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[snakeman830]

Two parter here

Q297a: Would a Wizard 1/Dread Necromancer 7 (in any order for class levels) have two familiars or just one?  I ask because they have two lists  of choices with no overlap as well as the fact Dread Necro's don't get their familiars at level 1.

Q297b: If the answer to part a is "yes", would Stitched Flesh Familiar apply to both familiars?

[Bauglir]

Two parter here

Q297a: Would a Wizard 1/Dread Necromancer 7 (in any order for class levels) have two familiars or just one?  I ask because they have two lists  of choices with no overlap as well as the fact Dread Necro's don't get their familiars at level 1.

Q297b: If the answer to part a is "yes", would Stitched Flesh Familiar apply to both familiars?

A297a: These class features have identical names, but have different effects; I believe you need to have both identical names and identical effects in order for the ability to be considered "the same" and thus overlap. So yes, you would have two familiars.

A297b: If this is correct, I honestly have no idea. The feat specifies "standard familiars available in the Player's Handbook" and refers to the special ability granted the master by a familiar of a particular kind, so the intent suggests that it would apply only to a normal familiar, since it is clearly not adapted to Improved Familiar (which is the list, with some modifications) that a Dread Necro chooses from. Were a Dread Necromancer to grant you a normal familiar, however, I believe you could select a stitched flesh familiar.

Q298: You cannot deliver a touch spell through an unarmed strike at the end of a charge, right?

[zook1shoe]

A i believe that it is addressed somewhere... looking....

Page 7 Complete Warrior
"A character with more than one class that grants a familiar may have only one familiar at a time."

also the Obtain Familiar feat specifies that your arcane levels stack for the familiar gained.

which kind of seems like you could have one from your class(es) and a second from Obtain Familiar.

B yes

EDIT: below

A297a: These class features have identical names, but have different effects; I believe you need to have both identical names and identical effects in order for the ability to be considered "the same" and thus overlap. So yes, you would have two familiars.

normally, i would say yes, but since i found text saying otherwise

there is also the Nar Demonbinder that has a "Fiendish Familiar" ability, that specifically says it adds your arcane levels to determine abilities. which basically is saying the same thing

[Vinom]

A: There is also a feat in one Dragon Magazine, that gives you an additional familiar

Q299:A friend of mine will be a GM for the first time, is there any, recommended reading, or the like you would suggest?

[zook1shoe]

A: There is also a feat in one Dragon Magazine, that gives you an additional familiar

in #280

[Akalsaris]

A299: I think the DMG and the DMG II both have good advice for DMs, actually. I also like the 'Musings of a Chatty DM' website, and the GiTP forums has the Quickclawshift campaign journals, which are run by a good DM.

Q300: I want to use the Minor Shapeshift feat on a melee cleric (Cloistered Cleric 5/Bhaalstalker 4, to be exact), but it requires a Polymorph spell to power it. None of Bhaal's domains grant one - does anyone know of a polymorph spell usable by an evil cleric that could be used to power this feat?

[BrainCandy]

Q301 Can you use the Arcane Preparation feat to prepare and cast Sanctified spells with a spontaneous caster like a sorcerer?

[Tr011]

A299: I think a bit of talking is necessary, too. Also the DMG I is very very important to look for all the things, esp. Encounter Levels, CR, Treasure etc. If he got plenty of time and knows the basics of DMG, show him the Book of Challanges. It's very good both in writing style and content.

[TenaciousJ]

Q300: I want to use the Minor Shapeshift feat on a melee cleric (Cloistered Cleric 5/Bhaalstalker 4, to be exact), but it requires a Polymorph spell to power it. None of Bhaal's domains grant one - does anyone know of a polymorph spell usable by an evil cleric that could be used to power this feat?

A300 If you can get the shapechanger subtype (i.e. Changeling or Shifter), Races of Eberron opens up the Transformation domain.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q300: I want to use the Minor Shapeshift feat on a melee cleric (Cloistered Cleric 5/Bhaalstalker 4, to be exact), but it requires a Polymorph spell to power it. None of Bhaal's domains grant one - does anyone know of a polymorph spell usable by an evil cleric that could be used to power this feat?

I don't know the exact wording of the feat, but the Spell domain can grant you Anyspell and Greater Anyspell, which would allow you to prep any arcane Polymorph spells up to (5th?) level.

[geniussavant]

Q302: By default, anything with an intelligence score above 3 can speak a language correct? If so, where does it say this?

[PhaedrusXY]

Q298: You cannot deliver a touch spell through an unarmed strike at the end of a charge, right?

Umm... why couldn't you?

[Agita]

Q302: By default, anything with an intelligence score above 3 can speak a language correct? If so, where does it say this?

A 302

I'm not so sure they can, actually. All PC races in the PHB and with a PC race writeup elsewhere speak a language by default due to the Automatic Languages entry in their writeup, but there's monsters with Int >3 that don't speak at all, I believe. In general, a critter's monster entry will mention what languages, if any, it speaks.

[PhaedrusXY]

Q302: By default, anything with an intelligence score above 3 can speak a language correct? If so, where does it say this?

A 302

I'm not so sure they can, actually. All PC races in the PHB and with a PC race writeup elsewhere speak a language by default due to the Automatic Languages entry in their writeup, but there's monsters with Int >3 that don't speak at all, I believe. In general, a critter's monster entry will mention what languages, if any, it speaks.

They don't automatically know any languages, but I think having an Int of 3 or higher allows them to learn languages (by spending skill points, etc).

humanlike intelligence has a score of at least 3.

The Speak Language skill says:

    * You start at 1st level knowing one or two languages (based on your race)

So while it isn't spelled out, it sounds like to me that as Agita said, your starting languages (or lack of them) are based on race, but if you have an Int of 3 or higher (human-like intelligence), you can purchase ranks in Speak Language to learn a language even if you didn't start with one.

[geniussavant]

Okay, thanks, I'm trying to see if I can abuse improved homunculus to give my homunculi the water elemental weapon ability from DmGII, and how it would interact.

[Treemma]

Q 303 So I've been looking high and low, but it boggles my mind I still cannot find the weapon enchantment I am looking for.

If I remember correctly, it is +2.
On a crit, it allows you to roll a D8 for multiplier.

Could someone tell me what I am looking for?

[Kuroimaken]

Q 303 So I've been looking high and low, but it boggles my mind I still cannot find the weapon enchantment I am looking for.

If I remember correctly, it is +2.
On a crit, it allows you to roll a D8 for multiplier.

Could someone tell me what I am looking for?

Sounds third party-ish.

[Agita]

Q 303 So I've been looking high and low, but it boggles my mind I still cannot find the weapon enchantment I am looking for.

If I remember correctly, it is +2.
On a crit, it allows you to roll a D8 for multiplier.

Could someone tell me what I am looking for?

Sounds third party-ish.

No, I remember something like that too, but I'll be damned if I know where it was. I'm fairly sure it was first party, and probably in an obscure source. MIC seems unlikely. Might be 3.0, though

[Ithamar]

Maiming weapon enhancement from Miniatures Handbook, pg. 40.

[weenog]

Okay, thanks, I'm trying to see if I can abuse improved homunculus to give my homunculi the water elemental weapon ability from DmGII, and how it would interact.

Homunculus entry explicitly states "A homunculus cannot speak, but the process of creating one links it telepathically with its creator."  Is Improved Homonculus providing a clear exception to that?