviously. Electricity next.

[kevin_video]

Q 271 If creating a character for what's likely to be a 20 level campaign, what elemental attack would most be effective for all 20 levels out of fire, cold, electricity, and acid?

A271 Acid, obviously. Electricity next.

Somehow I knew fire and cold wouldn't be mentioned. Just about everything's resistant or immune to those by 4th or 5th level.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Q272
The Fiend of Blashemy {Fiend Folio} has the ability Transfer Spell-like ability, which allows it to give a creature in a Blood Oath with it any of it's spell-like abilities. The following text lies within the ability:

... The cultist can use the ability once per day, with all variable characteristics (including caster level and save DC) determined as if the fiend were using the ability...

What would be considered a Variable Characteristic beyond the examples given?

[Sinfire Titan]

Q272
The Fiend of Blashemy {Fiend Folio} has the ability Transfer Spell-like ability, which allows it to give a creature in a Blood Oath with it any of it's spell-like abilities. The following text lies within the ability:

... The cultist can use the ability once per day, with all variable characteristics (including caster level and save DC) determined as if the fiend were using the ability...

What would be considered a Variable Characteristic beyond the examples given?

A272: Probably means feats like Quicken SLA.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

Q272
The Fiend of Blashemy {Fiend Folio} has the ability Transfer Spell-like ability, which allows it to give a creature in a Blood Oath with it any of it's spell-like abilities. The following text lies within the ability:

... The cultist can use the ability once per day, with all variable characteristics (including caster level and save DC) determined as if the fiend were using the ability...

What would be considered a Variable Characteristic beyond the examples given?

A272: Probably means feats like Quicken SLA.

Would this also include Attack Rolls and the like?

[Sinfire Titan]

Would this also include Attack Rolls and the like?

I believe so.

[Hazren]

Q264: How does an NPC become immune to diplomacy?  An Expert is wrecking my campaign. Edit: This is not a joke question, I hope to get an actual answer to this.

Pull the player to the side and tell them to cut back on the diplomacy it's wrecking the campaign would be the easiest if it's a mature player. They sometimes run with something and don't realise they are making a mess of things.

Or if you need to apply negative modifiers to their diplomacy on a regular bassis till they get the hint.

Are you dressed like the person you are trying this on? No, then that's a minus 5 because he thinks you are too stuck up or a bum.
Are you the same class as the person you are trying this on? No, then that's a minus 10 because he thinks his class is the only equal on the planet.
Are you from the same country or region as the person? No, then that's a minus 20 due to bigotry.
Are they the same race? No another minus 20.

You can come up with all sorts of things to bring something in check. Just explain up front what you are doing and use it equaly to player and NPC alike.

That would be cruel in itself, "certain people withstand it period cause I said so?"

And making things situational is exactly what I said, apply situational modifiers but do it evenly and tell him up front it's coming.

Then of course there was the first suggestion, pull him aside and ask him to tone it down.

I would agree with the telling him to roll a new character if he isn't mature enough to work with the DM. +1 on that!!

This is all kind of shooting in the dark as we have no idea what his diplomacy score is. The guy may have a 20 total and just be rolling really well???

As far as pigeonholed, that ranks up there with the specialist wizard(-2)/ focused specialist(-1)/ red wizard(-1)/ incantrix(-1) that is now down 5 schools, not my fault if I'm the DM.

Having him run into a few mindless undead might encourage him to expand his talants.

[rot42]

Q266: Does Residual Magic feat from Complete Mage, interact with ShadowCraft Mage in a way I'm going to like?

Heighten a cantrip up to ninth, then next round cast a level zero Wish? I do not see any reason that Residual Magic would exclude Heighten. A more conservative reading could require that you mimic the same spell both rounds, but I am not sure that that is RAW (and RAI is right out the window in this situation). Not sure if Earth Spell would apply itself, though - apply any one of the metamagic effects could be read either way.

[Hasmadad]

As far as pigeonholed, that ranks up there with the specialist wizard(-2)/ focused specialist(-1)/ red wizard(-1)/ incantrix(-1) that is now down 5 schools, not my fault if I'm the DM.

[Locnil]

As far as pigeonholed, that ranks up there with the specialist wizard(-2)/ focused specialist(-1)/ red wizard(-1)/ incantrix(-1) that is now down 5 schools, not my fault if I'm the DM.

Actually, since Incantatrix is in there, he has divination, abjuration and one other school.

Q273: The Eldritch Master PrC from Dragon 280 has an ability at 4th and 8th level that adds another's class's spell list to your base class's spell list. Can you select Archivist for the ability(that is, add all divine spells to your spell list)? Sorry if it has been asked before, but I can't find an answer anywhere (and I've been looking for over a month).

[JaronK]

Q266: Does Residual Magic feat from Complete Mage, interact with ShadowCraft Mage in a way I'm going to like?

If you're the DM, no.  If you're the player, absolutely.  There's a reason that feat is part of the standard SCM loadout. 

JaronK

[Widow]

Q273: The Eldritch Master PrC from Dragon 280 has an ability at 4th and 8th level that adds another's class's spell list to your base class's spell list. Can you select Archivist for the ability(that is, add all divine spells to your spell list)? Sorry if it has been asked before, but I can't find an answer anywhere (and I've been looking for over a month).

A273 That is tricky.  The archivist may work because it says it casts spells from the cleric spells list primarily and can learn spells from other classes.  Unfortunately there is never any terminology that says "the archivist's spell list".  All of the Prestige classes and base classes that I have looked up that casts lots of different spells state they cast from the cleric's, wizard's, or bard's spell list OR has their own spell list listed; even the generic classes from unearthed arcania.  So I would say you are out of luck, any other takers?

[Widow]

Q274 Looking at relic items, it states:

Now it never specifically states that the spell slot has to come from the divine spell casting class.  Additionally the metamagic feat Alternative Source spell allows you to prepare arcane spells as divine or divine spells as arcane.  So could you first prepare arcane spell slots as divine with alternative sourced spell, then prepare divine spell slots from your divine class, and finally sacrifice a normally arcane (now divine) spell slot to power the relic instead of a divine slot from the divine class?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q274 Looking at relic items, it states:

Now it never specifically states that the spell slot has to come from the divine spell casting class.  Additionally the metamagic feat Alternative Source spell allows you to prepare arcane spells as divine or divine spells as arcane.  So could you first prepare arcane spell slots as divine with alternative sourced spell, then prepare divine spell slots from your divine class, and finally sacrifice a normally arcane (now divine) spell slot to power the relic instead of a divine slot from the divine class?

I'd say just UMD it and skip the whole mess.  If you can UMD away expending a turn undead use, you can UMD away expending a spell.

[Drull]

Q 270: A troll druid has wildshape.  When he wildshapes into an animal form, he loses regeneration until he returns to his troll form, correct?

I'd actually say wrong. After all the errata it got, unless i'm mistaken, you dont get the new type, but keep your own, so the flavor has it your body changes, but your metabolism stays the same. After all, if you wild shape into a plant, you dont get plant type and immunities, you keep your monstrous humanoid subtype, which I believe would let you keep regeneration.



Q275 Is runescarred berserker a valid choice for chameleon divine casting? The chameleon handbook doesnt mention it, but it does say his runes are considered divine spells. Whats RAW and RAI here?

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Q 270: A troll druid has wildshape.  When he wildshapes into an animal form, he loses regeneration until he returns to his troll form, correct?

I'd actually say wrong. After all the errata it got, unless i'm mistaken, you dont get the new type, but keep your own, so the flavor has it your body changes, but your metabolism stays the same. After all, if you wild shape into a plant, you dont get plant type and immunities, you keep your monstrous humanoid subtype, which I believe would let you keep regeneration.

Regeneration isn't provided by the monstrous humanoid type.

You lose the "extraordinary attacks" of your original form.  While regeneration is extraordinary, it's a quality, not an attack, so you keep it.

See: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3479.0;topicseen