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They're not prepared, they're anticipating; they're aware. That doesn't mean they get to act first or react preemptively, in the game or in RL. The game mechanic simulates a special advantage to acting before any of your opponents, an advantage you lose once everyone is acting. Ever play the...

I stand corrected. See p. 306 of MM for an explicit statement to this effect in the description of the animal type. --Axe

The question of feats is addressed on page 36 of the PHB: The same section of the PHB explicitly references advancing BAB and saves on the basis of increased HD, and, although it does not explicitly mention ability score increases, it otherwise implies that increasing an animal companion's HD...

I would have no problem with that. The caster still has to waste a round casting something that will interact with an image. Think of it as the combat effect of telemarketing. ;) Here's another thought: If you try to cast a healing spell on a mirror imaged ally, do you risk hitting an image...

I have a halfling druid, who gets an effective +3 (+2 Dex, +1 size, +1 thrown) to throwing Produce Flame, a ranged touch attack. It works pretty well. He can also ride his dog animal companion if needed, to negate the speed penalty. And, of course, he gets wildshape at 5th level, which opens up...

Of course, it's a 20 Str check and a 25 Escape Artist check. At low levels, those are difficult. The point about larger creatures generally being stronger is an important one, and such creatures generally have more HD and therefore higher saves. A room full of Medium humanoids will be stuck...

Thanks! I see my error in incorrectly designating the cover bonus to AC as a penalty to attack, which does make it clear that the two are different. But, just out of curiosity, is it otherwise only a semantic difference between calling something a penalty to attack rather than a bonus to AC? I...

Just a quick clarification needed: Making a ranged attack against an opponent engaged in melee incurs a -4 penalty to attack, which of course can be avoided with the Precise Shot feat. Another creature providing "soft" cover also incurs a -4 penalty for a ranged attack against the covered...

I think one important reason that these requirements exist is to emphasize that magic items are unusual, special creations that shouldn't be easier to make than a chocolate cake. I know of a number of gamers who don't take item creation feats, not because of downtime issues, but because magic...

Which is why some systems (e.g., Grim 'n' Gritty) that treat armor as damage reduction (rather than AC) use Dex for all attacks and Str just for melee damage. It does seem to diminish the value of Strength a little too much, IMO, and as LP's experience illustrates. --Axe

Going strictly with PHB feats, I would also recommend Scribe Scroll. Someone also mentioned Improved Turning, which I think is probably as good as any other option, at least first or third level. At low levels, it can make a big difference. In fact, in our last session, our cleric 1/wizard 3...

Let's say Dispel Magic is cast as a targeted dispel on a character with various buffs, as well as Magic Weapon (or GMW) on his weapon in hand. Is Magic Weapon dispelled? On the one hand, the target of Magic Weapon is the weapon itself, not the character. On the other hand, the weapon is an...

Hmm...can a wildshaped druid command his animal companion? If not, I imagine that would affect the decision to stay wildshaped as well. I suppose Speak with Animals can overcome this problem, though. --Axe

In our case, I think it had to do partly with the fact that the encounters were usually random (often from a module), and that the monsters were equipped as per the MM. Goblins only had javelins, which have limited range and poor damage, and the gnolls for whatever reason did not have shortbows...

I wouldn't mind hearing more about how you use OM. Entangle is a spell that drives my DM bonkers. Mind you, we've never played a party higher than 6th level, but he really feels that this 1st level spell is too powerful. The main incidents that have led him to this conclusion usually involve a...

Maybe I'm missing the point here, but are you saying that a cloak of charisma would not grant bonus spells to a sorcerer or bard? I thought the FAQ said that it would; has this changed? --Axe

I understand that animal companions and familiars do not provide xp when defeated, because they are considered part of the challenge rating of their masters. The same applies to summoned creatures, but what about undead produced by animate dead? For example, our party has made several forays...

The table makes sense if you think of full attack and attacking with a ranged weapon as separate, independent conditions. In other words, an archer firing from a threatened square does not provoke an AoO for using the full attack action, but he does for using a ranged weapon to attack. This...

That actually doesn't sound correct. If you're firing arrows from behind, say, an overturned table that provides cover, your target does not get the benefit of cover. Concealment is determined by which squares have the concealing effect. If I'm in a square with fog, and you're not, I get...

No. Flat-footed is a condition that applies to every creature at the beginning of a battle, until they act. (Uncanny Dodge allows you to keep your Dexterity bonus to AC while flat-footed; I don't know if that technically means that you are not flat-footed.) A party of characters skulking around...