Help me break in my 3.5 books! (3.5 Q&A)

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Could you go over the handle animal rules a little bit? In 3.0, when a druid acquired a new companion, it could do little beyond attacking creatures it regarded as enemies until the druid had spent two months training it. I saw you just posted that bonus tricks are free (requiring no training time or checks); do animals start off with any "bonus tricks"? What's the training time for non-bonus tricks?

I see no reference to the amount of time a druid needs to train her companion, other than the free time for bonus tricks (though the DMG does say that left to its own devices, an animal will only defend itself or its master unless it knows tricks and is given a command).

Training a trick takes 1 week plus a Handle Animal check.

You can also train an animal for a general purpose with one skill check; these provide a "package" of tricks for a variety of time spent. The genral purposes are:

Combat Riding
Fighting
Guarding
Heavy Labor
Hunting
Performance
Riding


So it's a DM call. Personally, I'd allow a druid to start play with a companion who has a full set of tricks (int * 3 + bonus tricks). After that, if she got a new companion, I'd require the training time be spent. But that's just me. YMMV.

 

[Lord Rasputin]

Do Animal Companion Bonus Tricks count against the animal's maximum bonus tricks from Int? I wouldn't think so, looking at the table in the earlier thread, but you never know ...

 

[Pielorinho]

One week is *much* better than two months. Now, if only they'd taken into consideration the training advantages offered by various spells (speak with animals, dominate animal, calm animals, etc.) and class abilities (animal friendship), we'd be golden.

Thanks again!
Daniel

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Do rangers get cure light wounds as a first-level spell now?

Nope, 2d level

Sorry about all the Wildshape questions, but do Druids continue to receive the racial bonuses of the class they turn into? In that case, your keen nose and eyes do help you...

Racial skill bonuses and racial feats, yes ... so you'd get +8 to Spot as an eagle. When the sun's up.

Is there a central skill synergy table?

Edit: Yes, page 66. Synergy is a separate line under each skill.

One week is *much* better than two months.

Note that it's one week per trick.

 

[Lord Ben]

How about Reincarnate? I saw the description on the compiled thread but it wasn't too clear. Is there one big list of random things to be reincarnated as or is it two seperate lists, one of humanoids and one of animals? Does it give you ECL's?

As an extra special treat could you perhaps give a listing of all the creatures and the odds of getting them?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Do Animal Companion Bonus Tricks count against the animal's maximum bonus tricks from Int? I wouldn't think so, looking at the table in the earlier thread, but you never know ...

Nope, that's why they're bonus tricks.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

How about Reincarnate? I saw the description on the compiled thread but it wasn't too clear. Is there one big list of random things to be reincarnated as or is it two seperate lists, one of humanoids and one of animals? Does it give you ECL's?

As an extra special treat could you perhaps give a listing of all the creatures and the odds of getting them?

One list: all humanoid, with Str/Dex/Con adjustments but no specifc means of handling ECL (in the spell description, anyway).

And just 'cause I'm a nice guy:

01 Bugbear
02-13 Dwarf
14-25 Elf
26 Gnoll
27-38 Gnome
39-42 Goblin
43-52 Half-elf
53-62 Half-orc
63-74 Halfling
75-89 Human
90-93 Kobold
94 Lizardfolk
95-98 Orc
99 Trpglodyte
100 Other

(Why bugbear and not hobgoblin? Who knows ...)

There's a note that encourages the DM to make his own list for non-humanoids.

 

[Plane Sailing]

There's a page devoted to determineing monster CR in the section of the MM devoted to designing monsters, page 302.

Olgar,

I'll forgive you, but you haven't mentioned one of the excellent new key elements of determining CR when class levels are added to monsters.

basically if there is a clear synergy (barbarian levels added to a giant) add +1 per class level. If there ISN'T (e.g. bard levels added to a giant) add +1 per 2 class levels.

This answers a long standing problem.

Cheers

 

[Thaumaturge]

What are the rules for sleeping in armor now? I know endurance allows you to sleep in light or medium armor, but if you don't have endurance are you fatigued if you sleep in any armor?

Also are there any obviously better medium armors?


thanks,
Thaumaturge.

 

[coyote6]

Have the Craft rules changed? Specifically, the time required to complete an item -- still one week to produce (skill check x DC), in sp, worth of an item?