Little Known Rules of D&D

[gnfnrf]

Comprehend Languages only lets you understand a creature if you touch them first.

Whoda thunk it? (Other than people who actually read the spell, of course.)

--
gnfnrf

 

[Whimsical]

Comprehend Languages only lets you understand a creature if you touch them first.

This would be a good use of sleight of hand. To touch someone without them knowing it.

 

[shilsen]

IMO, that's not a little known rule. It's basically a rule of thumb in most D&D / D20 games I've seen that it takes 1 minute per 5' section for comprehensive (take 20) searches.

Not 2 minutes (20 rounds)?

 

[Asmor]

I don't think it's terribly obscure, but something a lot of people overlook which is really, REALLY important, is that spot and listen (?) checks get a -2 penalty for every 10 feet between you and the stimulus you're attempting to observe.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I don't think it's terribly obscure, but something a lot of people overlook which is really, REALLY important, is that spot and listen (?) checks get a -2 penalty for every 10 feet between you and the stimulus you're attempting to observe.

Strictly, it's a -1 penalty per 10 feet of distance on Spot checks, and a +1 DC modifier per 10 feet of distance on Listen checks.

-Hyp.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Fun fact which may or may not be historically accurate (who knows?): sais were typically used as a set of three; one was kept in the belt, so that you could throw one of your sais and still have two available.

Yet another potentially true sai fact: they were originally rice planting devices. The handguard was more of a depth gauge, with the blunt rod used to poke a hole a certain depth in the marshy soil.

Remember, 90% of the asian martial arts weapons were originally peasant tools. Kama = sickle, nunchuks = thresher/flail, sai = planter.

Oh and the siangham are chinese judge's pens.
http://www.warrior-supplies.com/details.asp?language=en&productID=3351

 

[Maleketh]

Okay, here's an obscure one for ya: a character in an antimagic field can duck behind a tower shield to "hide" from it. (All highlights are added by me.)

Antimagic Field
Abjuration
Level: Clr 8, Magic 6, Protection 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 10 ft.
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: See text

An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell.

A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, even including creatures that you can’t see. It can’t affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don’t extend around corners).

Shield, Tower

This massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your AC. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must give up your attacks to do so.

 

[Asmor]

Uhh... A tower shield doesn't really give you total cover from yourself...

Granted, that's my interpretation, but I'd say that this is a sort of tenuous loop hole, if it exists at all.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Uhh... A tower shield doesn't really give you total cover from yourself...

Granted, that's my interpretation, but I'd say that this is a sort of tenuous loop hole, if it exists at all.

I suspect he means an AMF centred on someone else, that you happen to be inside.

-Hyp.

 

[Maleketh]

I suspect he means an AMF centred on someone else, that you happen to be inside.

-Hyp.

He's right. So far as I know, you can't get total cover from yourself.