3.5 gleanings from Fiend Folio

[Wormwood]

Huh? Weapon Finesse allows you to use your Dex bonus in place of your Str bonus, it doesn't act as a generic to-hit bonus. You can have both Weapon Finesse and Weapon Focus.

Generally, people don;t purchase Finesse unless their Dex is higher than Str. That makes it (generally) a net to-hit bonus to one weapon (kinda like Focus).

Now it's a net to-hit bonus to an entire class of weapons.

 

[coyote6]

how about this:

Bloodbag Imp
tiny outsider
HD 4d8 +19
stats: str10, dex9, con 18, int11, wis12, cha13
skills: climb +7, concentration +8, diplo +8, heal +18*, listen +8, spellcraft +7, spot +8.

* bloodbag imps have a +8 racial bonus on heal

Hmm, that's a puzzler.

Minus the racial bonus and Wis bonus to Heal, he's got +9 -- which is 2 higher than the max ranks a 4 HD creature can have. What are its feats? Toughness is one of 'em, I presume . . .

Aside from that, and assuming no skill affecting feats or new synergy bonuses, I count 52 skill points spent, which when divided by 7 (4 HD + 3) gives 7.4 skill points each. Which is obviously wrong. Either it should be 8+Int mod, and it's short 4 skill points, or it's over by 10 points.

In any case, though, it's clearly more than 2+Int mod.

Boy, those errata docs are gonna be big.

 

[Darkness]

Two-Weapon Fighting no longer has Ambidexterity as a prerequisite.

Is that TWF or Improved TWF?

 

[Merlion]

Two-Weapon fighting and Ambidexterity are going to be combined or so we hear

 

[Sejs]

Generally, people don;t purchase Finesse unless their Dex is higher than Str. That makes it (generally) a net to-hit bonus to one weapon (kinda like Focus).

Now it's a net to-hit bonus to an entire class of weapons.

And this is a problem, why? If a character is more dexterous than they are strong, how is it unbalancing to have them use their Dex bonus to-hit instead of their Str bonus when using light weapons? Fighter A has 16str, 12dex and uses a longsword; he has +3 to hit/damage, and a +1 to ac. Fighter B has a 12str, 16 dex, uses a rapier and has the Weapon Finesse feat; he has a +3 to hit, +1 to damage, and +3 ac.

Weapon Finesse doesn't let you apply both your Str and Dex mod to hit.. it just lets you apply either one in the case of light weapons.

 

[EricNoah]

Re: Re: 3.5 gleanings from Fiend Folio

Is that TWF or Improved TWF?

Hmm.... FF does say TWF, not Improved. That's weird, because Ambidexterity isn't currently required for TWF, as you are clearly pointing out...

 

[EricNoah]

how about this:

Bloodbag Imp
tiny outsider
HD 4d8 +19
stats: str10, dex9, con 18, int11, wis12, cha13
skills: climb +7, concentration +8, diplo +8, heal +18*, listen +8, spellcraft +7, spot +8.

* bloodbag imps have a +8 racial bonus on heal

Heal is +16, not +18. Now Let's see if it works out....

Climb 7 (7 ranks)
Concentration (4 ranks, +4 CON)
Diplomacy 8 (7 ranks, +1 CHA)
Heal 16 (7 ranks, +1 WIS, +8 racial)
Listen 8 (7 ranks, +1 WIS)
Spellcraft (7 ranks)
Spot 8 (7 ranks, +1 Wis)

So 46 skill points, does that sound right? If we're thinking it should be (8 +0) x (4+3), that equals 56, so we're 10 points short. Is it missing two skills (one maxed out at 7 ranks, and 1 more with only 3 ranks spent)?

 

[Saeviomagy]

TWF ALMOST has ambidexterity as a prerequisite right now - I've pretty much never heard of anyone using it without ambidexterity.

Maybe they meant that ambidexterity will cease being an essential skill for the use of TWF?

 

[EricNoah]

Let's try another outsider...

Armadon Formian
Lg Outsider
HD 8
Str 22, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 11
No feats or racial bonuses to skills

Balance 12 (11 ranks +1 Dex)
Climb 17 (11 ranks +6 STR)
Hide 8 (11 ranks, +1 Dex, -4 size)
Jump 17 (11 ranks, +5 STR)
Listen 12 (11 ranks, +1 Wis)
Move Silently 12 (11 ranks, +1 Dex)
Spot 12 (11 ranks, +1 Wis)
Survival 12 (11 ranks, +1 Wis)

So that's 88 skill points.

If we use the 8 + INT x (HD +3) formula, we get 8 x 11 = 88.

So whatever is up with the Imp we may never know...

 

[Steverooo]

Crypt Thing: Str 10, Dex 16, Con --, Int 11, Wis 15, Cha 13
6 HD
No racial bonuses or feats providing any bonuses to skills

bluff 6 (5 ranks +1 CHA)

disguise 1 (no ranks, +1 CHA)

Bluff should modify Disguise, too.