Ask the DM [Kennon] a Question!

[The_Universe]

Got an idea, and you want to know how I think it would work in the game? Got a sticky rules question and want to know how it would play out in Kingdom of Ashes?

This is the place for them!

Want to know if you could use a spell to do something different than its description? Want to see if your new prestige class will be useable in the game?

This is where you can find out!

I realized that we didn't really have a thread like this, so feel free to post any rules questions you might have here!

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Who can use a staff?

[The_Universe]

Originally Posted by SRD

Activation: Staffs use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a staff is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a staff.) To activate a staff, a character must hold it forth in at least one hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures).

So, what is, exactly, the spell trigger activation method?

Originally Posted by SRD

Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

So, based on my reading, in order to use a staff, the spell in question must appear somewhere on your class's list, even if you cannot currently cast it. But what of rogues (or bards?) who may not have the spells in question on their spell lists at all?

Originally Posted by SRD

USE MAGIC DEVICE...

...Use a Wand: Normally, to use a wand, you must have the wand’s spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill allows you to use a wand as if you had a particular spell on your class spell list. This use of the skill also applies to other spell trigger magic items, such as staffs.

So, in the end, staves can be used by anyone with either 1) A high enough Use Magic Device to activate the spell, as if it were a wand, or 2) someone who has the spells in question on their lists.

They are no more or less useable than scrolls or wands.

Does that help?

[Laurel]

Just remember you did say for us to ask

Can one take a plain shirt and make it magical like armor? If your answer was not an immediate and unshakable no then read on.....

To show the flexibility, manuverability and yet the fragility of even magic cloth there would be no dex penalty, no armor check penalty, no chance of spell failure, but also only a +1 bonus to AC max. As with armor the total effective bonus can not be higher then +10.

The shirt must still be of the finest weave and thread to withstand the magic and the beating it will get. The shirt costs at minimum 50 gp, but depending on teh crafters in the area this price may increase.

Special: An armored shirt is worn in the armor slot and shirt slot (taking up both slots and cutting off the use of a robe, vest or vestment as well). An armored shirt could not be worn under a mail shirt nor full plate for two examples. It also can not be worn with another shirt, even a plain one.

For instance: Take a plain blue shirt and add acid resistance. The shirt turns to an ashen gray, adds a 1 to AC (since first bonus), and lets the shirt absorbs the first 10 points of acid damage. (I just used the first armor bonus from the list)

Cost for this example: shirt 50 gp + 18,000 gp for acid resistance + the initial +1 bonus at 1,000gp= 19,000gp +shirt

Adding a bonus to a shirt cost the same as if adding them to armor. Once a shirt has been given a bonus from the armor list it can only be given a bonus from the armor special qualities list. by the same token a shirt already imbued with anything else not on that list can not then add something from the list.

--Let me know what you think DM? crazy? Too restrictive? too lax? just too many issues to start?--

[The_Universe]

That's a very interesting question. Let me think about it.

[The_Universe]

Originally Posted by Laurel

Can one take a plain shirt and make it magical like armor? If your answer was not an immediate and unshakable no then read on.....

Here's my official ruling:

Originally Posted by The_Universe

Normal clothing may be enchanted, just like other types of armor by spellcasters who possess the Craft Magical Arms and Armor Feat. For the purposes of enchanting, a set of clothing is considered to have an armor bonus of +0, an armor check penalty of -0, and a spell failure chance of 0%. Clothing is not considered armor (unless enchanted) for the purposes of Monk abilities.

Clothing enchanted as armor occupies both the vest/vestment/shirt slot on the torso, and the robe/suit of armor slot on the body.

Just as with normal armor, a set of clothing must be masterwork if it is to be enchanted. Therefore, any clothing to be enchanted as armor must be of the highest quality, adding an additional 150 GP to the base cost of the item. The normal limits of magical enhancement apply to clothing - a set of "cloth armor" may still only have a total of +10 in enhancements. Further, just as with normal armor, of that +10, a maximum bonus of +5 may be added to its Armor Class.

Multiple items enchanted as armor do not stack for the purposes of determining armor class. Therefore, a shirt and pants may not both be enhanced for +5 to AC, for a total modifier of +10. The magical enhancement is considered an armor bonus, and multiple armor bonuses do not stack.

Any questions?

[Laurel]

Originally Posted by The_Universe

Here's my official ruling:

Looks fine to me -Thanks!

Any questions?

Just one that is I think just me being brain dead-
In the first paragraph it states that clothes have a +0 AC, yet further down it says it can have up to a +5 AC bonus. So this means it starts off as a +0 (since cloth has no AC bonus) and someone has to pay for each increase to AC right? So you could have a shirt that is +5 to AC max? Or am I getting this wrong?

[The_Universe]

Originally Posted by Laurel

Just one that is I think just me being brain dead-
In the first paragraph it states that clothes have a +0 AC, yet further down it says it can have up to a +5 AC bonus. So this means it starts off as a +0 (since cloth has no AC bonus) and someone has to pay for each increase to AC right? So you could have a shirt that is +5 to AC max? Or am I getting this wrong?

A set of clothing starts out with a +0 armor bonus. With normal magical armor enhancements, it can become up to +5. Since it starts out at +0, every armor bonus must be applied as magic - clothing doesn't have any natural armor benefit.

Does that make sense?

As an example:

A shirt with a +2 armor bonus would have a market price of 4150 GP, plus the base cost of the clothing.

[Laurel]

Originally Posted by The_Universe

A set of clothing starts out with a +0 armor bonus. With normal magical armor enhancements, it can become up to +5. Since it starts out at +0, every armor bonus must be applied as magic - clothing doesn't have any natural armor benefit.

Does that make sense?

As an example:

A shirt with a +2 armor bonus would have a market price of 4150 GP, plus the base cost of the clothing.

Thant's what I thought, but wanted to double check Thanks!

[The_Universe]

Cool beans.

[Laurel]

So since I may be burdening the group with travelling with another medium life form (my eagle) I was looking at the boots of teleport (more curiosity then anything else at this point).... but then I had a question and thought of this thread

Originally Posted by SRD

Boots of Teleportation: Any character wearing this footwear may teleport three times per day, exactly as if he had cast the spell of the same name.

The spell distance and extra people taken are based on caster level.
The spell itself is a sor/wiz/trav 5.
So the question is: Is caster level for items such as this based on any caster level or only the caster level as a sor/wiz/trav as the spell states? Or is it based on the maker of the boots caster level? Some other interprtation?

I think this has been answered to the people wearing them currently since we've used them so much.... but I don't remember this being asked or answered

[The_Universe]

The way we've been running them is as follows:

If your level is higher than the minimum caster level required to cast teleport, you use it instead.

So, since you are level 17, you'd use them with a caster level of 17. If you had them at level 9, you'd use a caster level (I belive) of 9. If you had gotten them at level 7, you'd still use caster level 9 (which I think is the lowest level you can cast teleport).

[Laurel]

Originally Posted by The_Universe

The way we've been running them is as follows:

If your level is higher than the minimum caster level required to cast teleport, you use it instead.

So, since you are level 17, you'd use them with a caster level of 17. If you had them at level 9, you'd use a caster level (I belive) of 9. If you had gotten them at level 7, you'd still use caster level 9 (which I think is the lowest level you can cast teleport).

So the equivalent caster level goes up as the owner gains levels as well? When we gain a level Justice's and Xath's caster level for the boots will be equal to 18?
So at current level of 17/3, they can each take up to 5.6 (round to 6?) med sized creatures?

And this goes for those magic things that are worded such? (I don't have a specific, but I know there are others)

[The_Universe]

I'll rule individually for other similarly worded items. I don't even know if we're doing the boots right - but this is how we've been doing it, and I don't see much reason to change it now.

You always round down with fractions in D&D - so they can only take 5, not 6. Next level, they can take 6.

[Azure@mac.com]

Does enervation (the spell) result in the loss of hit dice the way level drain (the supernatural ability) does. In other words, does a vampire drain levels the same way a enervating wizard does, or is there some sort of exception for the enervation spell. The only reason I ask is because the spell description doesn't metion the loss of hit dice, while the monster manual description of level drain does.

Thanks!

[The_Universe]

Originally Posted by Azure@mac.com

Does enervation (the spell) result in the loss of hit dice the way level drain (the supernatural ability) does. In other words, does a vampire drain levels the same way a enervating wizard does, or is there some sort of exception for the enervation spell. The only reason I ask is because the spell description doesn't metion the loss of hit dice, while the monster manual description of level drain does.

Thanks!

...this one came out of nowhere...

Enervation bestows negative levels on a target, which is not precisely the same as a vampire's level drain. As the spell description suggests (p226 in the Player's handbook), the 1d4 negative levels the target suffers if you hit with your ranged touch attack gives the target a cumulative -1 to attack roles, saving throws, skill checks, ability checks, and effective level. The description goes on to clarify that the penality to effective level only effects the power, duration, DC, and other details of spells and special abilities. Definitely no mention of hit die or hit points. Additionally, your target, if a spellcaster, loses one spell or spell slot from his or her highest available level. Still no mention of hit points.

While the description does note that if a target has as many negative levels as it has hit die, it dies, this does not necessarily imply the loss of hit die up to that point. This works much like subdual damage, which is not subtracted from your hit point total, but rather compared to it.

Lastly, the spell specifically notes that these negative levels cannot result in permanent level drain, because they do not last long enough.

So, to make a long story short, your targets hit die and hit points are unaffected by this spell. The effect, such as it is, completely bypasses those factors, though it may still kill.