Thanks to the maintainers of the other FAQs, and to all the people who discussed the Q&As on the Tome and Blood board from which this FAQ was drawn. Thanks also for all of those who offer advice and suggestions along the way. Special Thanks to chonjurer for providing the FAQ LINKS
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FAQ
Q. What is the purpose of this FAQ?
A. To answer questions pertaining to Tome and Blood, the Sorcerer/Wizard supplement for Dungeons & Dragons. I will only answer questions about Tome and Blood here, not general sorcerer or wizard questions, such as How many spells can a wizard cast in a single round?. But I will provide links to the proper FAQs on these boards where those questions are answered
Q. Are there FAQs more appropriate to my other questions?
A. Here is a complete list of D&D board FAQs FAQ LINKS
Q. How do I submit new Q&A or corrections to this FAQ?
A. You can post them to this thread. I will incorporate them in the first post (this one) once in a while, assuming the Q/As are postable. Look at the Revision Date at the top to see when this FAQ was last updated.
Tome and Blood FAQ contents:
This FAQ is set up just like the Tome and Blood supplement in terms of chapters, it uses the same chapter headings as Tome and Blood, to find your question and answer simply look under the chapter that it is most likely to be found in.
Chapter One: Arcane Lore
Q. Do my sorcerer levels stack with my wizard levels when determining how powerful my familiar is?
A. Yes, Sorcerer and wizard levels stack for this purpose, but prestige class levels do not.
Q. Does having a familiar really grant me improved evasion?
A. No, that is a misprint on page 13 of Tome and Blood, the rules in the Players Handbook (page 51) still apply
Chapter Two: Feats
.3.5 Note... The widen spell feat doubles the size of the area of effect rather then increasing them by one half, Augment Summoning has changed considerably, as shown below, and Eschew Materials has been moved from a metamagic feat to a general feat, meaning sorcerers can use it with out increasing casting time.
Q. Can a spell be twinned more then once?
A. Yes, you would get three spells, all aimed at the same target, each additional twinning would get you a single spell. .3.5 edit... you can no longer apply the same metamagic feat to a spell more then once.
Q. Does a target of a twinned spell with Spell resistance get the caster level check once or twice?
A. Twice, it is two spells affecting him.
Q. Does the Arcane Preparation feat let a Sorcerer prepare as many spells beforehand as they want, or only one?
A. You can prepare multiple spells. The text states (Tome and Blood, page 38): Each day, you are able to prepare one or more spells as a wizard does.
Q. Under the spell specialization feat it says that ray and energy missile spells get a +2 damage modifier. In the case of multiple energy missile spells such as lesser fire orb is this modifier treated as +2 damage per missile?
A. No, the damage modifier applies to the first missile in the volley attack you make, not to each one.
Q. If I sneak attack with a ray meta-magic'ed with the Split Ray feat, can I apply Sneak Attack damage to both rays.
A. No, (see also the answer to the first question under the Spells section).
Q. When taking energy substitution If, say, i pick earth, what kind of damage is that. My "earth" ball blugeoning damage or something?
A. You cannot choose Earth for this feat for one reason, Earth is not an energy type, and the feat deals with energy types. In 3e the 5 types of energy are Fire, Cold, Acid, Electricity, and Sonic. The feat even specifies these 5 types in its description. Tome and Blood Links the energy types to the elements thusly: Air(Electricity), Earth (Acid), Fire (Fire), and Water (Cold)
Q. Can I choose Augment Summoning as my wizards 5th level bonus feat?
A. No, Augment Summoning is a general feat like Spell Focus. The bonus feat heading in the Wizard class description specifically states that the bonus feat must be a meta-magic feat, an item creation feat or Spell Mastery.
.3.5 Note... Augment summoning 3.5:
AUGMENT SUMMONING [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Spell Focus (conjuration).
Benefit: Each creature you conjure with any summon spell gains a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution for the duration of the spell that summoned it.
Q. Can disintegrate be chained, it's range is ranged touch this is further as normal touch, if so do you have to roll for each arc if it hit's?
A. yes, rays and other effect spells that are always aimed at a single target (Such as Melf’s Acid Arrow) can be chained as long as the range is greater then touch. In the case of a spell that requires a ranged attack, you only have to succeed at the initial attack roll, if that attack roll hits then all of the arcs hit also. If it misses then the spell doesn’t arc. (Note: that I do not personally agree with this interpretation of the feat, nor do several game designers I have talked with about it, but it is what Wizards Customer Service says about it.)
Chapter Three: Prestige Classes
.3.5 Note... updated versions Arcane Trickster and Dragon Disciple PrCs appears in the 3.5 DMG, updated versions of the Bladesinger and Spell Sword PrCs appear in the Complete Warrior
Q. When my 9th level wizard raises a level and I make him a wizard 9, Alienist 1 does he get the two free spells in his spell book that he normally would?
A. Yes, when a wizard raises a level in a +1 existing class prestige class he adds two spells to his spell book like normal. However, he would not get any bonus feats that a wizard might be entitled to at that level, also only his wizard level would count as regards to any familiar.
Q. On these boards I've seen it mentioned that you can't become Arcane Trickster being a Wizard 5/Rogue 3 - why is that? The AT only requires a Sneak Attack of +2d6.
A. The Arcane Trickster requires 7 ranks of Decipher Script - which is an exclusive skill for Rogues & Bards, and certain Prestige Classes. To meet the requirements you need at least 4 levels in a class that gives access to Decipher Script. .3.5 edit... there are no exclusive skills anymore
Q. Can an Arcane Trickster use masterwork thieves tools to get a bonus with his ranged legerdemain?
A. No, ranged legerdemain doesn’t require the use of thieves tools.
Q. How does an arcane trickster’s sneak attack damage work? The text and the accompanying table seem to be at odds.
A. The text is correct and the table is in error, it should read:
2nd: Sneak attack +1d6
4th: Sneak attack +2d6
6th: Sneak attack +3d6
8th: Sneak attack +4d6
10th: Sneak attack +5d6
Q. The Bladesinger… what gives?
A. The errata for the Bladesinger prestige class can be found in the Tome and Blood web enhancement, downloadable at the D&D site of WotC, and it has been reprinted (with slight modifications) in Races of Faerun 3.5 edit... 3.5 a further modified version of the Bladesinger appears in the Complete Warrior.
Q. When my Elemental Savant hits tenth level in that prestige class and becomes an elemental creature will she still be able to survive on the material plane?
A. There is nothing in the book to indicate that she would not be able to survive.
Q. I wanted to play a wizard and take the Elemental Savant prestige class, but one of the requirements are that you have access to a domain (air, earth, fire or frost). Does that mean I have to take a level as a cleric? Or does a wizard get access to domains?
A. The requirements for Elemental Savant are either the ability to cast at least 3 spells with appropriate energy discriptor and at least 1 summon spell (one of which must be 3rd level or higher) or be able to cast at least 1 spell of 3rd level or higher and have access to an elemental domain. Arcane casters such as wizards can satisfy the first requirement and thus do not need to worry about the 2nd one.
Q. I would like my sorcerer to become a Mage of the Arcane Order, but I am having a problem with the requirement of being able to prepare and cast arcane spells of 2nd level or higher, Would the feat Arcane Preparation let me fulfill that requirement?
A. Yes, it would.
Chapter Four: Tools of the Trade
Q. Do Metamagic Rods work for sorcerers?
A. A sorcerer can use a Metamagic Rod to cast a spell with out increasing its level, however they still must use a full round action to do so, just like if they were using the feat. This makes Rods of Quickening useless to spontaneous casters.
Q. Can you use a rod of empowerment 3 times on the same spell?
A. No, a metamagic rod lets you cast up to 3 spells per day with the metamagic feat applied, it doesn’t indicate any place that you can use it more then once per spell.
Q. On page 76 it says that the school staffs are particularly useful to casters with the Spell Focus feat, does that mean that when I use a wand or staff with a school I have Spell Focus on that the save DC is increased by 2?
A. No, the save DC’s of a wand or staff are set when the item is made. .3.5 edit... Staves have changed the way they work in 3.5, the caster level and save DC's are now based upon your own, or the minimum from the staff, which ever is higher.
Chapter Five: Spells
Q. If I sneak attack with a lesser fire orb or fire orb spell do I get to apply sneak attack damage to every orb in the volley?
A. No, the sneak attack damage applies only to the first orb in the volley, just like when you throw multiple shuriken as part of a single attack action. (The same applies to all of the orb and lesser orb spells).
Q. What happens when I sneak attack with a spell that allows a save for partial damage such as sonic orb (in this case fortitude half)?
A. If the first orb hits add the sneak attack damage to the orb damage, then roll the save, halve the results if the save is successful.
Q. Suppose a level 15 mage casts an Acid Orb, and standing before him are 15 lvl 3 chumps. If he divides his 15d6 orb into fifteen 1d6 orbs, launches one orb at each chump, and hits and deals damage with all of them. Do all of the orbs carry with them the secondary effect (of nausea, in this case)?
A. yes, each person hit by an orb would have to save vs. the secondary effect.
Q. Suppose the same mage later comes across a level 15 enemy. He casts Acid Orb. If he divides them into fifteen 1d6 orbs, launches them all at the level 15 enemy, and hits with all of them, will the level 15 enemy have to save for each orb to avoid the secondary effects?
A. Yes the target would have to make a separate save vs. the secondary effects of each orb that hit, but note that the effects would overlap and not stack (for instance in the example above the person would still only be nauseated for 1 round no matter how many of the saves he failed.)
Q.If a sorc knew fire orb and had energy substitution acid, would an acid substituded fire orb give nausea as acid orb would, or would it still hold the daze property of fire orb?
A.Energy Substitution affects only the elemental type of the damage dealt by the spell. All other qualities of the spell remain the same. Thus, an acid substituted Fire Orb would deal acid damage but still daze the subject.
Q. What is up with The polymorph other spell found in Tome and Blood
A. It's the most recent and therefore most official errata for the spell. However it is still not perfect and the Players Handbook Errata has not yet incorporated it. .3.5 edit... 3.5 has its own versions of Polymorph other and polymorph self called Baneful Polymorph and polymorph, these should be used in place of the T&B versions.
if a PC in my campaign took the PrC I would make him supply all the components/foci needed for the spell he wishes to cast to prevent abuse (such as free casting of wish or limited wish with-out paying XP cost, or free use of spells with incredibly expensive material components such as stoneskin/force cage, or simple bizzare circumstances such as Trap the Soul with no gem present...)
Would the feat Arcane Preparation let me fullfill that requirement ?
yes it would.
Sorcerers don't usually prepare spells, so, do I have to "prepare" an empty slot to use it with the spellpool, or I can just use one of my normal slots ?
I am pretty sure that it would just use one of your normal slots.
I don't think a sorcerer could get the bonus spell in this case, since it makes specific mention to a spellbook (note: my sorcerer does have a spellbook, too bad for any caster that tries to read it, since it's just an elaborate forgery)
No, a sorcerer doesn't gain the bonus spells (either for as a Mage of the Arcane Order, or as a Guildmage of waterdeep).
note that the spell pool feature sort of makes up for not getting the bonus spells as it is generaly much, much more helpful to sorcerers with thier limited spell selection, then it is for wizards who can have as many spells as they want in thioer spellbook anyway.
On the other hand, I really cannot find a use for Cooperative spells, first of all you need some other caster to use it effectively, might come handy when you're at your Order HQ, but when you're adventuring ?
I agree that it is more of a feat for NPC organizations then for adventuring parties.
Is it just a matter of common sense or is there some indication in particular to look for(ranged touch attack for example )?
Melf's acid arrow is an example of an energy missile, in general they require a ranged touch attack to hit and do some form of energy damage when they do, the various orb and lesser orb spells from tome and blood would also be "energy missiles"
When my spellsword reach level 10 and can use Channel Spell III, it says that he can use three level 1 spells (or level 0) spells instead of a level 3. But it also states that I can use this ability only once a day. Do I get to channel three spells with one attack or does this spell substitution nullify the once a day business?
I would say that if you choose to use the multiple lower level spells, that it would make the ability avialable several times per day. At least that is how I would handle it as DM in my campaign. I agree it is not too clearly written.
Also does the spell discharge with that one attack or can it continue for several attacks (I am asking about the chill touch spell)?
The spell is discharged when used, so it would only take effect once.
What did you put in that guy's email about the shocking grasp spell question?
I no longer have my corospondence with him, but IIRC I told him that I could see the validity of aurguments for both granting the +3 bonus and for not granting the +3 bonus, and that personaly IMC I would not grant the +3 bonus because the spell swordmust already be attacking with the weapon when the spell is channeled.
Thank you for the assistance.
don't know if I helped all that much, but glad for any service I might have provided.
It is nice to see some gamers haven't abandoned the old stuff with the coming of the 3.5 changes.
actually I play 3.5, however I find the vast majority of stuff in T&B is still as valid in 3.5 as it was in 3.0
It is nice to see some gamers haven't abandoned the old stuff with the coming of the 3.5 changes.
If this is the case, who decides which target takes sneak attack damage?
An example is with the spell shocking grasp, if this spell is channelled do I get the +3 attack bonus if the target is wearing metal armor although I'm casting through my sword. And the spell chill touch says that I can use it to strike a number of times = to 1 per caster level, does that apply to the channel spell ability and my sword remains charged with the spell until I have made all the attacks with the sword?
Please answer me as soon as you can beacuse I'm playing one and don't want to cheat to the Masta...
Thx blood...
I play a sorcerer and would like to join it.
The only obstcle i see, as far as the rules are concerned, would be the ability to PREPARE and cast 2nd level spells.
Would the feat Arcane Preparation let me fullfill that requirement ?
Another question is of course about the spellpool:
Sorcerers don't usually prepare spells, so, do I have to "prepare" an empty slot to use it with the spellpool, or I can just use one of my normal slots ?
And finally there is the problem of the New spell ability.
I don't think a sorcerer could get the bonus spell in this case, since it makes specific mention to a spellbook (note: my sorcerer does have a spellbook, too bad for any caster that tries to read it, since it's just an elaborate forgery)
However, there are other similar orders, such as the Guild Wizards of Waterdeep, that gain bonus spells each level, would a sorcerer get them in those cases ?
thanks
As for the waderdeep mages, seeing a sorcerer with something like 30 extra spells was a scary thing.
"note that the spell pool feature sort of makes up for not getting the bonus spells as it is generaly much, much more helpful to sorcerers with thier limited spell selection, then it is for wizards who can have as many spells as they want in thioer spellbook anyway."
That's exactly why I selected the arcane order, even if Arcane Preparation is most of the time a completely wasted feat especially at low level.
On the other hand, I really cannot find a use for Cooperative spells, first of all you need some other caster to use it effectively, might come handy when you're at your Order HQ, but when you're adventuring ?
And besides, the typical group could maybe have a couple of casters with that Feat at most, why waste 2 spells for a +2/+1 bonus when you can each cast the spell once and hope for much better chances of success ?
Can it be used for the purpose of creating magical items ? Setting a higher DC and caster level for the item's powers ?
I may have to look for the Outer Plane forum for this, but while I'm at it, and I mentioned magica items....
If you're on a plane where a spell is somehow enhanced for free, and you cast it for the purpose of creating a magical item, does the item get the benfit of the enhanced spell ?
Anyway, I'm off to create my new sorcerer/mago of the arcane order, let's get a nice spellbook, ouch 15 gold, and 3 lbs
