Post/Author/DateTime	Post
wrecan 12-07-07, 11:05 AM	In today's Sage Advice (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4mst/ask) column, the sage gave us a list of all the rules questions he got that day. I say let's see how fast we can answer these questions. I'll list the answers as they are provided in response to this post... QUESTION ONE: A light horse can drag up to 2,250 pounds, under Carrying Capacity; this max weight suggests that the horse could only move 5 feet per round while doing so. How much weight could a light horse pull in a cart while maintaining a light load and move its full 60 feet as a single move action? Is there a formula to find this?--Jakob ANSWER: A light horse can drag 2,250 pounds pursuant to the dragging rules, which state that a creature can drag five times its carrying capacity's maximum load -- though at this point it is considered fully encumbered. The light horse is listed as having a maximum load of 450 lbs., which, not coincidentally, is one-fifth it's dragging capacity. However, the Arms & Equipment Guide makes it clear that pulling a cart is different from dragging. On page 49 of that sourcebook it states that wheeled vehicles and their contents are considered to be one-fourth their weight for encumbrance purposes. A light horse must be lightly encumbered to maintain its 60 ft. move. Therefore, it would need to pull a cart whose contents (including driver, passenger and the cart itself) weighs 600 pounds or less.-wrecan and Marcus Majarra QUESTION TWO: If I am playing a cleric who chooses to not have a specific deity and I choose the war domain, how do I determine my domain power? (i.e., what weapon proficiency and weapon focus feat can I choose?)--Trevor ANSWER: I instructed the player to choose a deity, and his alignment and domains and favored weapon as those normally restricted to that deity, but he did not need to worship that deity in name. Furthermore, I consider him a worshipper of that deity for any specific rules purposes.-rimble ANSWER 2: I recommend using the ones listed under the Spiritual Weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/spiritualWeapon.htm) spell (which says "A cleric without a deity gets a weapon based on his alignment")-mvincent QUESTION THREE: Why does the unicorn have a jump of 21? Its skills are listed as: Jump +21, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Spot +11, Survival +8*. A Magical Beast of its Hit Dice and Intelligence would have 12 skill points to spend. It has Alertness and a special +3 racial bonus on Survival and +4 to Move Silently. If I back those out it has only 2 pts to spend on jump giving it a racial jump bonus of +14. If it has a racial bonus of +14 to Jump, why does the celestial charger listed right beside it have 0 Jump ranks? Please explain.--Trevor ANSWER: A Magical Beast should have 14 ranks (Int 10 = 2 * (HD + 3) ranks = 2 * 7 = 14), not 12. The celestial charger has no ranks in Jump but still has a +19 modifier from feats and ability bonuses. Don't foget the bonus to Jump due to the unicorn's high base speed.-Lilinthra QUESTION FOUR: I was looking at Two-Weapon Defense, and it says it allows an off-hand weapon to grant a +1 shield bonus to AC. Armor spikes can be used as off-hand weapons, would Two-Weapon Defense apply?--Derrick ANSWER: Yes. The 3.5 FAQ description of armor spikes states: "You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case." Since you can make an off-hand attack with the spikes, you can also use them to defend using Two-Weapon Defense.--wrecan QUESTION FIVE: According to the Monster Manual IV, the Teleport ability of justice archons allows them to teleport at will as the teleport spell. According to the Monster Manual I, all archons have the ability to use greater teleport at will. Are justice archons supposed to be able to use greater teleport or regular teleport?--Steve ANSWER: According to the 3.5 errata, when two sources conflict, apply the rule set forth in the primary source. Here, the Monster Manual is the primary source for archon powers. Since the Monster Manual IV does not state that justice archons are an exception to the general rule, justice archons may use greater teleport at will, like all archons. Note, however, that archons using the greater teleport ability can only transport up to 50 pounds. Using teleport, one can transport up to one's maximum load (and a justice archon can carry much more than 50 pounds). Thus, the justice archon can greater teleport with up to 50 pounds at will and teleport at will as well if it wants to bring more than 50 pounds with it.-wrecan QUESTION SIX: I have a follow-up to the 11/14 published question (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ask/20071114a). My mentor in gaming (who introduced me to 3E), though not a fan of campaign settings nonetheless loved the concept of bronzewood from Eberron. He proposed that a bronzewood dagger, rapier, or even arrow and an appropriate called shot could sufficiently dispatch a vampire in a combat round. What do you think?--Garrett ANSWER: Since D&D does not have called shots, the 11/14 answer still applies. However, if your DM has a house-rule that allowed your own character to be dispatched with a called shot to the heart, then I guess the same could apply to vampires. -mvincent QUESTION SEVEN: I am trying to get an answer to a question that has a morale impact on gaming. Should a cleric be denied a feat or prestige class because he chooses to not name his god or have no devotion to a particular deity?--Aaron ANSWER: See answer to QUESTION TWO. QUESTION EIGHT: If the pair of daggers, shortswords, etc., used in a steeldance spell have magic properties, do those properties get taken into account when calculating hits, damage, etc.? I ask because the spell description refers to the weapons' base damage.--Tim ANSWER: No. "Base damage" refers to the weapon's damage before any modifiers, as if it were a nonmagical weapon of that type. That is how it is used in the context of a description of the mattock of the titans in the DMG: "If used as a weapon, it is the equivalent of a Gargantuan +3 adamantine warhammer, dealing 4d6 points of base damage."-wrecan QUESTION NINE: What would the level adjustment be on the chosen of mystra template?--Dustin ANSWER: The Chosen of Mystra template (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, page 247) only has a CR adjustment. If a template does not supply a level adjustment, then chances are it is not appropriate for PC's. In either case: ask your DM.-mvincent QUESTION TEN: If I cast whirling blade while prone, are all my weapons’ attack rolls subject to the penalty for attacking while prone?--Gary ANSWER: The spell's description states you make a normal melee attack against each foe as if you used the weapon in melee so any penalties, such as being prone, would apply and apply to each attack roll since they are all separate.-Cartigan QUESTION ELEVEN: Can you use Many Shot to make a Ranged Sunder attempt (provided you have the Ranged Sunder feat from Complete Warrior and the Many Shot feat)?--Luke ANSWER:Yes you can, but you get only the one attack. The Sunder action can be taken in place of any melee attack, including replacing multiple attacks in a full-round action, or even as an AoO. Ranged Sunder allows you to make sunder attempts with ranged weapons. Manyshot allows you to fire multiple missiles at the same target as a standard action. Thus you would be able to unleash multiple arrows at the one item, making one singe attack roll as per the Manyshot feat. If you win the opposed roll, roll each arrow's damage separately, remembering to halve the damage (if using a piercing weapon) and apply hardness as normal for your ammunition.-Merestil Haye QUESTION TWELVE: Assume a shadowdancer (with Hide in Plain Sight ability) strikes an opponent in melee combat. Could the character then use HiPS to Hide, and would there be a -20 penalty to the Hide check as with Sniping? Reading the 3.5 FAQ dealing with a high-level ranger's HiPS makes it sound like there would be no penalty, as in both of these situations it is likely there is no need to move to concealment.--Jeff ANSWER: 1) You take a -20 penalty to remain hidden before attacking someone in melee (which is only possible if you move only through areas that you can hide in). This -20 penalty is from the following rule (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm): "It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging." rather than the sniping (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm#sniping) rule (i.e. this is handled differently than sniping). The roll to hide after attacking would not necessarily have this penalty.-mvincent QUESTION THIRTEEN: If a character does not have any of the Two Weapon Fighting feats, but is currently wielding two weapons, and a threatened enemy provokes an attack of opportunity, could that character attack with his/her off-handed weapon with the full attack bonus? Also, would there be any impact on that character's regular attack roles on his/her turn assuming they only chose to make attacks with their primary weapon?--Justin ANSWER:From the Rules of the Game: Two-Handed Fighting (Part Two) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060905a): "If, after you made two-weapon attacks with your sword and torch, a foe later provokes an attack of opportunity from you that same round, you can strike that foe with your longsword with no two-weapon penalty at all. (You also can use just the torch, also with no two-weapon penalty, though you still take the -4 penalty for an off-hand attack; you also still take the -4 penalty for an improvised weapon for a total penalty of -8.)"-mvincent QUESTION FOURTEEN: If a paladin gets a temporary bonus to his Charisma score, does that allow him to heal more with his Lay on Hands ability?--Mike ANSWER: From the 3.5 FAQ: "If the paladin gains a temporary Charisma boost, her total capacity of healing via lay on hands improves accordingly, but she must keep track of the healing “used up” to see if any remains after the boost ends."-mvincent QUESTION FIFTEEN: Can a character make a 5-foot step on a surprise round? The 5-foot step rule indicates that it can be used in any round when you don't perform any other kind of movement action. This seems to imply that this can be done also during a surprise round. The surprise round states that characters that are aware can make standard actions during the surprise round; it also states that you could perform free actions during the round at the DM’s discretion. Since it does not mention a 5-foot step, it leave me with doubt as to whether the 5-foot step is legal for a character that takes a non-movement action during a surprise round.--Daniel from Buenos Aires, Argentina ANSWER: Yes. The combat rules say: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement.", and nowhere is this rescinded for surprise rounds.-mvincent QUESTION SIXTEEN: The wizard alternative class feature spontaneous divination from Complete Champion (p52) is worded thus: You can spontaneously cast any spell of the divination school by sacrificing a prepared spell of equal or greater level. For example, if you suddenly have need of the 2nd-level spell locate object, you can sacrifice a prepared 2nd-level spell (such as mirror image) or any prepared spell of a higher level to cast it on the spot. Now, what does "any spell of the divination school" actually mean? Is it really any spell, no matter from what class spell list, or is it only wizard spells, or is it even restricted to wizard spells known only?--Jonny ANSWER: Because the spell is substituting for one of the wizard’s memorized spells, at the divination spell’s own level, it must use the wizard spell level. Thus, if a divination spell has no wizard spell level, it can not be used as a spontaneous divination for the wizard alternative class feature.-wrecan QUESTION SEVENTEEN: Is there any item that can shield a vampire from the sun so that he can walk freely in the daylight?--Zeljko ANSWER: No.-wrecan QUESTION EIGHTEEN: Last night we had a debate about cones. If a sorcerer were to cast a cone of cold, would the cone be three dimensional? For example, if cast on the ground, would it hit creatures in the air? Or does the cone release as a two dimensional blast?--Matt ANSWER: Last we checked, cones are three-dimensional objects. If it were two-dimensional, it would be described as a circular sector (http://www.mathopenref.com/arcsector.html).-GoBackToRussia and wrecan QUESTION NINETEEN: The thought bottle (I might have it wrong due to the translation) in Complete Arcane can store the amount of XP the character has and then can restore the character's XP to the same amount for the price of 500 XP. Could my character store her XP, then create a magic item (or multiple items) of high XP costs then restore them using the bottle (minus 500)?--Jonathan ANSWER: This was discussed in the Ask Wizards of 03/08/07 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20070308a). The Thought Bottle can only be used to restore xp from lost levels. (NB: This still allows an exploit whereby you first lose a level, then go on a crafting binge. When you use the Bottle to restore your xp, your total goes back to whatever is stored in the bottle.)-Merestil Haye QUESTION TWENTY: If a mounted PC is claiming cover from his mount and the attacker fails to hit him for less than 4 points, does the attacker automatically hit the beast the PC is mounted to?--Gabriele ANSWER: No. This is an optional rule listed in the DMG, however.-mvincent and wrecan QUESTION TWENTY-ONE: Is a warlock affected by 'The Weave', dead magic zones, and 'Weave Drain' effects in the Forgotten Realms?--Craig ANSWER: Yes. Unless specifically exempted from such zones (such as psionics), magic is presumed to be affected by them in the Forgotten Realms.-mvincent QUESTION TWENTY-TWO: Does the 3rd level cleric/druid spell spikes from Spell Compendium (p202) affect a fighter’s lance if the body of the lance is wooden but the tip is metal?--Vance ANSWER: I would treat this like the druid spell warp wood. If the weapon can be warped, then it can also be enchanted with spikes.-wrecan QUESTION TWENTY-THREE: With regards to the feat Ray Burst, which was in Dragon Magazine Annual #5: this feat allows you to change the ray effect to a 30 radius burst effect centered on myself. I know it affects both friend and foe, so here is my question: am I part of the blast, i.e., do I take damage from the blast also, like a fireball centered on me, or does the ray shoot forth from my body in all directions creating the burst effect? Also, say I get three rays because of my level, will the burst be the combined amount of the three rays, or will it shoot out as three different bursts?--Henry ANSWER: Since this is not covered by the rules, it is best to ask your DM. Off-hand, the intent of this feat appears to be to have the ray radiate outwards from the caster, so the caster should not have to worry about hitting himself. Also, the damage should not be combined (as that would make energy resistance less useful).-mvincent QUESTION TWENTY-FOUR: Can animals without claw attacks climb? I recently had a group of players hide in a tree from a worg attack, then protest when I had the worg climb the tree. They claim that since worgs have no claw attack, their claws aren't strong enough to allow them to climb the tree. What do you think?--Michael ANSWER: It just has to make the same climb check that the players did - regardless of whether it has claw attacks. However, for some creatures, it would be reasonable to house-rule that physical limitations prevent it from climbing.-GoBackToRussia and wrecan QUESTION TWENTY-FIVE: Since an unarmed attack does necessarily need a free hand, could a character attack with a two-handed weapon as a primary attack and an unarmed strike as the secondary attack of two-weapon fighting?--Patrick ANSWER: Yes. Same as the 3.5 FAQ clarification on armor spikes: "If you use the full attack action, you can use armor spikes as either a primary light weapon or as an off-hand light weapon, even if you’re using a shield or using a two-handed weapon."-mvincent QUESTION TWENTY-SIX: I have two more questions regarding monks and gauntlets: 1) Can a Medium-sized character wield a Large-sized gauntlet through Monkey Grip (Complete Warrior), thus increasing his unarmed damage as if he was one size category larger? For example, an 11th-level fighter with Superior Unarmed Strike (Tome of Battle) deals 1d8 unarmed damage, but could he Monkey Grip a gauntlet to do 1d10? 2) Do Superior Unarmed Strike and a monk's belt stack together? For example, would an 11th-level fighter with Superior Unarmed Strike count as a 9th-level monk and thus do 1d10 unarmed damage? If he also has a monk's tattoo (Magic of Faerun) which would increase his unarmed damage by four monk levels, would he do 2d6 damage as if he were a 13th-level monk?--Stefan ANSWER: The only benefit of a gauntlet is that it converts an unarmed attack into lethal damage, which a monk gets automatically. The unarmed attack description for the monk states "A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet". If a monk wears a gauntlet, his choice is to make his unarmed attack with his unarmed attack damage based on his level or make an unarmed attack using the gauntlet's damage. A large gauntlet only causes d4 damage, which is less than the d6 damage a 1st-level Medium monk currently gets.-wrecan QUESTION TWENTY-SEVEN: Every spellcaster can make a ranged touch attack with a spell demanding a ranged touch attack. He can do so without special training. Is it therefore reasonable to assume that it can be considered a simple weapon? Or is it something else? Because, the Intuitive Attack feat, from Book of Exalted Deeds, states that you can use your Wis modifier instead of your Str modifier for any simple or natural weapon (you are guided by your faith). I am confused, as Complete Arcane explains the possibilities of making critical hits and applying sneak attacks.--Jon ANSWER: A ranged touch attack does not apply a Str modifier at all to attacks. It uses a Dex modifier, so Intuitive Attack would not apply for this independent reason (although the Zen Archery feat from Complete Divine -- which allows you to substitute your Wis modifier for your Dex modifier on ranged attacks -- might).-wrecan and mvincent
wrecan 12-07-07, 11:12 AM	I'll start with question one: QUESTION ONE: A light horse can drag up to 2,250 pounds, under Carrying Capacity; this max weight suggests that the horse could only move 5 feet per round while doing so. How much weight could a light horse pull in a cart while maintaining a light load and move its full 60 feet as a single move action? Is there a formula to find this?--Jakob ANSWER: A light horse can drag 2,250 pounds pursuant to the dragging rules, which state that a creature can drag five times its carrying capacity's maximum load. The light horse is listed as having a maximum load of 450 lbs., which, not coincidentally, is one-fifth it's dragging capacity. A creature can maintain its movement rate as long as it wears nothing heavier than light armor and maintains a light load. The maximum light load for a horse to carry is 150 lbs. Thus, the maximum a horse can drag and maintain its maximum speed is 750 lbs. Although the rules do not say this, it would be a reasonable house rule to suggest that dragging anything always increases your encumbrance level to the next penalty (i.e., unencumbered to light, light to heavy, heavy to 5' increments)
Marcus Majarra 12-07-07, 11:32 AM	QUESTION THREE ANSWER: With a Str score of 20 (+5 on Jump checks) and a land speed of 60 feet (+12 on Jump checks), the end result is that the unicorn has a Jump score of 17 + ranks. Thus, it has 4 ranks in Jump. With Alertness and Wis 21 and a Listen modifier of +11, it also has 4 ranks in Listen. Same goes for Spot. With Wis 21 and Skill Focus (survival), the unicorn didn't spend any ranks in Survival. At this point, we come to an inconsistency. Without any ranks left to spend, its Move Silently modifier should be +7, so we're two ranks short.
rimble 12-07-07, 11:37 AM	QUESTION SEVEN: I am trying to get an answer to a question that has a morale impact on gaming. Should a cleric be denied a feat or prestige class because he chooses to not name his god or have no devotion to a particular deity?--Aaron ANSWER: This came up in my campaign. A player did not want to worship a deity because he felt it conflicted with his own personal religious beliefs. I instructed the player to choose a deity, and his alignment and domains and favored weapon as those normally restricted to that deity, but he did not need to worship that deity in name. Furthermore, I consider him a worshipper of that deity for any specific rules purposes. So the player could choose Pelor, but instead consider himself a Cleric of Sun/Healing. I'd also allow him access to such classes as the Radiant Servant of Pelor, referred to as the Radiant Servant of Sun/Healing for the players purpose. If you let players choose their domains and alignment without restriction, I would not allow them to qualify for any deity-specific feats unless their domains, alignment, and personal goals align with that of said deity. Once they take any deity-specific Feat or PrC then I would consider them a worshipper of that deity for any game purposes going forward.
Lilinthra 12-07-07, 11:39 AM	EDIT: Marcus, note that the question said it should have 12 skill points when I believe it would have 14. QUESTION THREE: Why does the unicorn have a jump of 21? Its skills are listed as: Jump +21, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Spot +11, Survival +8*. A Magical Beast of its Hit Dice and Intelligence would have 12 skill points to spend. It has Alertness and a special +3 racial bonus on Survival and +4 to Move Silently. If I back those out it has only 2 pts to spend on jump giving it a racial jump bonus of +14. If it has a racial bonus of +14 to Jump, why does the celestial charger listed right beside it have 0 Jump ranks? Please explain.--Trevor ANSWER: I'm going to peel these back one step at a time. Here's the entry from the SRD: Jump +21, Listen +11, Move Silently +9, Spot +11, Survival +8* Removing the bonuses from the feats gives the following: Jump +21, Listen +9, Move Silently +9, Spot +9, Survival +5* Removing the racial bonuses gives the following: Jump +21, Listen +9, Move Silently +5, Spot +9, Survival +5* (racial bonus not applied by default) Removing the Jump bonus for speed 60' gives the following: Jump +9, Listen +9, Move Silently +5, Spot +9, Survival +5* Lastly, removing the ability modifiers gives the following rank counts: Jump 4 ranks, Listen 4 ranks, Move Silently 2 ranks, Spot 4 ranks This totals 14 ranks, which is consistent with a Magical Beast (Int 10 = 2 * (HD + 3) ranks = 2 * 7 = 14) The celestial charger does not list Jump, which would imply it does not have ranks in Jump. I don't feel like doing the math on that one to confirm (someone else can if they wish), but if that is true, its Jump modifer would be +19. It does not have the 4 ranks in Jump, but its Strength is 2 higher.
GoBackToRussia 12-07-07, 11:47 AM	QUESTION TWENTY-THREE: Can animals without claw attacks climb? I recently had a group of players hide in a tree from a worg attack, then protest when I had the worg climb the tree. They claim that since worgs have no claw attack, their claws aren't strong enough to allow them to climb the tree. What do you think?--Michael ANSWER: Surely it just has to make the same climb check that the players did - regardless of whether it has claw attacks??
GoBackToRussia 12-07-07, 11:50 AM	Q17 We always go three dimensional - as a cone actually is. Two dimensinal would be an arc of cold?
GoBackToRussia 12-07-07, 11:57 AM	QUESTION THIRTEEN: If a character does not have any of the Two Weapon Fighting feats, but is currently wielding two weapons, and a threatened enemy provokes an attack of opportunity, could that character attack with his/her off-handed weapon with the full attack bonus? Also, would there be any impact on that character's regular attack roles on his/her turn assuming they only chose to make attacks with their primary weapon?--Justin * If a paladin gets a temporary bonus to his Charisma score, does that allow him to heal more with his Lay on Hands ability?--Mike ANSWER: (this is more enjoyable than working...) Two weapon fighting is a full round action and must therefore be specified before it happens. An attack of opportunity is a single attack and therefore would not suffer from any penalties from having drawn two weapons - much the same way that a normal attack would occur - and would also not affect the attack of the character when it is his turn to do so. I suppose you could use the off hand weapon, but I would factor in the normal penalty to hit. (-6 or -4 if light, or -2 if light and the TWW feat). I think the paladin answer is a no (but I'd need to check my books to be sure)
wrecan 12-07-07, 12:25 PM	QUESTION FOUR: I was looking at Two-Weapon Defense, and it says it allows an off-hand weapon to grant a +1 shield bonus to AC. Armor spikes can be used as off-hand weapons, would Two-Weapon Defense apply?--Derrick ANSWER: Yes. The PHB description of armor spikes state: "You can also make a regular melee attack (or off-hand attack) with the spikes, and they count as a light weapon in this case." Since you can make an off-hand attack with the spikes, you can also use them to defend using Two-Weapon Defense.--wrecan
UAMDB 12-07-07, 12:38 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-FIVE: Since an unarmed attack does necessarily need a free hand, could a character attack with a two-handed weapon as a primary attack and an unarmed strike as the secondary attack of two-weapon fighting?--Patrick ANSWER: A Two handed weapon requires two hands to wield. You can still hold a two handed weapon with one hand. It would be reasonable to wield the weapon with two hands and attack, then hold the weapon with one hand and attack with a now free hand.
UAMDB 12-07-07, 12:46 PM	QUESTION FOURTEEN: If a paladin gets a temporary bonus to his Charisma score, does that allow him to heal more with his Lay on Hands ability?--Mike ANSWER: Yes, but when ever the temporay bonus goes away the number of Hp able to be healed is also decrease. Example: First Level Paladin with Chr of 18 +4 can heal 8 points with lay on hands. Chr is temporay increased to 20 +5 he could now heal 10point of Hp. The Paladin heals 4 points leaving a total of 6 points. The tempoary bonus goes away lowering the his amount of healing by 2 thus new total remaining would be 2 points. The best way yo avoid this would be to use up all remaining Lay on Hands before the temporay bonus goes away.
wrecan 12-07-07, 12:48 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-SIX: I have two more questions regarding monks and gauntlets: 1) Can a Medium-sized character wield a Large-sized gauntlet through Monkey Grip (Complete Warrior), thus increasing his unarmed damage as if he was one size category larger? For example, an 11th-level fighter with Superior Unarmed Strike (Tome of Battle) deals 1d8 unarmed damage, but could he Monkey Grip a gauntlet to do 1d10? 2) Do Superior Unarmed Strike and a monk's belt stack together? For example, would an 11th-level fighter with Superior Unarmed Strike count as a 9th-level monk and thus do 1d10 unarmed damage? If he also has a monk's tattoo (Magic of Faerun) which would increase his unarmed damage by four monk levels, would he do 2d6 damage as if he were a 13th-level monk?--Stefan ANSWER:The only benefit of a gauntlet is that it converts an unarmed attack into lethal damage, which a monk gets automatically. The unarmed attack description for the monk states "A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet". If a monk wears a gauntlet, his choice is to make his unarmed attack with his unarmed attack damage based on his level or make an unarmed attack using the gauntlet's damage. A large gauntlet only causes d4 damage, which is less than the d6 damage a Medium monk currently gets.-wrecan
wrecan 12-07-07, 12:52 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-FIVE: Since an unarmed attack does necessarily need a free hand, could a character attack with a two-handed weapon as a primary attack and an unarmed strike as the secondary attack of two-weapon fighting?--Patrick ANSWER: A Two handed weapon requires two hands to wield. You can still hold a two handed weapon with one hand. It would be reasonable to wield the weapon with two hands and attack, then hold the weapon with one hand and attack with a now free hand. Is this your interpretation or do you have a textual basis for that?
mvincent 12-07-07, 01:02 PM	QUESTION TWO: If I am playing a cleric who chooses to not have a specific deity and I choose the war domain, how do I determine my domain power? (i.e., what weapon proficiency and weapon focus feat can I choose?)--Trevor ANSWER: I recommend using the ones listed under the Spiritual Weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/spiritualWeapon.htm) spell (which says "A cleric without a deity gets a weapon based on his alignment") QUESTION THIRTEEN: If a character does not have any of the Two Weapon Fighting feats, but is currently wielding two weapons, and a threatened enemy provokes an attack of opportunity, could that character attack with his/her off-handed weapon with the full attack bonus? Also, would there be any impact on that character's regular attack roles on his/her turn assuming they only chose to make attacks with their primary weapon?--Justin ANSWER: From the RotG (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20060905a): "If, after you made two-weapon attacks with your sword and torch, a foe later provokes an attack of opportunity from you that same round, you can strike that foe with your longsword with no two-weapon penalty at all. (You also can use just the torch, also with no two-weapon penalty, though you still take the -4 penalty for an off-hand attack; you also still take the -4 penalty for an improvised weapon for a total penalty of -8.)" Also note that (despite the above text) off-hand penalties by themselves seem to no longer be observed in 3.5 (now that there is no ambidexterity feat), but they are still technically in the glossary. I personally compromise by saying anyone with a TWF'ing feat is ambidextrous.. QUESTION FOURTEEN: If a paladin gets a temporary bonus to his Charisma score, does that allow him to heal more with his Lay on Hands ability?--Mike ANSWER: From the 3.5 FAQ: "If the paladin gains a temporary Charisma boost, her total capacity of healing via lay on hands improves accordingly, but she must keep track of the healing “used up” to see if any remains after the boost ends." QUESTION FIFTEEN: Can a character make a 5-foot step on a surprise round? ANSWER: Yes. The rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm#take5FootStep) say: "You can move 5 feet in any round when you don’t perform any other kind of movement.", and nowhere is this rescinded for surprise rounds. QUESTION TWENTY: If a mounted PC is claiming cover from his mount and the attacker fails to hit him for less than 4 points, does the attacker automatically hit the beast the PC is mounted to?--Gabriele ANSWER: No (damage to cover was possible in D&D 3.0, but was removed in 3.5). QUESTION TWENTY-FIVE: Since an unarmed attack does necessarily need a free hand, could a character attack with a two-handed weapon as a primary attack and an unarmed strike as the secondary attack of two-weapon fighting?--Patrick ANSWER: Yes. Same as the 3.5 FAQ clarification on armor spikes: "If you use the full attack action, you can use armor spikes as either a primary light weapon or as an off-hand light weapon, even if you’re using a shield or using a two-handed weapon."
UAMDB 12-07-07, 02:18 PM	Is this your interpretation or do you have a textual basis for that? It is my interpretation, but i dont remember seeing anything that says you can not hold a two handed weapon in one hand. Otherwise you would be required to either drop your weapon or sheave your weapon inorder to take a potion while in combat. I am also at work and therefor do not have my rule book with me.
mvincent 12-07-07, 02:23 PM	i dont remember seeing anything that says you can not hold a two handed weapon in one hand.Correct (though this isn't needed to answer the original question). From the 3.5 FAQ: "A character can hold a two-handed weapon in one hand; he just can’t attack with it while it’s held like that. Thus, he wouldn’t even have to drop the weapon in order to draw and throw the dagger. If Krusk the 6th-level barbarian had Quick Draw, he could swing his greataxe (using his full base attack bonus), then leave the axe in his off-hand while drawing a javelin with his primary hand (free action), and finally throw the javelin (using his base attack bonus –5)."
wrecan 12-07-07, 02:24 PM	Almost half-way there! Thanks, mvincent!
wrecan 12-07-07, 02:31 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-SEVEN: Every spellcaster can make a ranged touch attack with a spell demanding a ranged touch attack. He can do so without special training. Is it therefore reasonable to assume that it can be considered a simple weapon? Or is it something else? Because, the Intuitive Attack feat, from Book of Exalted Deeds, states that you can use your Wis modifier instead of your Str modifier for any simple or natural weapon (you are guided by your faith). I am confused, as Complete Arcane explains the possibilities of making critical hits and applying sneak attacks.--Jon ANSWER:A ranged touch attack, like a ray, is not a weapon. It is an attack that can inflict critical damage on a 20 (the threat range for a touch attack). Moreover, a ranged touch attack does not apply a Str modifier at all to attacks. It uses a Dex modifier, so Intuitive Attack would not apply for this independent reason (although the Zen Archery feat from Complete Divine -- which allows you to substitute your Wis modifier for your Dex modifier on ranged attacks -- might).
mvincent 12-07-07, 02:38 PM	QUESTION SIX: I have a follow-up to the 11/14 published question. My mentor in gaming (who introduced me to 3E), though not a fan of campaign settings nonetheless loved the concept of bronzewood from Eberron. He proposed that a bronzewood dagger, rapier, or even arrow and an appropriate called shot could sufficiently dispatch a vampire in a combat round. What do you think?--Garrett ANSWER: Since D&D does not have called shots, the 11/14 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ask/20071114a) answer still applies. However, if your DM has a house-rule that allowed your own character to be dispatched with a called shot to the heart, then I guess the same could apply to vampires ;).
Merestil Haye 12-07-07, 02:39 PM	QUESTION SIX: I have a follow-up to the 11/14 published question (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ask/20071114a). My mentor in gaming (who introduced me to 3E), though not a fan of campaign settings nonetheless loved the concept of bronzewood from Eberron. He proposed that a bronzewood dagger, rapier, or even arrow and an appropriate called shot could sufficiently dispatch a vampire in a combat round. What do you think?--Garrett ANSWER: Unfortunately not. While bronzewood is indeed wood (ECS page 126) and piercing a vampire's heart with a bronzewood shaft would therefore ensure the vampire cannot rise again (at least until the shaft is removed), the D&D game does not have rules in place to support the concept of the called shot. There is no mechanism allowing you to specify which body part is targeted by the arrow, or any system of distributed hit points to determine when the targeted body part is damaged too badly to function. This route was chosen to keep combat relatively streamlined. Introducing such rules into the game would be possible; one such supporting variant might be the "instant death" rule on page 28 of the DMG. Although vampires, being undead, are technically immune to critical hits, it would not be unreasonable to argue that a successful instant death roll pierced the vampire's heart with the wooden arrow.
mvincent 12-07-07, 02:45 PM	ANSWER:A ranged touch attack, like a ray, is not a weapon. That does not appear to be a truism, since they can be used with sneak attacks, Weapon Focus, etc. a ranged touch attack does not apply a Str modifier at all to attacks.Now that is the correct answer.
Merestil Haye 12-07-07, 02:55 PM	QUESTION ELEVEN: Can you use Many Shot to make a Ranged Sunder attempt (provided you have the Ranged Sunder feat from Complete Warrior and the Many Shot feat)?--Luke ANSWER: Yes you can, but you get only the one attack. The Sunder action can be taken in place of any melee attack, including replacing multiple attacks in a full-round action, or even as an AoO. Ranged Sunder allows you to make sunder attempts with ranged weapons. Manyshot allows you to fire multiple missiles at the same target as a standard action. Thus you would be able to unleash multiple arrows at the one item, making one singe attack roll as per the Manyshot feat. If you hit, roll each arrow's damage separately, remembering to halve the damage (if using a piercing weapon) and apply hardness as normal for your ammunition.
Merestil Haye 12-07-07, 03:01 PM	The full answer to question 3 needs to mention that the unicorn gets a +12 bonus to Jump from its high speed (as both Marcus Majarra and Lilinthra mentioned).
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:07 PM	I've incorporated all the comments to date. Thanks, everyone!
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:15 PM	QUESTION SEVENTEEN: Is there any item that can shield a vampire from the sun so that he can walk freely in the daylight?--Zeljko This is an incomplete answer, but the vampire could be ethereal (say, with armor of etherealness) to avoid direct contact with sunlight.
Merestil Haye 12-07-07, 03:16 PM	Just noticed. In my answer to the ranged sunder question, it should say "If you win the opposed roll ...." rather than "If you hit ..." to reflect that Sunder is an opposed attack roll. Sorry about that.
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:21 PM	QUESTION EIGHT: If the pair of daggers, shortswords, etc., used in a steeldance spell have magic properties, do those properties get taken into account when calculating hits, damage, etc.? I ask because the spell description refers to the weapons' base damage.--Tim ANSWER: No. "Base damage" refers to the weapon's damage before any modifiers, as if it were a nonmagical weapon of that type. That is how it is used in the context of a description of the mattock of the titans in the DMG: "If used as a weapon, it is the equivalent of a Gargantuan +3 adamantine warhammer, dealing 4d6 points of base damage."
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:31 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-TWO: Does the 3rd level cleric/druid spell spikes from Spell Compendium (p202) affect a fighter’s lance if the body of the lance is wooden but the tip is metal?--Vance ANSWER: I would treat this like the druid spell warp wood. If the weapon can be warped, then it can also be enchanted with spikes.
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:40 PM	QUESTION FIVE: According to the Monster Manual IV, the Teleport ability of justice archons allows them to teleport at will as the teleport spell. According to the Monster Manual I, all archons have the ability to use greater teleport at will. Are justice archons supposed to be able to use greater teleport or regular teleport?--Steve ANSWER: According to the 3.5 errata, when two sources conflict, apply the rule set forth in the primary source. Here, the Monster Manual is the primary source for archon powers. Since the Monster Manual IV does not state that justice archons are an exception to the general rule, justice archons may use greater teleport at will, like all archons. Note, however, that archons using the greater teleport ability can only transport up to 50 pounds. Using teleport, one can transport up to one's maximum load (and a justice archon can carry much more than 50 pounds). Thus, the justice archon can greater teleport with up to 50 pounds at will and teleport at will as well if it wants to bring more than 50 pounds with it.-wrecan
wrecan 12-07-07, 03:41 PM	Just seven to go!
Cartigan 12-07-07, 03:43 PM	QUESTION TEN: If I cast whirling blade while prone, are all my weapons’ attack rolls subject to the penalty for attacking while prone?--Gary ANSWER: The spell's description states you make a normal melee attack against each foe as if you used the weapon in melee so any penalties, such as being prone, would apply and apply to each attack roll since they are all separate.
Merestil Haye 12-07-07, 04:42 PM	QUESTION NINETEEN: The thought bottle (I might have it wrong due to the translation) in Complete Arcane can store the amount of XP the character has and then can restore the character's XP to the same amount for the price of 500 XP. Could my character store her XP, then create a magic item (or multiple items) of high XP costs then restore them using the bottle (minus 500)?--Jonathan ANSWER: No, it can't. This was discussed in the Ask Wizards of 03/08/07 (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20070308a). The Thought Bottle can only be used to restore xp from lost levels. (Non-Sage note : This still allows an exploit whereby you first lose a level, then go on a crafting binge. When you use the Bottle to restore your xp, your total goes back to whatever is stored in the bottle.)
Maerlyn 12-08-07, 02:34 AM	[QUOTE=wrecan;14523390] QUESTION SEVENTEEN: Is there any item that can shield a vampire from the sun so that he can walk freely in the daylight?--Zeljko ANSWER: I know this would sound kinda strange but would having darkness cast upon an object like a coin then permanency cast to make is last forever work to solve this concern? I know darkness says a daylight spell will penetrate it but it does not say natural daylight would.
wrecan 12-09-07, 09:43 AM	I doubt that would work. Darkness is not absolute and only gives you a partial concealment rating. You know what? I'm going to just say "No." to answer seventeen. :) Great work, guys, but we still need answers to Nine (chosen of mystara level adjustment), Twelve (Hide in Plain Sight), Sixteen (spontaneous divination), Twenty-one (warlocks and magic-affecting terrain) and Twenty-three (ray burst). Any takers?
pmurray@bigpond.com 12-09-07, 08:37 PM	Dragging something along the ground is not the same as puilling a cart. If it were, no-one would bother to build carts. In principle, you can move an unlimited amount of mass if it's on the flat - one person can move a warship in dock. Obviously, a cart is not a warship in dock, but it's far, far better than dragging.
delugeia 12-09-07, 11:46 PM	QUESTION SEVENTEEN: Is there any item that can shield a vampire from the sun so that he can walk freely in the daylight?--Zeljko Vampires can graft the skin of lesbians to their body in order to venture out in daylight. Source (IMDB): Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311361/) :cool:
wrecan 12-10-07, 09:19 AM	Obviously, a cart is not a warship in dock, but it's far, far better than dragging. But are there rules on carts and encumbrance anywhere? Maybe the Arms & Equipment Guide?
Marcus Majarra 12-10-07, 11:36 AM	Actually, they are: Drawn Vehicles The speed of a drawn vehicle such as a wagon or chariot depends on what’s pulling it (the dray creature). Horses are the most common dray creatures, but the world of the D&D game also features carriages pulled by dire wolves, sea-sleds propelled by orcas, and vast siege towers drawn by teams of war elephants. Two factors determine the speed of a drawn vehicle: the weight of the vehicle and the Strength score of the dray creatures. First, figure out the total weight of the vehicle, including driver, passengers, and cargo. Then divide the weight by 4 if it’s a wheeled vehicle or by 3 if it’s an ice sled or water vehicle. The result is the pull weight of the vehicle. Next, compare the pull weight of the vehicle to the Strength score of the dray creatures on Table 9–1: Carrying Capacity in the Player’s Handbook to find out how fast the vehicle can travel. If there are several dray creatures, simply divide the weight among them. For example, Lidda has commandeered a treasureladen wagon pulled by two heavy horses. The wagon weighs 400 pounds, it holds 3,750 pounds of treasure, and Lidda weighs 50 pounds (including her gear). That means the wagon’s total weight is 4,200 pounds and its pull weight is 1,050 pounds. The two heavy horses therefore carry 525 pounds each. Heavy horses have Strength 15, and as Large quadrupeds they carry three times the weight given in Table 9–1. This means they are under a heavy load, so the vehicle moves at a speed of 35 feet and the horses can’t run. Once you know the pull weight of the vehicle, it’s easy to figure out how the death of one dray creature affects the vehicle. The other dray creatures in a team might be strong enough to pick up the slack once the dead creature is released from the harness, but they also might be unable to move the vehicle at all.
mvincent 12-10-07, 12:17 PM	Dragging something along the ground is not the same as puilling a cart.Yeah... but when the rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm) specifically list how much a horse can drag, chances are they are providing this for the more expected use (i.e. dragging a cart). Example, the rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/horse.htm) say: "Carrying Capacity A light load for a heavy horse is up to 200 pounds; a medium load, 201-400 pounds; and a heavy load, 401-600 pounds. A heavy horse can drag 3,000 pounds. " ... one would conclude they were not providing the last information in anticipation of adventurers needing to say, haul a plow.
Marcus Majarra 12-10-07, 03:51 PM	I would have to disagree, mvincent. For any creature, the push/drag limit is equal to 5 times its heavy load. A horse could drag 3,000 pounds (which is 5 times its heavy load of 600 pounds), but at a movement rate of 5 feet, as normal per push/drag. The A&EG is more concise on this matter.
wrecan 12-10-07, 04:11 PM	I agree with Marcus Majarra. I think the A&E Guide answers that question nicely. Anybody have answers to the remaining questions?
mvincent 12-10-07, 04:23 PM	I would have to disagree, mvincent. Note that I did not say whether the writer's were accurately following the rules in another section, I was merely commenting on their probable intent. Just curious: what do you feel was the writer's intent when providing those numbers?
mvincent 12-10-07, 04:35 PM	QUESTION NINE: What would the level adjustment be on the chosen of mystra template?--DustinThe Chosen of Mystra template (Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, page 247) only has a CR adjustment. If a template does not supply a level adjustment, then chances are it is not appropriate for PC's. In either case: ask your DM.
mvincent 12-10-07, 04:55 PM	QUESTION TWELVE: Assume a shadowdancer (with Hide in Plain Sight ability) strikes an opponent in melee combat. Could the character then use HiPS to Hide, and would there be a -20 penalty to the Hide check as with Sniping? Reading the 3.5 FAQ dealing with a high-level ranger's HiPS makes it sound like there would be no penalty, as in both of these situations it is likely there is no need to move to concealment.--JeffThe 3.5 FAQ answer for this (on page 41) is a bit complicated, but basically it says: 1) You take a -20 penalty to remain hidden before attacking someone in melee (which is only possible if you move only through areas that you can hide in). This -20 penalty is from the following rule (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm): "It’s practically impossible (-20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running or charging." rather than the sniping (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/hide.htm#sniping) rule (i.e. this is handled differently than sniping). 2) The roll to hide after attacking would not neccesarily have this penalty.
goblinothegreatwhitenorth 12-10-07, 05:20 PM	I would have to disagree, mvincent. For any creature, the push/drag limit is equal to 5 times its heavy load. A horse could drag 3,000 pounds (which is 5 times its heavy load of 600 pounds), but at a movement rate of 5 feet, as normal per push/drag. The A&EG is more concise on this matter. As one addendum to that, it should be noted, that a horse that could drag 3000 pounds at five feet per round, would be able to drag up to a 12000 lb cart on wheels at that speed. - Also to specifically answer the question, a light horse could pull a 600 lb cart (total of cart and contents) and move at its full 60 ft movement rate. It could possibly run at twice that rate, (no faster though) but this would be extremely dangerous and difficult to control. I would suggest a riding/cart driving skill check at a DC of 15 or higher to avoid crashing. Any additional difficulties for terrain should be added as well. The other issue is he asked what they could do as a single move action. A horse pulling a cart isn't going to be doing much else in that round. I would suggest that the only other action would be an attempt to speed up, slow down, or turn. All of these would require skill checks at speeds greater that 30 feet per round. And a cart without brakes isn't going to stop easily. I would suggest pulling a cart would limit acceleration and deceleration to 1/3 the maximum movement rate of the horse and cart. So that light horse would be able to reach its full movement rate of 60 feet in 3 rounds. A medium and heavy load could respectively reduce acceleration /deceleration to 1/4 and 1/5th of the maximum. I don't know if any horse could realistically pull a 12000 pound cart by itself. It probably wouldn't be able to break the threshold of friction to get it moving. Obviously the rules do not cover every eventuality, but this isn't far off what is actually possible in real life.
mvincent 12-10-07, 05:31 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-THREE: With regards to the feat Ray Burst, which was in Dragon Magazine Annual #5: this feat allows you to change the ray effect to a 30 radius burst effect centered on myself. I know it affects both friend and foe, so here is my question: am I part of the blast, i.e., do I take damage from the blast also, like a fireball centered on me, or does the ray shoot forth from my body in all directions creating the burst effect? Also, say I get three rays because of my level, will the burst be the combined amount of the three rays, or will it shoot out as three different bursts?--HenrySince this is not covered by the rules, it is best to ask your DM. Off-hand, the intent of this feat appears to be to have the ray radiate outwards from the caster, so the caster should not have to worry about hitting himself. Also, the damage should not be combined (as that would make energy resistance less useful).
Marcus Majarra 12-10-07, 06:24 PM	Note that I did not say whether the writer's were accurately following the rules in another section, I was merely commenting on their probable intent. Just curious: what do you feel was the writer's intent when providing those numbers? I feel the writer's intent was to provide a quick figure as to what's the heaviest object you could use a horse to move around, such as a rock blocking the road. I don't expect the horse to be able to galop while dragging this object, but it's most certainly strong enough to move it around slowly.
wrecan 12-10-07, 06:38 PM	Excellent work. The only question left unanswered is #21: Is a warlock affected by 'The Weave', dead magic zones, and 'Weave Drain' effects in the Forgotten Realms?--Craig Any Forgotten Realms/warlock fans?
mvincent 12-10-07, 07:03 PM	QUESTION TWENTY-ONE: Is a warlock affected by 'The Weave', dead magic zones, and 'Weave Drain' effects in the Forgotten Realms?--CraigYes. In the FR setting you can assume that any spell, magic item, supernatural ability or spell-like ability draws upon the Weave unless specifically stated. Shadow-Weave based magic, psionics, pluma magic, and table magic are examples of specifically stated exceptions.
wrecan 12-11-07, 12:42 PM	Woo hoo! We're done. I'll give this thread 12 hours to see if anybody has clarifications or corrections and then I'll submit it.
wrecan 12-11-07, 03:47 PM	Ack! We almost missed one! QUESTION SIXTEEN: The wizard alternative class feature spontaneous divination from Complete Champion (p52) is worded thus: You can spontaneously cast any spell of the divination school by sacrificing a prepared spell of equal or greater level. For example, if you suddenly have need of the 2nd-level spell locate object, you can sacrifice a prepared 2nd-level spell (such as mirror image) or any prepared spell of a higher level to cast it on the spot. Now, what does "any spell of the divination school" actually mean? Is it really any spell, no matter from what class spell list, or is it only wizard spells, or is it even restricted to wizard spells known only?--Jonny ANSWER: Because the spell is substituting for one of the wizard’s memorized spells, at the divination spell’s own level, it must use the wizard spell level. Thus, if a divination spell has no wizard spell level, it can not be used as a spontaneous divination for the wizard alternative class feature.-wrecan
Marcus Majarra 12-11-07, 04:16 PM	I'm not sure your answer is concise enough, wrecan. I would simply answer that the substituted spell must be one the wizard has recorded in his spellbook(s).
wrecan 12-11-07, 04:50 PM	I'm not sure your answer is concise enough, wrecan. I would simply answer that the substituted spell must be one the wizard has recorded in his spellbook(s). I don't know if that would be accurate. What if the wizard loses a spellbook? The way the rule is phrased seems to me he can cast any wizard spell from the divination spell, as if he had the scroll for it.
celloshane 12-11-07, 05:48 PM	I have an issue with the current answer for #12. While by RAW the -20 modifier applies to any Hide check while attacking, nowhere does it take into account the modifier of the HIPS ability that allows the player to hide while being observed. Being that the -20 modifier is interred from the high probability of being observed while someone attacks, runs, or charges, it is reasonable to interpret that the HIPS negates this ability. As invisibility the target would be aware of the location the attack came from, but the attacker would still have total concealment. The Sage makes suggestions for reasonable interpretation all the time, and this question seems to warrant it.
Marcus Majarra 12-11-07, 06:01 PM	I don't know if that would be accurate. What if the wizard loses a spellbook? The way the rule is phrased seems to me he can cast any wizard spell from the divination spell, as if he had the scroll for it. If that's the case, then there is no point in learning any kind of divination spell or preparing one in the first place. I don't think that this kind of ability is equivalent to a single bonus wizard feat. Furthermore, losing one's spellbook doesn't incur any penalties other than losing the ability to prepare spells from it. In any case, a wizard can only prepare (and, by extension, cast) those spells which he has recorded into his spellbook. Since the alternate class ability doesn't specify that the wizard must not already have knowledge of the divination spells in question, I don't see why he should be exempted of having knowledge of the spell in order to cast it.
wrecan 12-14-07, 10:12 AM	FYI: rimble's response to the Sage's questions made it into the Sage Advice column (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4mst/ask). Congrats to rimble!
runestar 12-14-07, 06:03 PM	I have an issue with question 13. Handedness is not defined anywhere in the game (as noted in Waterdeep), thus I believe that all characters can effectively be assumed as ambidextrous, in that the concept of an off-hand is applicable only for TWFing (and specifically only when using the TWFing attack option). The purpose of the penalties listed are simply to balance out the use of the TWFing attack option (where the penalties supposedly balance out the extra attacks you get). Thus, my take would be that you can freely attack with a weapon in either hand without any attack or damage penalties (not withstanding the penalties you would get for using an improvised weapon).:) As for question 17, there is a spell in Lords of Darkness which allows a vampire to ignore the drawbacks of being exposed to sunlight for some time, so I suppose a wondrous item could be fashioned off that. No official item exists though.
mvincent 12-14-07, 06:19 PM	my take would be that you can freely attack with a weapon in either hand without any attack or damage penaltiesYup, that seems like the new paradigm for 3.5, and most people (including myself) would agree. However, the PHB still technically contains the following (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/glossary&term=Glossary_dnd_offhand&alpha=O): "off hand A character's weaker or less dexterous hand (usually the left). An attack made with the off hand incurs a -4 penalty on the attack roll. In addition, only one-half of a character's Strength bonus may be added to damage dealt with a weapon held in the off hand." ... and Skip Williams evidently still uses this. One 'middle of the road' compromise might be to treat anyone with a TWF'ing feat as ambidextrous. Regardless, it shouldn't change the effective answer for question #13, which is: Yes, you can make an AoO with your full BaB using an off-hand weapon. Also, there would be no impact on that character's regular attack roles on his/her turn assuming they only chose to make attacks with their primary weapon.