LG Questions/Answers sorted - current to 2007/04/26 [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTimePost
bitznarf

03-28-07, 08:18 PM		Updated 2007/04/26 with all current answers

Section 1: Rules Option Access
What happens when a new book completely rewrites an existing feat?...Does a PC with that feat have to keep the feat?...

Does he start using the new version of the feat as soon as the new book is published? Or does he wait for a Dispel Confusion or new LGCS, and use the old version until then? Or can he ignore the new version and continue using the old version and just treat them as two different feats with the same name?
1) Things like this would have to be handled on a case-by-case basis. We will look into the Sacred Healing feat when we examine P2.

2) For the cases of a new book, you would continue to use the old feat until the Circle addresses the new book in a Dispel Confusion or the LGCS. This is a rare issue, though, so it shouldn't be much of a problem.


4. Is darkwood freely available, or does it require AR access?
Darkwood is not mentioned on the tables of Core access items in the LGCS; hence, it requires special access from an AR or other source.


Sometimes, a favor will mention a frequency for the granted access, often Frequency: Adventure. That doesn't make much sense, since if you can't use it now, you can always redeem the favor later.
Unless a favor specifically allows you to "redeem" the favor at a later date, you do not have that option. If there is no text indicating when the favor comes into effect, it comes into effect immediately. That means if a favor that does not allow redemption at a later point grants Adventure access to an item, the access begins running at that point.


If an AR grants access to a non-core exotic weapon, can the character purchase weapon X and then take the Exotic Weapon[X] feat, or does the character also have to get access to the specific feat?
Exotic Weapon Proficiency is Core access, no matter what type of weapon it is.


Does having access to a limited spell allow someone to purchase a scroll of that spell?
No. You can scribe a spell you can cast, but you can't purchase a scroll of a spell just for having access to the spell.


If a favor grants access to "... any +1 weapon or armor special ability from the DMG ...", does that include shield special abilities as well, or only those abilities that apply specifically to armor (of the non-shield variety)?
You would need to get clarification from the specific author, triad, and/or Circle member. By a very pedantic reading, no, it would not. However, this is not a universal understanding of the meaning, so it might not have been the intent.


However is it far simpler than that? as only the items in the DMG table are listed in the LGCS, and they are based on arcane caster levels, could I only get access to a bard written spell on an AR?
Without scribing the scroll yourself, you must find access on an AR in order to buy scrolls of alternate CL than the DMG, such as bardic tongues.


My archer has regional access to unusual arrows including blunt, alchemical, sleep and flight arrows.

Can she pay the extra and buy these arrows in silver or cold iron versoins ???
That would depend on the actual physical nature of the arrows. If they have metal striking surfaces, you should be able to get them in special metals. I do not know what the striking surfaces are like on the various odd arrow types, though.


Is the Dragon Compendium book a limited source for lg?

- Can I request a Special Mission for access to a feat from that book?
-- like Unorthodox flurry (a non-monk weapon becomes a monk weapon.. so you can flurry & stun with it).
Authors/Triad have special rules for what can be used, and it all goes through the Circle. So, it does occur that something from an unlisted book appears on an AR. For the specific item, I haven't seen the book or the feat, and I wouldn't want to say yes/no in case some other region didn't want to give it out, and a yes that it was possible might get used to try to browbeat them into offering it :)


The following article describes Touched by Theron, which some PCs still have: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=lg/lgdc/20040525a .

In Full Circle to Oblivion, the text is slightly different, giving immunity to cures of less than CL8.

Which is correct?
The web article is the correct version. Until a conclusion to the series comes out, the curses stand as is.


Hi, as a Bard with standard access to the whip; the new draft LGCS allows me to have access to the stingray whip (Stormwrack 5.5), am I automatically proficient as it's a type of whip?
Does the bard class ability or the description of stingray whip state you are? If not, the answer would be no.


With the additional tables of equipment added to the LGCS, can I now buy the elvencraft and close-fighting blade upgrades in RW? My reading would be no, because while they are in the text of the section that has table access, they are not in the table itself.
Those are not on the table, so you'll have to find access somewhere.


In the FAQ section of the new LGCS, it states that items listed on the AR are sized to the character, unless otherwise stated. Then, in the Access appendix, it states that all items on the charts listed can be any size from Tiny to Large.

Does that mean a character can purchase say, a large weapon from one of the charts (for Monkey Grip), but they would not be able to purchase an AR weapon of large size? Is that the intention, or am I missing something?
That is intentional. Items found are meant to be more restrictive in size than items on the Open list.


Buying items before your first game - are you now allowed to buy items you have access to - scrolls, items of silver/cold iron, potions?
There are no restrictions in the LGCS for purchasing items based on level.

"See Appendix 4 for Open and Closed item access."

"Open: A PC may take advantage of Open rules items if it meets all the prerequisites."


Could I go on a special mission to gain access to Dragon Shaman or Duskblade? Both are in the "Not Open/Not Closed" grey
area, which usually requires a special mission or access.

Or is this a question for the local triad/special missions point-of-contact?
Contact your triad.


This has probably been asked and answered already, but I cannot find where it is. The LGCS says:

Healer: Use the version of close wounds as presented in
SpC; it is now a 2nd level spell. Remove revivify from the
Healer’s spell list. Add the following spells from SpC to
the Healer’s spell list at the designated levels. This does
not Open the spells for the Healer; you must still find
access to the spells before being able to cast them.
1st: Faith healing; healing lorecall; stabilize; vigor, lesser
2nd: Close wounds; vigor, mass lesser
3rd: Positive energy aura; revenance; vigor
4th: Delay death; rejuvenation cocoon; vigor, greater
5th: Dance of the unicorn; stalwart pact; vigorous circle
6th: Energy immunity; restoration, mass
7th: Fortunate fate; renewal pact

However, many of these spells are open. Are they merely NONC to healers, or is this just a confusing way of wording the list? Additionally, things like Close Wounds are on the healer spell list from the Miniature's Handbook, so are they Open to healers or not? Ie, are healers like warmages and beguilers in that they get their base spell list even if the spells are NONC to everyone else, or are they disallowed from a significant portion of their base spell list?
"This does not Open" means that the passage you are quoting does not Open the spells; it merely adds the spells to their spell list. Appendix Four opens many of the spells for all PCs, healer or otherwise.

Healers do not have open access to all of the spells on their spell list. With the expanded spell list, even with some of their original and new spells being NONC, they still have more spells available in the Open category than a healer would have with all of the spells on their unmodified spell list.


Light Mangonel (Heroes of battle) - "light catapult siege weapon"

I have certed access to the weapon.

Can I purchase a small version (I am small)?

Can I purchase a masterwork version?

Can I make it a +1 Light Mangonel?

Standard size is 10' x 10', would a small one be 5' x 5' ?

Standard damage is 4d6 (stone), would a small versions' damage be 2d8?

Rules in Heroes of Battle say that the you can reduce the time it takes to fire a siege weapon by doubling the #of crew

Siege weapon rules state that doubling the #of crew or Using crew 1 size biger cuts the load time in half. If reduced to 1/2 round (or more), will this allow multiple skill check attempts to load the weapon? Could they load, fire, load again... so it would be ready for the next round?
Part of it depends on what type of access you have. If you have access through a favor or MO, you can buy a masterwork version. If you have access from the Items Found section, you are limited to the type that was listed on the AR. As long as it is a standard masterwork weapon, you can make it +1.

As for the size issues, that's a core issue. I have no idea if small siege weapons exist or how to handle the various rules for them.


Can one retrain to one of the alternate class abilities, like the ones found in Dungeonscape?
See the February Dispel Confusion article.


Can we use the alternate Handle Animal Use in MM2, to train an animal as a warbeast? I just recieved a new animal companion, and would like to spend the MANY, MANY TUs to add this template to my new goat.
No.


I realize the Draconic Heritage feats question will take some time to answer.
Since I can't anticipate what decision will be made, the following:
My PC took Draconic Heritage (from CA) so she would qualify as a cleric of Aasterinina (dragon deity). She also took Draconic Skin.
If she may no longer use Draconic Heritage (because I don't own Races ot Dragon) what happens to her faith? And what happens to the Draconic Skin feat?
Can the feat still qualify as a requirement even if you cannot actually 'use' it?

(Edit: if you will, this could be a 'generic' question, phrased as:
- can I take a feat (but not use it) if I don't have the book it's in, and
- if I do have the feat, while not being able to use it, can I at least use it to fulfill a requirement?
)
Ok, I have some information. If the feat was changed at all, you must use the newest printing, which means you must have the book. That means all the Draconic feats are now based on the RDr book, and you must have that book to use them. We are still discussing what to do for players in this situation; it is likely that we will allow a free Retrain if the player doesn't want to/can't buy the book.

As for prerequisites, you still have the feat, you just are not allowed to use it if you don't have the book. I would say this still allows you to use it for qualification purposes.


Hi Britt

Just read the preliminary information you gave about the Draconic Heritage feat as it relates to Races of the Dragon, and had a few more questions:

1. If the Circle does decide to allow a free retrain for Draconic Heritage feat, will the free retrain include skills that were taken as class skills rather than cross-class skills as part of that feat? For instance, one of my characters has Silver Draconic Heritage, which made Disguise a class skill for them and I've invested a number of ranks in it.

2. If these class skills made-cross-class skills are not included in the free retrain or if there is not a free retrain at all, are we to assume that they simply become cross-class skills, halving the number of ranks? What happens to an odd number of ranks in this case? A home game ruling would make sense in a home game, but in a more structured environment like Living Greyhawk it's more problematic. You can't buy half a skill rank under the Core rules to my knowledge.

3. If we don't get a free retrain of any kind (or even if we do) could we see more liberal access to rules items in Races of the Dragon or even Dragon Mage? Forcing players to purchase a book to maintain use of a feat/feat chain that's generally viewed as being horrifically underpowered to begin with might deserve a little extra consideration.

4. To avoid having the issue come up again in the forseeable future, were any of the Complete Arcane Draconic Feats reprinted in Dragon Mage?

1. No, no free retrain for the skills you took.
2. Halve the number of ranks.
3. Get half ranks. AFAIK, the Core rules do not restrict half ranks and they seem to fit the other rules regarding cross-class skills.
4. No clue.


Nothing in the LG document talks about substitution levels or alternative class features. Are they open? Closed? Limited?
If it's not in the LGCS, you need campaign documentation, such as an AR or metaorg, to use the rule.

Section 2: Upgrading Items
Is there any way to improve named weapons and armor?
If it is actually named, it might be a non-standard magic item and, therefore, unable to be upgraded. This really depends on the mechanics of the item and the text of the AR. If the item is really just a +2 holy adamantine longsword, then it is a standard item. However, if the ability to upgrade to holy at half cost is a function of the item, it is a nonstandard item, as it has an ability that is not normally present in the DMG description. See LGCS 56-57. If it is nonstandard, you will need some sort of specific campaign documentation that allows upgrade of that item. That access would likely need to be related specifically to that item, as I do not think we would give access to upgrade any nonstandard item; the range of possible items that covers is too large for that to be a safe favor.


What would be an example of a counterexample (an item that could not be upgraded to +1 because it was non-standard)?

What does standard mean here? Are all special material types upgradable under this rule?
1) A suit of magic armor that was +1 and allowed the wearer to cast detect magic once a year would be non-standard, since that is not something you can create normally.

2) Special materials do not affect standard/nonstandard by themselves. As long as a weapon of that type made from iron would be standard, a special material version of it is standard.



Three levels in Justicar gives me EWP(Manacles), which are not normally counted as weapons.

Can I enchant these using the standard LG rules (e.g. Buy MW manacles and pay the extra gold to make it +1)?

Can I use weapon upgrade favours on them?
No, manacles cannot be enchanted.


If I have access to and purchased an elvencraft composite longbow, do I need specfic access to upgrade it to +1? This came up at a gameday last weekend.
That would be considered a standard weapon. Yes, it can be upgraded.


A cloak of comfort (from Complete Mage) provides a constant endure elements effect to all allies in a 30-foot radius, as well as a +1 resistance bonus on all saving throws (only to the wearer). According to CM, more powerful versions which provide a greater resistance bonus can be found/manufactured. I have access to a cloak of comfort; if I have a favor that allows for a cloak of resistance to be upgraded to a higher resistance bonus, can that favor be used to upgrade the cloak of comfort's resistance bonus? If not, will the LGCS or future favors make provisions for the cloak of comfort to be upgradable in the same fashion as a cloak of resistance?
The magic item upgrade rules will be clarified in the upcoming LGCS. Unless the AR favor you have gets erratad, it would not work on a cloak of comfort, as it is a distinct item seperate from a cloak of protection.


At a Core Special I received access to this upgrade: Weapon is treated as Good for bypassing DR; cost 1000 GP. I upgraded my weapon, so I now have a +1 Good aligned longsword. Is my longsword now considered a non-standard item for purposes of future upgrades?
No, this is intended to be a standard Special Ability upgrade, like flaming.


Can the strength rating of a bow be upgraded?
Not without some sort of campaign documentation, as that is not an option in the core rules.


Another upgrading question...

Say I have a fighter PC, and he has a +2 longsword (no special abilities, and no special materials), and I want to upgrade the enhancement bonus to +3 (and IIRC, I can freely do this upgrade since the LGCS grants Open access to straight enhancement bonuses).

If I don't have the appropriate MIC abilities (i.e., Craft Magic Arms and Armor), the LGCS says I can hire an NPC. Do I need to pay NPC spellcasting costs as part of the upgrade? Or is that something that is simply factored into paying the difference between the +2 weapon and the +3 version? (i.e., their "fee" is covered by the fact that we're paying full price for the upgrade in this case, as opposed to the half-price cost of MIC-ing the upgrade)
Their spellcasting fees are subsumed in the crafting costs.


Briefly;
If you have access to Elven chain, does the LGCS p26 allow you to enchant it? or do you need more access (is it even possible)?
Elven chain is just mithral chainmail with a different name. You can enchant it just like mithral chainmail.

Section 3: Crafting
1) If his UMD is high enough to cast this from scrolls with 100% probability of success on the UMD roll, can he craft this armor?

2) Suppose his UMD only gives him 90% chance of success per scroll. What happens now? Crafting this takes 18 days, i.e. 18 successful castings from scrolls. Does the table DM watch him make 18 UMD rolls?

3) If he fails a UMD roll, he can try again. Except if he fails with a "1", UMD says you can't try again on the same item for 24 hours, so presumably the crafting attempt has been ruined. (Or can he try his UMD again on a different scroll of the same spell?) If he failed on the 11th roll, did he spend 11 days of materials costs? (5500gp) 18 days? (9,000 gp) Or does he just return the materials back to the supplier, for a net 0 gp materials costs? Does he use 11 scrolls? 18 scrolls? 11 scrolls and sell the remaining 7 back at 1/2 price?

4) Could he use spells from a wand instead of from a scroll? LGCS only says "scroll", but logistically it seems that if you could use a scroll then you could use a wand too.
1) Yes, you could use UMD to create the item with scrolls.

2) I would say that each failure increases the time to craft by one day. AFAIK, though, there are no rules regarding this in the LGCS.

3) For simplicity, I would say that a failed roll ruins your chances for that day. If you need a reason, perhaps the spell has to be cast at a particular time or in a particular way, and if it is not, the day's work is ruined. In a home game, I would increase costs proportionally based on how many days you took and how many you should have taken. I'm not sure what the best way to handle this would be in LG.

4) Yes, you can use a wand as well.


3. When a PC is creating up to 5 items with a total value less than or equal to 5,000 gp, is this the total limit, or is it the equivalent of five "days" with a 1,000 gp limit each? In other words, would the following item crafting be legal?

Scroll of Teleport (9th level caster) (1,125 gp)
Scroll of Dimension Door (7th level caster) (700 gp)
Scroll of Cone of Cold (9th level caster) (1,125 gp)
Scroll of Orb of Acid (7th level caster) (700 gp)
Scroll of Orb of Cold (7th level caster) (700 gp)
5 items, total value: 4,350 gp

Or would each 5th level scroll take two "days" out of the five assumed?
3) The LGCS states something along the lines of: "You may create, at most...one magic item per day." While this is open to some interpretation as to completing crafting on only one item per day but working on two in any given day, I believe the intent is that you can only work on one item per day. If an item costs 1,001 gp, you would need to work for two days and the extra time on the second day is lost. I will look into this further.


1) If I'm crafting ammunition, I have to craft it in sets of 50. Suppose I'm crafting +1 bane arrows. Do I have to make them all the same "bane"? In other words, can I make 25 goblinbane and 25 orcbane, or do all 50 have to be the same? Strictly speaking this may be an RPGA question or DM question and not an LGCS question, but allowing table variation may not be particularly desirable on crafting.

2) Say I want to craft a +1 adamantine longsword (and have access to adamantine). The market value is 3000 gp for the adamantine, 315 for the mwk longsword, and 2000 for +1 enhancement.
1) You must craft all of the Bane arrows of the same type.

2) Material components, such as the admantine longsword, should not be calculated in crafting times and you do not get them at half cost + 1/25 xp. Calculate them separately.


If I have a favor along the lines of 'May upgrade a weapon with the Brilliant energy enhancement'. Could I use this upgrade favor as the spell needed to craft said weapon, assuming I meet all other requirements? (basically letting me pay 1/2 the upgrade gold price as well as all the experience require) In a home game, people can work together to craft an item, so it would make sense that I could work with the ones providing the favor...but I'm pretty sure that in LGCS it wouldn't be possible.
No, you cannot cooperate to craft in LG.


Q: Can I craft items after an adaptable adventure? After an adaptable adventure, can I buy items to which I have core access? Can I bring my cohort along on adaptable adventures?
A: Yes. Treat Adaptable adventures as core adventures for these purposes.

The LGCS states that you may "create magic items at any core adventure" and later elaborates that "Item creation occurs before the adventure starts". The FAQ seems to say that in terms of crafting (and a few other things) we should treat adaptable mods as core mods. Therefore, we can craft items at the beginning of an adapted mod.
Is my interpretation correct?
Yes, treat adapted adventures exactly like core adventures for the stated purposes.


I just need some clarification on crafting and it's costs.

1.) When crafting, you have to spend a number of TU's for each item you craft. How many TU's does it take to craft *insert item here*?

2.) How many times can you craft after one adventure record? (The reason I ask is my wizard is in Red Hand and seems to be needing more and more scrolls to keep alive) Is there a way to spend extra time crafting?
You can only spend 1 TU on crafting, unless you are crafting one item that costs more than 1 TU.


LG magic item creation question:

Assuming the creator has access to all the component magic items, can a creator use the "Adding New Abilities" section on page 288 of the DMG to combine multiple abilities in a single item? i.e....

Craft a single cloak with the abilities of a Cloak of Resistance +1 (1k gp) and a Cloak of Charisma +2 (4k gp) for 5.5k gp? [4k + (150%)(1k)]
No, you cannot create items that are not specifically listed on an AR or in the DMG. You would need to find a Cloak of Resistance +1 and Charisma +2 to be able to craft such an item.

Look for updated rules on crafting and upgrading in the LGCS draft next week.


If I have a favour (top box on an AR) that states:

Core access to the following: pearl of power (1st-level, 2nd-level, 3rd-level), ...

Does this give access to craft the items?
No. You must have access in the Items Found section.


I have access to "Bracers of Draconic Strength". (I won't say exactly which mod they're from, but it's one Britt edited and it's fairly recent, so hopefully he can figure out the one I mean.)

The basic bracers listed in the "Items Found" section give a +2 bonus to strength. The item description in the "Adventure Information" section say they can be upgraded by paying the difference in cost (basically a stat boost item that comes with a built in upgrade favor).

Can I use MIC to upgrade this item at half cost? Can I use MIC to skip the +2 version and craft the +4 version?
They appeared in the Items Found section of the AR and the crafting rules are given, so yes, you can upgrade them.


I have a character with Craft Wondrous Item. I had crafted a Hat of Disguise under the old LGCS. I don't have access under the new LGCS. Is this a situation that must be corrected, or am I grandfathered in?
As long as you followed the old rules correctly, you are fine. You just can't craft another without finding access somewhere.


Hello,

I have three questions:

- Can I use scrolls to fulfill spell requisites for crafting wondrous items?
1) Yes, you can use scrolls, per the normal crafting rules in the DMG.


I have access to "Sanctify Relic".. what relics can I create with this?

I assume all the CD relics, since that is the source of the feat...

The begining of the relic section gives a formula to reduce the cost of a standard magic item which is crafted as a relic.. is this an option?

How do relics work with upgrading magic items?
It works just like crafting any magic items. You do not gain any extra access to items just for having the feat. You still have to find a relic in the Items Found section of an AR and meet all the crafting prerequisites of the item. Any other rules require special campaign documentation to use.


Can you scribe multiple-spell scrolls? (ie one scroll with multiple spells on it)

This used to be disallowed. I believe it was in the LGCS (and now isn't).
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=803534

It may however also be in a Dispel Confusion as well. In any case you might have removed the restriction deliberately and not told anyone ;)
If it's not in a DC, which I don't recall it being, go with the Core rules. I'm 90% sure without looking that it is allowed by the Core rules.


1) Does a character need AR access to produce Dwarvencraft quality weapons and armor using the Craft skill?

2) What would the price of a Dwarvencraft Mithril Heavy Shield be?
I'm guessing 1320 GP (Mithril + Dwarvencraft + Heavy Shield), but I'm hoping that there may be a discount because both the Mithril cost and the Dwarvencraft cost include the 150 GP for Masterwork.

3) When using the Craft skill, does the 1/3 cost for raw materials also apply to the Mithril part of the price?

4) Does using Mithril boost the DC of the shield (like the strength bonus on a compound bow increases the DC), or is it a separate check altogether (like Masterwork or Dwarvencraft)? In either case, what is the DC?

5) Can a PC use Craft Magic Arms and Armor instead of Craft to produce arms and armor out of exotic materials at 1000 GP per TU (e.g. Adamantium Full Plate takes 15 TU after the Full Plate is constructed)?
1) You cannot use the Craft skill to make items in LG.
2) Core rules issue. There is precedent for discounting the extra MW cost based on the new FAQ entries for crafting costs.
3) N/A
4) N/A
5) N/A


1 - Reading the current LGCS it appears that a character can scribe scrolls "for spells you can cast" which is much broader then what I'd been lead to believe (only scrolls in the DMG). If correct, I assume this also includes the potential use of increased caster levels and metamagic feats, and I would use calculations as detailed in the Rules of the Game article: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041214a.

A simple example, I could scribe an extended (+1 level) Blessed Aim (not in the DMG, but open access 1st level spell) scroll. I would have to be at least a 3rd level character as this counts as 2nd level spell. This would make the cost:
spell level 2 (1 + 1 for extended) x caster level 3 x 25 gp = 150 gp

2 - It appears the Pearl of Power crafting exception is gone from the current LGCS. Am I correct, or did I just miss it?

Thanks,

Chris Shannon
1) Rules of the Game articles are not a valid rules source for LG. It probably properly breaks down the rules, but the proper reference is the DMG. The formula you give is the market value for such a scroll, not the crafting cost, just to clarify.
2) CL is not a prerequisite for crafting unless specifically stated so by the item entry.

Section 4: Retraining
The LG deities book states in the general notes that a PC cleric that changes deities needs an atonement to continue taking levels as a cleric. Atonement appears likely to be available from NPC's in the new LGCS which make deity change simple.

On the other hand PHBII under retraining suggests that changing deity for a cleric is a significant issue suggesting the likes of special quests.

Q. Assuming atonemnet is avaialble can a PC Cleric simply atone to change deities in LG ??
The only option of atonement available is for unwilling acts. Changing gods is willing. You must contact your local Triad.


This probably counts as a Core rules question - sorry if that's the case, I'm just asking because it may have fairly serious consequences for some people and thus a definitive answer would be nice, if it does count as an LG question ;)

When retraining feats according to the procedure in the PH2:

(a) Can you retrain a feat that is a prerequisite for another feat you currently have, losing the use of the later feat until you retrain it also or regain the prerequisite? For example, say a paladin has Power Attack (L1), Cleave (L3) and Great Cleave (L6) and he wishes to retrain those feats for Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack and Spirited Charge. Can he retrain Power Attack or Cleave for Mounted Combat before retraining Great Cleave (leaving him with an unusable Great Cleave feat until he retrains it), or does he need to retrain Great Cleave first, then Cleave, and then Power Attack?

(b) The PH2 states that you must have met the prerequisites for a retrained feat at the level where you took the feat that you're swapping out. All the examples of illegal retrains are cases where the character was incapable of meeting the feat prerequisites at the relevant level (e.g. wanting to retrain Weapon Specialization into a third-level feat slot). Does the ban on retraining if you failed to meet the prereqs also apply if you could have met the prereqs at that level, but didn't? In the example of the paladin above, say he didn't have any ranks in Ride at first level, but he now has 5 ranks in Ride, and the only reason the player knows he didn't have ranks in Ride at L1 is because he has the full build in HeroForge. Does this mean he can't ever retrain Mounted Combat into a L1 feat slot? (I'm pretty sure the rules unambiguously say that he can't, but I would love to be wrong on this.)

Thanks.
a) No. You must retrain any higher feats before retraining the prerequisite feats. Doing otherwise would create an illegal character build. Any use of retraining must have been a legal choice at the time you gained the previous rules option and must not create situations where you would have made illegal selections at later levels.

b) Yes, the limit still applies if you did not meet the prerequisites at that level. A wizard that wants Weapon Focus (ray) could have been a fighter at first level, but that doesn't mean he can swap his Spell Focus feat that he took at first level for Weapon Focus.


- How works immediate retraining due to changed rules? May I retrain the feat "craft wondrous items" immediate for free, because it changed? And if, how works it technically? (Just write it on the next AR or how can I document that?)
- If I retrain a MIC feat, do I also get back invested XPs (because I have to pay for created items the difference to market prices)? If, not I would have paid more (full price plus XPs) for items than other players which just bought them!?!.
2) You do not get a free retrain whenever rules change. You get a free retrain when a rules option is Closed. You might get a free retrain at other points if we decide the rules have changed enough (such as with druid). Craft Wondrous is not one of those cases.

3) No, you do not get the XP back. You get the benefit of vastly increased access over non-crafters.


Retraining Question - what happens when you retrain a feat or class feature that gave you some skills as class skills? Especially one that required that use to get into a PrC or feat in the first place.

Example: Cleric of Boccob takes the Knowledge Domain at 1st level. At 6th level he enters a PrC that gives him all Knowledge skills, but required 8 ranks in Knowledge(Nature) to get into it. He then retrains the Knowledge Domain into another Domain.

Is that legal?
That would have made your later skill selections illegal, since you would not have been able to select those skill ranks without that domain; hence, the Retrain would be illegal. You would first have to Retrain out those skill points and then Retrain the domain.


Retraining MIC Feat Question:

Retraining away a MIC feat requires paying the difference in cost for the items created vs. the purchase price.

What is the disposition of items that could not have been purchased in the first place, such as scrolls of SpC spells, wands of Not-In-DMG, etc.?

What about items that were created using expired access?

David
You pay the GP amount you saved by crafting versus purchasing the item. It doesn't matter if you couldn't normally purchase the item.


More Retraining Craft Feat Questions:

When I pay the extra cost for training away a Craft feat, do I pay only for the ones I currently have in my possesion, or also for items I've (a) used up or (b) sold.

For example, if I craft Gauntlets of Ogre Power, sell them one adventure later, and then train out the CWI feat, do I have to pay the extra 2000gp.
Yes. You pay any amount saved on items you crafted versus what you would have paid purchasing them.


Now that draconic heritage is open to chromatic dragons, can I switch the color of my draconic heritage for free, or must I use the retraining option?
You have to use Retraining.


Will the Circle Adapt this rule for a Living Campaign to ALWAYS work with 4 SKILL POINTS, not 4 RANKS?
The Retraining rules are intentionally limited to Ranks to avoid abuse problems. They are not intended to work with Points and will not be changed to do so in LG.


I guess the issue really comes down to, what is the intent of the "if necessary" clause in the retraining rule?
"If necessary" means that if you level at the end of your TUs, you can still retrain, using TUs from next year to pay the cost. Spending TUs on retraining has no impact on the RHoD TU rules; it does not disqualify you from borrowing TUs from year 8.


I'm up to 2 DC 3.3 questions, hopefully Britt will find the time to answer them.

question 2: Is someone who was, for example, a Brb1/druid 10 obligated to switch to Drd1/Brb1/Drd9 as a side effect of the retraining, even though there was nothing wrong with the character in the first place and they are clearly not trying to abuse the retraining rules?

question 1: It is obvious from your statement that the centaur can _wear_ these items, but can s/he gain any benefits from them? Centaurs are not animals, so the RAW answer would be no, the magic is not "effective".

1. Yes, centaurs can get the benefit, as would a pegasus or unicorn.
2. The first level as druid ruling is a clarification meant to guide players as to the spirit of the druid rebuild rules. The druid rebuild rules are intended to allow druids to become a different type of druid, not to become a different type of character. As long as you remain a druid of some type, we don't really care at which levels you took those druid levels. The ruling is to keep people from abusing our generosity.


I've looked at Improved Familiar, and I've got a question about it. (I'm looking at the Complete Warrior Improved Familiar, for reference.)

Assuming I meet all of the prerequisites, if I take "Improved Familiar" with a Hexblade at level 6 and gain a Blink Dog Familiar at level 6, can I retrain the Blink Dog familiar to a Hippogriff when I reach level 7?
Improved Familiar effectively increases your choices for familiars; you are not forced to choose a type of creature to gain access to when taking Improved Familiar. You could take the feat without choosing a familiar until later. The problem arises with the retraining rules that state you may only swap a class feature for another that would have been legal when you made the first choice. Since hippogriff would not have been legal when you chose blink dog, you cannot use retraining to swap from blink dog to hippogriff. If you were to pick a blink dog at 7th level and then at 8th level you could swap to a hippogriff if you wanted, for some reason.


Question:

Is it legal to retrain a feat that was used to ignore a class alignment restriction in the past, but now is no longer necessary?

Example:
A 4 Bard/2 Paladin picks up the Devoted Performer feat at 6th level. The character takes 4 more levels of Bard while Lawful Good, all legal thanks to the feat. At 11th level and beyond the character intends to take no more bard levels, and thus has no need for a feat to allow him to retain a lawful alignment.

Thanks.
This would have made your later choices illegal, so no, you can't do that. You don't need it anymore, but you did need it to build your character.


Some retraining / meta-org related questions:

1) If I am a member of a meta-org that required a prerequisite to get into (say a feat) and I loose it (through retraining, or perhaps death), am I still a member of the meta-org

2) If an AR gives access to a NONC feat, can I retrain it in to a level gained before the AR?

3) If a meta-org gives access to a NONC feat, and also requires a feat for access, can I re-train the access feat into the NONC feat?

4) Can I post answers to questions in this thread? :D
1) You would not be able to gain any benefits of the metaorg, as benefits are given with a price assumed, and prereqs are part of that price. Your Triad would have to determine if you were still a member for RP purposes or if you could get a special mission or something to remain a full member, such as with a race change reincarnate for a racial org.
2) Yes.
3) I believe so, but you would lose any benefits of the metaorg as soon as you did.
4) Oh, of course... / sarcasm


Another one...

Drd 3 has Scribe Scroll as a first level feat. On gaining fourth level, he takes a level of Wizard. If he retrains Scribe Scroll at the same time, does the loss of the feat via retraining cause payment of the crafted cost differences, or does the fact I regain the feat immediately mean I'm alright.

Same question, but picking the feat as a standard feat (e.g. Retrain out CWI from a 3rd level feat slot and select it for the 6th level slot on gaining 6th level).

AW.
I think this is going to end up creating some loophole that someone is going to try to abuse and make me edit the rule, but if you end up with the same craft feat at the end of the leveling process, don't worry about it.
bitznarf

03-28-07, 08:18 PM		Section 5: AR/TU Issues
After a regional adventure, you can spend TUs to earn money with a Craft check, Profession check, Perform/Tumble check, or Sleight of Hand check. Can you spend 1 TU per catagory after the adventure, or only 1 total per adventure? (not including the extra TU you can spend with a high enough Perform check).
You can only pick one of the categories in which to spend 1 TU. In other words, you can only spend 1 TU, unless your check indicates that you can spend more. This will be clarified in the next LGCS.


There seems to be year 5, and maybe year 6 ARs that grant access to any limited spell/feat/PrC. My understanding is that those ARs need to be errata'd. Is that true?
Year 5 ARs will be gone within a week, so those aren't a concern. If you know of year 6 ARs that grant access to "Any Limited XXXX", please contact me offlist. These need to have errata, with the change to no Limited list.


Britt, some confusion over TU costs for meta-regional gaming.

Using my main PCs as an example, he lives in Veluna. Veluna is part of the VTF (Velverdyva-Tuflk-Fals) metaregion. Barring other TU discounts/favors/etc., if my PC plays in a:
... regional mod set in Veluna, he pays 1 TU
... VTF metaregional mod set in Veluna (or passes through Veluna), he pays 1 TU
... core mod set in Veluna, he pays 2 TU
... VTF metaregional mod set in any place other than Veluna (e.g., Verbobonc only), he pays 2 TU
... regional mod set in Verbobonc, he pays 2 TU


Is the above assessment correct?
This is all per round, so a two-round would be double.

Regionals of your home region cost 1 TU.
Metaregionals of (the metaregion that contains your region) cost 1 TU.
Regionals of any region other than your home region cost 2 TUs.
Metaregionals of any metaregion other than the one that contains your region cost 2 TUs.
Cores cost 2 TUs.


Regarding Red Hand of Doom:

Do you receive the XP for an encounter as soon as it is finished, or do you wait for the AR to receive it? This matters quite a bit for this module, as my 5th level wizard is now partway through the second AR, with only 600 or so XP needed for level 6. I haven't seen the AR's, but I think the APL is higher in part 2 than in part 1 - if it's APL 8, then I'm getting half XP/gold until I level. That's not a problem if I level 3 encounters in, but if I have to play all of part 2 at half-xp, it's a different story.
I haven't played, run, or read this adventure, but I have heard from DMs that the instructions say to award xp as you adventure, to make sure that PCs are appropriately leveled for later encounters. This should be covered in the mod instructions.


Another question about non-adventuring activity.

Do bonuses for lifestyle (rich/luxury upkeep) apply, based on the lifestyle one carried during the adventure?

Does it make a difference if one has rich/luxury upkeep "continuously" due to a meta-org or favor, etc.?
If it is continuous, it shouldn't matter when you apply it. When it isn't continuous, you apply it to the mod you are currently playing and paying the upkeep for.


When you use a Profession, Perform/Tumble, or Sleight of Hand after a regional mod, is there a specific place that you should note this on the AR?
Just be consistent so someone auditing you could tell what is going on.


I have a favour from a Year 5 Tusmit mod that gives me a free "last breath" should I ever die. Because this spell is now restricted, does that mean the favour is null and void? I have emailed the Tusmit Triad but have not received a response. I think I already know the answer, but I figured I should get something official...
From the Y! LG Discussion board:

"That would have been us (Tusmit), and since it is a Year 5 mod, it's not much of a spoiler to talk about it here.

The favor ("Beory's Blessing" from TUS5-02 Dancing Out with the Starlit Mage) did gave out Last Breath at the moment of the PC's death, whether he wanted it or not (note that the PC could still refuse to come back for the dead...)

When the spell got changed in Spell Compendium, the favor stayed the same, but was giving out Reincarnate instead of the Raise Dead-like effect described in Complete Divine, which might explain the recent sudden influx of Gnomish characters in Tusmit 8)

We're awaiting confirmation from our Circle rep, Tim Sech, but the position of the Tusmit Triad is that this favor is now void.

As soon as we get confirmation one way or another, we'll post a note on our Yahoo! website, at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/lg-tusmit/

Daniel Mayrand
Tusmit POC - poc@..."


This is a follow up to the Dispel Confusion re: dates for playtest/zero mods and the year roll over, but is unrelated to the year change.

Recognizing that judges may delay an AR for pragmatic reasons...

Joe prepares to play at a convention by playing in five zeros. Z1 is an older mod that is available for play, but he doesn't get an AR for pragmatic reasons. Z2 is a premiere, for which the AR isn't yet available. Z3 is an older mod, for which the the judge gives him the AR. Z4 is also a premiere, for which the AR isn't available. Z5 is an older mod, with no AR.

Which order does he put them in?
A) Z3 (at the table), Z1, Z2, Z3, Z5;
B) Z3 (at the table), Z2 (dated on date played), Z5 (as Z2), Z1, Z3;
C) Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4, Z5
D) Something else.

Does he have any flexibility on shuffling any of the ARs, or does he put them in strict order based upon the answer to the question above?

May he play a non-convention scenario in the midst of all this? What does he do with its AR?

Did I give you a headache? :D

David
Either:
1) Z1, Z3, Z5, Z2, Z4
or
2) Z3, Z1, Z5, Z2, Z4

The problem here is that you have some judges withholding ARs and some giving them. This should be consistent across all tables at the same convention, so it really shouldn't happen. You should put the adventures that are available first, followed by the ones that become available at the con. Within those classes, order by the date played.


If a character has been enslaved, do they pay upkeep for the TUs they were enslaved?
If a character has been enthralled, do they pay upkeep for the TUs they were enthralled?

Neither of these situations is addressed directly in the LGCS. As the rules are written, I believe the answer is yes.

Thanks for all your hard work.

Yvette
Those aren't standard penalties in LG, so you're going to have to ask the Triad for the region or, if it's a Core, I'll pass the question on to Creighton.


I have a question about level advancement timing. Last weekend I played an adventure that gave my character enough XP to make 6th level. Would it be legal for me to delay leveling him until after the new LGCS becomes legal? (Of course I'd have to wait to play him until then.)
You level as soon as you gain the XP. While you can wait as long as until the next game to make decisions, the level already happened, so you can't take advantage of new rules after that game.


My druid PC has access to an item (sickle) which specifically says on the AR that its enlarge person power can be used while wildshaped.

Does this override the generic "all items meld into the druid and become non-functional" part of the new wildshape rules?
Contact the issuing authority (Triad or Creighton) for clarification on the item.


Q: Can a Divine Caster use a holy symbol 1). painted on a shield; 2). embossed or part of a weapon (hilt, etc) as their "divine focus" for casting spells?
That's a core rules question that we can't answer, sorry. I would be inclined to rule no, since holy symbols cost money and are typically considered a separate item, with special items being available on ARs that count as weapons and holy symbols. That is just conjecture, though.


Even though some players still seem to be feigning ignorance of this, the consensus among most LG players and GMs is that you multiply the lifestyle cost by ALL (except specifically non-exempt) TUs spent on that AR. This, however, has generated some follow up questions:

If you have an AR favor or meta-org that gives you free upkeep, does that also include any TUs you spent in MIC (or other non-exempted TUs spent)? It doesn't seem like the "favor" would be good for an unlimited time, as MIC crafting could take up to 5 TUs (or more!). (Although the meta-org might allow for "free upkeep", as you're still in your "home".)

If it doesn't, can you change the "level" of lifestyle you've used? E.g. say a mod gives you "free luxury upkeep for the next 3 core mods", do you HAVE to pay for luxury upkeep for your MIC or can you drop back down to "standard"?
TUs spent during MIC or on other nonadventuring activities are not TUs spent during an adventure. A favor that gives you free upkeep for an adventure would not apply. Assume MIC happens at home, i.e. in your home region, for determining if other effects would grant free upkeep for those purposes.

As for changing upkeep, I'm not sure. I need to check on that.


What about Favors? "XXXX XXXXXXXXXXX uses his influence to grant you access (Frequency: Regional) to purchase one weapon or armor upgrade from the DMG of +1 to +3 equivalency (either enhancement bonus or special ability).

And if not that favor, what about one worded like this? "... they are willing to have one weapon, shield, or suit of armor upgraded for you as follows: you may have a +1 enhancement or special ability equivalent to +1 from the DMG added to the item. This favor is only for access and does not count for the purposes of crafting items, and you still need to pay for the upgrade as normal."

The first you gain access to 'buy' the upgrade, in the second it says they are willing to have it done to an item you choose...

To be honest, I had never even thought that a favor might NOT work, but the dispel confusion from yesterday made me question it...
Both are legal for adding to existing weapons. You are not paying an NPC to upgrade from one item to a found item, in this case. The explanation from the DC is for clarifying upgrading an item you have to an item you found. Access to enchantments are different and not nearly as restrictive.

Section 6: Meta-orgs and related
On metaorgs:

1) If I am a member of two metaorgs, and they each give circumstance bonuses to the same skill, do they stack? The rules on stacking simply say 'circumstance bonuses stack if from different sources.' Do we count the arcanists' guild and the church as different sources?

2) Let's say I'm at the 3rd rank of a metaorg. Rank 1 requires yearly 100gp/1TU, rank 2 requires yearly 200gp/2TU, rank 3 requires yearly 300gp/3TUs. Are my yearly gp/TU costs 300/3 or 600/6? (Do I pay the yearly requirements for all ranks up to the one I'm at?)

Yod: 1) For now, that will be up to your DM and based upon the MOs in question and why they give bonuses. If you get a bonus on Kn(nature) from one org because you live there all the time, and from another org because you have a book about exactly that, they should stack. I'll ask about clarifying it, though.

2) This really depends on the region and how they design their MOs. I know for BK and IUZ orgs, it would be 300/3 per year, not the sum of all of them.


On the subject of class skills for certain classes, is it possible for metaorgs to grant a benefit of making a cross-class skill a class skill? For instance, giving Profession (soldier) to fighters as a class skill.
Not with the current MO rules. I doubt if we'd ever allow something like that, as tinkering with class features is typically considered a no-no.


Some retraining / meta-org related questions:

1) If I am a member of a meta-org that required a prerequisite to get into (say a feat) and I loose it (through retraining, or perhaps death), am I still a member of the meta-org

2) If an AR gives access to a NONC feat, can I retrain it in to a level gained before the AR?

3) If a meta-org gives access to a NONC feat, and also requires a feat for access, can I re-train the access feat into the NONC feat?

4) Can I post answers to questions in this thread? :D
1) You would not be able to gain any benefits of the metaorg, as benefits are given with a price assumed, and prereqs are part of that price. Your Triad would have to determine if you were still a member for RP purposes or if you could get a special mission or something to remain a full member, such as with a race change reincarnate for a racial org.
2) Yes.
3) I believe so, but you would lose any benefits of the metaorg as soon as you did.
4) Oh, of course... / sarcasm

Section 7: Core Rules Issues

1. What sources of tricks are legal for animal companions in the Living Greyhawk campaign?

2. Can animals benefit from unslotted items or ioun stones?
1) I don't have my books in front of me, but I believe only the list in the PH is legal by default. Other tricks would require campaign documentation.
2) This would be up to your table judge, as long as the items fall into a category that might be allowable. Ioun stones would likely be allowed.
I believe that the answer to part 1 of this question has been changed. These sorts of things can be used so long as you bring the book to the table. Still looking for a link.


Okay, the Circle doesn't make rulings on general D&D rules questions. (should have read your answers to similar questions) That's important for us all to remember.

However, rules ambiguities (like the ones asked in this thread) do crop up, so a reliable 3rd-party resource for official answers is helpful. I know that the D&D FAQ (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a) is listed in the LGCS as an official answer source, but does the Circle sanction any others? Do any of the following count as official rulings for LGCS?
(LGCS clarifications/errata will still take precedence)

Rules of the Game Archive (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/rg)
Knowledge Base (http://wizards.custhelp.com/)
RPGA Customer Service (http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg/php/enduser/acct_login.php) (individual questions)
No, only the official sources in the LGCS are binding authorities. Other sources can be used by your GM for guidance at his discretion, but he is not bound by them.


Most of these are pretty dumb questions but I've heard differing answers to them so...

1) If I take the quicken spell feat can I apply it to different spells or do I have to choose one spell when I get the feat and that spell is the only one I can ever quicken?
2) I'm considering the extra turning/quicken spell/DMM feat tree. Should I expect this tree to be weakened when the new LGCS comes out?
3) Is the PHB2 a worthwhile investment considering the next LGCS?
4) The DMG has a cloak of resistance but not a vest of resistance. If I have access to a vest of resistance can I craft it with CWI?
5) If I have a cleric with 6 int does he get 0 skills per level?
1) You do not have to pick a spell.
2) I can't tell you that :)
3) Yes.
4) Yes.
5) Always a minimum of 1 skill point per level.


Do Humans only receive Common as their default language, or do they gain a single Regional or Ethnic language appropriate to their background like Elves receive Elvish and Dwarves receive Dwarven?

I know it isn't in the PHB languages Entry because Core doesn't have human sub-races and dialects, but Living Greyhawk does. If you start a Suel or Flan character, do you basically have to spend skill points to have them be able to speak and read the tongue of their birth unlike members of every other race?

I guess it isn't like Humans are hard-up for Skill Points or anything, but I figured I'd see if I was overlooking anything.
You have to buy the languages. Most human cultures speak primarily Common. Only a few localized groups speak their ethnic language as a primary language.
in this regardone of my players has built a rhenee PC does she pick up Rhopan as a bonus language ? or does she still need AR access to speak the language even though she is rhenee ?
She has to spend skill points on it, but she has that option, as non-Rhennee do not.


If a character loses access to a prerequisite of a PrC, what happens? Example: Tilla the Foolhardy qualifies for Nightsong Enforcer with a Ring of Evasion. She takes 5 levels of it. She then loses the ring.

Do we use the rules in Complete Arcane/Warrior or does something else happen?
Core rules issue. If you have to make a ruling, the CA/CW rules are the only ones that provide any guidance, AFAIK.


A followup question to this, when we are dealing with things that will have things that continue beyond the table we are at, whom do we ask?
Rulings on ambiguous situations are up to the judge for the table at which you are currently playing.


I made a thread in the LG Characters section looking for advice on my Paladin 2/Sorcerer 4 with Practiced Spellcaster, and two people have pointed out that I don't have enough caster levels to take Craft Magic Arms and Armor at level 6 and that I need to change it immediately. Oops.

In order to verify that I even could make the change without retraining, I had to make sure they were correct and I started looking for the rule or ruling stating that Practiced Spellcaster could not help one qualify for feats. I can't find it. Nothing in the LGCS, nothing in the Dispel Confusion articles, nothing in the Complete Arcane feat description and nothing in the Main D&D FAQ. The only thing I found that's remotely close to it is the ruling at the very end of the D&D FAQ that makes a ruling on a term very close to the issue they're pointing at, 'spellcaster level X' but the same ruling makes a very clear distinction between that and 'caster level' in the Paladin example. The FAQ ruling as I read it makes no comment on what Practiced Spellcaster can or cannot help you with in terms of meeting PrC or feat requirements that require 'caster level', only requirements that require 'spellcaster level X'.

I've made mistakes in character builds before, and right now I just want to get this one fixed if it needs to be fixed, but I can't back it off without some justification that is more campaign binding than a pair of people on the internet that have told me I should replace it. I have a game tonight that I may be playing this character in, so I'm a bit of a time bind.

Did I make a mistake here Britt? What am I missing? Thanks in advance.
There is a discrepancy between the table text and the feat text. Typically, the feat text takes precedence over the table text, so it would seem the feats require a Caster Level X, not a Spellcasting Level X. Beyond that, I cannot comment. For now, it does not appear to be illegal, based on the language used in the PH and the FAQ. Personally, I would probably Retrain it at my next level to something else to avoid any disputes. If it does end up being proven to be illegal, you would receive a free Retrain of the feat.

MWaO sent me a reference from CAr that reiterates what the FAQ is saying in somewhat better language. Check CAr p72 for more details. There is still a discrepancy between the tables and the feat text, but the feat text usually trumps, and that says Caster Level, not Spellcasting Level.


I was looking at all the new stuff available again, and I noticed an oddity in the Scorpion-tail whip from Sandstorm. A small scorpion-tail whip does 1d33 nonlethal damage and a medium scorpion-tail whip does 1d43 nonlethal damage. Obviously, this is a typo, but I was unable to find any errata or anything. Are we going by what the table says? Where can I get a forty-three sided die? :P
1d3 and 1d4.


So based off of the FAQ ruling a Healer casting Lesser Vigor would cure 1+ Cha mod hp in the first round and then 1hp each additional round. Is that how I should interpret how the ability works with spells that heal over multiple rounds?
That's a core rules issue, but the FAQ entry seems like the right way to do it.


I've heard from some people that the Knowledge Local skills are considered class skills for all classes in Living Greyhawk, or at least that they can be treated as such. I couldn't find a reference to this in the LGCS however, and it doesn't match my understanding of the Core rules...

I just made a new level 1 Fighter and put 2 of his skill points towards Knowledge(Local) for his metaregion. Do I get one rank or two?
No, there is nothing that makes Kn(Local) a class skill for everyone. Follow the core rules on that. A fighter would get 1 rank for 2 skill points.


What is required to change your alignment if you are not a cleric/favored soul? For example, a Monk who wishes to become a Barbarian or vice versa.
There is no tracking system for that in LG.


Is casting a inflict spell or chennaling negative energy a evil act? I have had sum DM's say it is and other say it is not.
Yes, it is evil. It is up to the GM to determine whether it is significantly evil and whether to note it on your AR, but it is evil.
I believe this to be Britt making a statement about the core rules themselves, not making a LG ruling on what some consider a core rules issue.


What Masterwork tools can you buy from the PHB? Can you buy an item for each skill for a +2 bonus or only for certain skills?
GM Adjudication issue. The PH is open-ended, but GM common sense should apply.


can the spell "backbiter" be maximized? maximized says that the numerical effects of a spell are maximized, but you are using the damage roll of the target and not just maxing out the numerical rolls of your spell.
There are no variable numeric effects of backbiter, so maximizing it would do nothing. The damage roll is not an effect of the spell.


The Shadowcraft Mage PrC has a pre-req of the following: "Able to cast at least three illusion spells, including at least one shadow spell of 4th level or higher."

There have been numerous postings of people using the Heighten Spell metamagic feat on a <4th level shadow spell (2nd level Legion of Sentinels in particular) in order to meet this pre-req. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any official response, so I am asking for one now ;)

My question is: Is this a correct way to meet this kind of pre-req? Granted, there are several other PrCs with similarly worded pre-reqs, so I am hoping to get some sort of official ruling/clarification on what the "intent" was by WotC. Failing that, what is the Circle's ruling on this?
This is not an official WotC intent statement or a Circle ruling, but my inclination is that it does not count as a 4th level illusion spell. I believe this will end up being a core rules issue, but I will look into it.


In the PHB, feather fall is defined as a special type of free action, that can be cast outside of your turn. There is no errata for this.

In the Spell Compendium, feather fall is redefined as an immediate action. Immediate actions cannot be used while you are flat-footed.

Is feather fall an immediate action, or a special type of free action? And is it possible to cast if you are flat-footed?
Core rules issue.


Does Druid Shapeshift(PH2) count as Wildshape for prestige class requirements?
Core rules issue, but it has been passed up the chain to WotC.
bitznarf

03-28-07, 08:19 PM		I've searched the forums and faqs and other websites but have yet to find any thing that tells me whether a character can play bright sands while having the disfavor of Lady Karistyne. This was gained through the action of one character at the table and given to all characters at the table. Considering the year 6 mods are still playable and involve Bright Sands, does the player need to create another character to play the Bright Sands mods? Or, is there a way to regain her favor? Or, is there an appeal process I should direct the player to?
You can play with the disfavour.








Along the same line of thought, are the answers to LG and LGCS ambiguities given here in this forum considered official and binding?
Other than the post on UMD and crafting, all the answers in here are safe to use as official answers.








When a centaur increases in size, it gains access to large weapons and armor. If the centaur already owns a large weapon, does that large weapon increase in size to huge?
No. The increase in size is to avoid the problem of all the centaur's equipment becoming useless at 6th level. Having a size large weapon as size large is normal. Plus, you might not have ever had access to a size huge weapon, so having it resize might be giving you an item you never had access to buy.


Britt,
Thanks for the Insta-FAQ here.
I've got one about Barding.

If my Druid buys barding for his dire wolf companion, but then later drops the dire wolf and takes a dire bat companion... does the armor fit the new animal? Does the animal's shape matter? What if it was a dire wolf and a horse, for example.

What if it's magical armor? The DMG says that magic clothing resizes to fit the wearer (don't have the book with me, but it's in the Magic Items chapter), and strongly suggests that that should be the default setting of the rule. Would magicking up the barding help?

Thanks for the assistance,
--FF
While it stretches credibility, I believe as long as they are the same size, it should work. We do not track the type of animal you buy barding for, just the size and the fact that it is barding.

Also, in LG, magic items for the most part do not resize.


When are posts by a Circle member about campaign-wide issues on the WotC boards official, and therefore valid? (contextual reference LGCS 596. p 61)

Does this take a preamble, such as "this is an official ruling?"

Does this take a signature by the Circle member identifying himself as such?

Are the responses in this specific thread different than elsewhere?

David
The safe answer is they are only official when we say "this is official". That said, this thread is 99% official. I think there was one post I made early on that was not an actual ruling. If I say "I think", it's not official. Also, if I take out my signature, that is a pretty good indicator that it is unofficial. There will probably be times where we don't say "this is official", but you will be able to tell from context that it is.








According to the New Draft LGCS it says if you can't attack another player to do permanent or serious harm. I have run into a few situations that I would like clarification. These situations have come up during game play.

1. Can I glidderdust another party member and I don't mean by accident?

2. Can I sunder a players equipment? I don't like so and so so I sunder his equipment.

3.What about teleport object and send their equipment to the etheral plane? Had a guy teleport a haversack full of another players magic items to another plane so he could not turn in an artifact to a faction he didn't agree with. Basically losing the guys items and making the other 5 party members not complate the mission they wanted.

3. Can you steal from another player?

4. How about I just pane shift a player at the end of the mod so they have to waste TUs getting back?

I guess my point is I can find a 100 different ways to attack players and ruin their gamming experince without causing serious harm. Those situations have come up durning games I have played. By the rules the other player was withing his rights and got away with it.
These all fall under DM adjudication and I would either declare it an evil act and/or say they are doing serious harm to another character. Number one seems to be the only questionable issue and that would depend on what the likely results of the action are.








on the same note ..

The Deities document with regard to deity change states to "contact triad" ... in the case of Bright Sands characters does that mean the players triad ? Or is there a bright sands triad ?
Always contact the Triad of the real world area in which you live.


When familiarizing myself with the Dispel Confusion articles, is it safe to assume that only the dispel confusion articles posted after the current LGCS need to be reviewed and/or used?

In case my assumption is not correct: Isn't it possible that a prior answer on a Dispel Confusion article may be incorrect due to changes in rules or what have you?
Use all DC issues unless they are contradicted by the current LGCS. Some issues are clarifications that do not belong in the LGCS or were overlooked when creating the new LGCS. Most were included in some fashion, but there are some that still apply, like when you can scribe spells from an enemy spellbook.


I have access to the Ruathar prestige class (special requirement met) from a Core Adaptable source with no further notes.This prestige class involves the gift of a magic item from a limited list at first level. How should this gift be handled?
Note it on your MIL with 0 cost.







The Trickery Domain has Polymorph Any Object as its 8th level Domain spell - which is now closed. Is there an intended replacement?
See polymorph any object in the Closed spells list of the LGCS.


I have a PrC question reguarding Holy Scourge. In the flavor text for the class it indicates that the class has strong ties to Heironeous. As my Wizard recently had a "battlefield conversion" to Heironeous, I thought it would be great to start in this class next level. My question is, is there an official or unofficial organization within the ranks of Heironeous' followers for the Holy Scourge in LG, or are characters with this class considered to be the first of their kind? Thanks for all your hard work!
Usually assume in LG that when something has been added to the campaign, it has always existed. So retcon the idea of Holy Scourges into the game as always existing.








Does it require appearing in a DC, or do the following posts from Circle leave us in the LG specific scribing world of one day= one scroll = one spell?

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Living_Greyhawk/message/40894

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Living_Greyhawk/message/40890

(cites courtesy of Chesspiece)

David
If it's not in the LGCS, a DC, or here, it's probably not binding. We are trying to avoid scattered, spontaneous rulings like that now.


I may have missed it but I didn't see any reference to this thread in the LGCS.

Are answers in this thread binding?

My impression is that they aren't (but some will get added to future DCs and many are already in the rules). If this thread is binding, please could you edit your first post to say so explicitly and reference the LGCS page (or DC) that makes it so?

..probably better not to make people trawl through here looking for answers though. I can't see anyone ignoring an answer on here that they are aware of anyway. (if you hadn't included the "or here" I wouldn't have posted ;))
This thread isn't technically binding, but it is about as close as you'll get outside of the LGCS or DC. It has a status sort of in between binding and advisory. Most of the rulings here are clarifications of LG-specific rules, so it shouldn't matter. Anything that is an errata should be making it into DCs.








If a table of PCs forms an odd APL they get to choose between either APL up or down, do they still get this choice if playing down would boot someone from the table?
If you have a valid choice that lets everyone play, you must choose that over one that keeps someone from the table. If the choice makes some people not want to play, that is up to them. You can always choose to not play, but you can't choose to not let someone else play.


If adding a player would bring the APL down to a point where the highest level character would no longer be able to play at the table, are they obliged to accept the extra low-level character?
If you have a valid choice that lets everyone play, you must choose that over one that keeps someone from the table. If the choice makes some people not want to play, that is up to them. You can always choose to not play, but you can't choose to not let someone else play.


Dear Circle,
I have a cert that states i can choose any spell of 8th level sorc\wiz from any Core source. its 596 and a core. does this count as NONC for Spell Compendium is a core source right?
I'm swapping Create Magic Tattoo for Alter Self 2nds which i had going all day with Extend Rods Lsr

Also do i sell my Alter Self Scrolls for full price?

I am retiring in Hellspike Prison tonight so it doesn.t make a great deal of difference but would like to go out on a high!
Katrick
You need to contact Creighton for clarification on a Core adventure. If it means any NONC spell, then you can't use it until you get an errata for the favor. If it means any Core (Open) spell, that is legal as is.

I don't understand your statement about Alter Self and Create Magic Tattoo. Alter Self is not legal in LG anymore.

Sell Alter Self scrolls for what you paid for them: full value if purchased at full value, half value if crafted.


Question about cohorts. This may seem contrived but between the elite array change and some recent access I had, this might be something I'd like to do around level 14 with one of my characters so...

Can a "master" use his access to buy a "book of inherent attribute+1" and have the cohort read it and get the benefit of it?

asked differently

If a "master" had a favor that let him buy a 'book of inherent attribute+1' before he took leadership, does the blanket "cohorts get the master's access" rule allow the cohort to use the favor and get the book, instead of the master? (less likely given the limited cash cohorts have, but possible)

These are LG specific issues, so hopefully you can clarify this for me.
Cohorts share their master's item access, but not their favors. This can get a bit complicated, so here's some clarification. If the favor gives you a type of access to the item, such as Regional, Metaregional, Core, or Any, then you have access to the item. If the favor must be spent to gain access, then you don't really have access to the item. In the first case, the cohort has access since you have access. In the second case, the cohort does not have access since you don't have access.


Rulebooks, Rule sources, and Updated Rules

I've got something of a technical question about the rule set we work with in LG. It is my understanding that we use the Core rules books, the FAQ, Errata documents and the LGCS. Any other rules options require campaign documentation to use.

In the LGCS in Chapter 4 there is a section on Reprinted Rules Options. My understanding is that this applies to rules options (feats, spells, classes and the like) rather then rules themselves. What I am getting at are how do things like swift actions, weapon-like spells and the like fit into the whole picture. On the one hand, these are not from any binding campaign source. On the other, some of these changes could be considered changes to the core rules, ex. casting a quickened spell is a swift action. How does this all play out with regards to what rule books need to be at the table, what rules does the DM have to use, etc.? What rules does the DM have the option of using?

Some options that I see that sorta, kinda, almost make a bit of sense.

1) As stated in a previous ruling (that I don't recall the location of) a DM *may* use these alternate rules, alternate uses of rules mechanics. This would apply to things like alternate uses of skills.

2) Changes to core rules *should* be used, but don't have to be. If the case was otherwise, wouldn't a DM be required to have more at the table then just the core rules books? If a player has a swift action spell, they would be required to have the book that describes swift actions, and swift actions would then be used at that table.
This seems entirely too weird and clunky for this to be the way things are supposed to work, but I cannot see an alternative.

3) New rules additions. These, I have no real idea how they should work. We already know that some new rules are not being used at the moment, like skill tricks. How does this apply to other sources of new rules, such as the much debated 'losing a prerequisite to a PrC'. Is there a document or ruling somewhere that outlines which ones are used, and which aren't?
The easiest answer I can give you is to not try to clump all new rules into one category and then ask for a rule to cover them all. Some of them are going to be mandatory, like swift and immediate actions, while others are going to be optional, like luck feats. I can't give you a blanket statement that covers every new rule that comes out.


Is there a good guideline to follow? Ie. how do we know if something is mandatory?
Ask me which rules you want to know about and I'll tell you if it is mandatory or optional.








Britt, could you clarify one of the LGCS reincarnate rules? The LGCS says, "No modifiers to the roll or rerolls are allowed." I can't recall at the moment how the rule was worded in the last LGCS, but this phrasing seems to allow two possible interpretations: "No modifiers to the roll are allowed, and no modifiers to any rerolls are allowed", OR "No modifiers to the roll are allowed, and no rerolls are allowed"Yes, I realize that's a fine hair to split, but the first allows for a reroll; the second does not...
Valid question. The second option is the intent. No rerolls and no modifiers to rolls.


This seems rather straightforward, but I want to verify.

The new Living Greyhawk card, Feat of Strength (set 1, Card 3 of 5).

Can this card be played to affect the DC of a Shield Slam? On a charge or an attack that uses a full round action, a Shield Slam causes a critable creature to be dazed unless the target succeeds at a Fort save DC = 10+half char. level+Str modifier.

It is a Strength-based check, however it is not a Strength check nor a Strength-based skill check.
Only STR checks and STR-based skill checks. Other STR-based checks do not benefit.


Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I've looked for the answer to this and haven't found it:

The new LGCS states that "If you are more than three levels higher than the APL at which the adventure is being played, you cannot participate."

Locally people seem to be interpreting this as "If you are more than three levels from the APL at which the adventure is being played, you cannot participate."

This mostly comes up at conventions where someone may be forced to "play up" in order to have the table make.

Is their interpretation correct, even though the LGCS says otherwise?
The limit only applies to playing down, not playing up.


Can a character that has a class ability like special mount (paladin) or celestial companion (healer), and then the characters combines it with the Leadership feat to get a chohort mount (DMG p. 200), bring the cohort mount along as they normally would? Or does such a character with such a mount have to abide by cohort table restrictions?
I'm not positive here, but I think you would be able to bring along your normal, unmodified, non-cohort, version of the mount. You would definitely not be able to bring your cohort-version of the mount. You would also, I believe, need access to use the rule for combining special mounts and cohorts, as I think that is an optional rule in the DMG.


RHOD
*****

Normally in LG you can GM a mod for other players as soon as you have played the mod and recieved the AR yourself.

RHOD however is 5 parts with separate AR's and the equivalent of Bboilerplate text implies that you should play all 5 parts before reading the material.

Would GMing earlier games of RHOD prevent you from completing the series as a player ?
Yes.


I'm just finishing up the first part of Red Hand of Doom, and it's the first time I've played an adaptable mod. Can I do magic item crafting during each AR? Can I learn spells as if each part is an "adventure"?
The rules for RHoD, included with the adaptation, give the rules for this.


Will the Circle be considering the addition of Regional Feats for Snow Elves?
We haven't discussed it, but are aware of the request.


A follow-up to this - while the ranks during retraining are capped at 3+old level, can I then add one more skill point during step 6 of the Level Advancement to get me up to a total of 3+new level.
This is a later step in the advancement process and the Retraining limitations do not apply at this point. So yes, you could Retrain to 3+old level, then add one of your new skill points (or 2 for a cross-class) to get to 3+new level.



..
bitznarf

04-26-07, 03:46 PM		Reserved, I think I'll need it eventually