What are the biggest rules debates?

[Hypersmurf]

If you are only flanking me while you make an attack, then I'm flanked only while you're making an attack, and there's no one else who is flanking. The rules text above is therefore nonsensical.

Interestingly, Diverting Defence (3.5) works just fine using the 3E definition of flanking

-Hyp.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Interestingly, Diverting Defence (3.5) works just fine using the 3E definition of flanking

-Hyp.

Yeah. Someone crossed a wire, somewhere along the line.

 

[FireLance]

Back on topic (just 10 for now):

1. Should a character get bonuses or penalties on his social interaction skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Sense Motive) based on how well the player roleplays?

2. Can a character find a trap whose mechanism is entirely hidden behind a door? This is closely linked to the question of whether a character searching for or disabling a trap should suffer some penalty or even automatically fail to find or disable it if the player doesn't say that he does the "right thing" (whatever the DM defines the "right thing" to be, e.g. half opening the door and using a mirror to look at the mechanism behind it)?

3. Is it valid to charge an opponent along a path that is actually slightly to the side of the opponent (e.g. if your opponent is 5 feet to your left and 20 feet in front of you, can you charge straight ahead and attack him diagonally)?

4. The Cleave off AOO issue has been debated again recently.

5. If you no longer meet a feat's prerequisite, does this mean that you also lose the benefits of other feats and abilities from prestige classes that have that feat as a prerequisite?

6. Should scouts have Disable Device as a class skill (errata has clarified that they do, but that's not the issue)?

7. How does Natural Bond (feat from Complete Adventurer) interact with the alternative animal companions he can select at higher levels? Can a druid select an alternative animal companion (reducing his effective druid level) and then use Natural Bond to offset that?

8. Does true seeing foil a shadowdancer's Hide in Plain Sight?

9. How does vulnerability to [energy] interact with resistance to [energy]? Apply vulnerability and subtract resistance, or subtract resistance and apply vulnerability?

10. When riding a war-trained mount, do you need to use Handle Animal to direct the mount to attack?

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

10. When riding a war-trained mount, do you need to use Handle Animal to direct the mount to attack?

Yes, getting an animal to perform a task it knows (in this case, Attack) is a "Handle an Animal" Handle Animal check with a DC of 10. With an animal that is not war-trained, getting an animal to perform a task it does not know (again, Attack) is a "'Push' an Animal" Handle Animal check with a DC of 25. In either case, failure means the animal will not attack.

If you want to also fight at the same time, you have to make a "Fight with Warhorse" Ride check with a DC of 10. Failure means you are too wrapped up in controlling your mount to effectively attack at the same time. If you want to use both of your hands in combat at the same time as attempting to direct your mount to attack, you have to also make a "Guide with Knees" Ride check with a DC of 5. Failure means you had to use at least one hand in attempting to control your mount.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

3. Is it valid to charge an opponent along a path that is actually slightly to the side of the opponent (e.g. if your opponent is 5 feet to your left and 20 feet in front of you, can you charge straight ahead and attack him diagonally)?

No, the rules say you have to move "directly toward" not "slightly to the side of". In other words, you must move in a path that would end with you running into the opponent. That's what "directly toward" means in plain English.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

4. The Cleave off AOO issue has been debated again recently.

According to the RAW, you can use Cleave during an AoO. However, this is silly, video-gamey, and most likely a loophole not intended by the authors.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

According to the RAW, you can use Cleave during an AoO. However, this is silly, video-gamey, and most likely a loophole not intended by the authors.

I completely disagree. If they wanted Cleave to only work on your turn, then the rules text to make it happen only during your turn is very, very simple to add. The fact that it's not there - including the text both before and after the 3.5 revision - is telling.

Videogamey? Hardly, and that's one the most idiotic insults ever invented.

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

The fact that it's not there - including the text both before and after the 3.5 revision - is telling.

How do you square that with the fact that you yourself believe the ranged flanking thing to be an error introduced during the revision? If an error can be introduced, certainly another one can be inadvertently left in.

I think Cleave was probably written before the AoO rules, and no one thought about what the AoO rules would do to Cleave.

I would revise your above statement to read, "The fact that it's not there - including the text both before and after the 3.5 revision - is a mistake."

 

[Scion]

and the debates live on!

 

[Vigwyn the Unruly]

and the debates live on!

Just having fun!

The original poster said, "Feel free to debate. I wouldn't mind a big death match rules brawl."

I'm trying to oblige.

It's open season! Woo-hoo!