Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 Edition is a 2003 revision of D&D Third Edition.
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Staying awake in-game in DnD3.5
A rather basic question, I guess, yet it came up and we've found we're not sure anymore:
What do you roll to see if a PC can stay awake on guard duty?
(...after a day's march through winter terrain, ...
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3answers
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How does time work in 3.5/Pathfinder?
I am wondering about preparing spells per day. How long is a day? One session?
Also some spells last 15 minutes. How long is that during a combat encounter?
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Help turning my NPC Druid Undead
I have an upper level NPC druid that I plan on killing and then making undead, along with his animal companion.
1) Do the rules allow the undead animal companion in this situation? (If so does it ...
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Can a horse start a grapple?
I know it defies suspension of disbelief, but what official rule can I show a rules lawyer player that "proves" a horse can't start a grapple?
If the answer needs to distinguish between animal ...
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How can I make my adventures more bard-inclusive?
For whatever reason, it seems that no one in my campaigns ever chooses to play a bard. I am beginning to wonder if it has something to do with the adventures I construct as our game's DM. These ...
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Systems similar to D&D 3.5
We have recently finished our very first campaign in D&D 3.5, after well over two years in play - the thing is, it was a to be continued type of ending, and we intend to continue playing in the ...
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4answers
467 views
How can I balance giving the party a teamwork feat?
I decided that in my campaign, I wanted to train the PCs so that they'd be a bit better prepared for the harsh conditions they've gone through, and also just to make things a bit more interesting.
In ...
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3answers
566 views
How can I get a character with the lowest hit points possible?
A friend of mine has asked me to help him create an escort mission for his April Fool's game (actually held this weekend, because, you know, scheduling). The players will be escorting a tenth-level ...
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4answers
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Does Wealth By Level allow for “free” potions?
The principle behind the wealth by level table in the DMG is to summarize the amount of magical gear that a character will have access to at each level.
It's clear that the potions, scrolls and other ...
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5answers
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At what point should a character become an NPC?
Players over several long campaigns having levelled into the high teens can get into the final stages of the story line for the character. Players choose to make castles, create new towns and make ...
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7answers
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Can you use a mirror to get line of sight?
Some spells only require line of sight for targeting. Can you use a mirror to look around a corner and target your foe?
For example, Magic Missile:
The missile strikes unerringly, even if the ...
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Is there a reason to ignore/adjust the Wealth By Level chart?
While reading this
Cohort Question I was kinda struck by a quote in there and instead of asking an unrelated question in that area I figured it would be good to make a separate question.
The quote ...
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Which options are available for casting spells instantaneously or concurrently?
I am playing a cleric in 3.5e. To be effective in combat, I rely on my spells. However, before I join combat, I'd prefer to cast two spells on myself — preferably a third. Obviously, three rounds ...
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May magic missile be energy substituted
Does energy substitution cover force damage type?
I'd like to fire flaming missile to exploit monster weaknesses and searching for a way to add fire description to the spell or replace original with ...
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5answers
1k views
Playing as, not with, ourselves
A few of the members of our gaming have had the probably-not-unique idea of statting ourselves as if we were player characters in a campaign. Our problem is trying to find a basis of comparison for ...
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4answers
480 views
What do you do when you roll a 1 for initiative?
Are there any rules - be they official or side-bar optional ones - as to what happens when a player rolls a 1 on their initiative roll?
Is the initiative roll something you can critically fail at?
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Is there a working adaptation of Skyrim's Dragon Shouts to DnD3.x?
I wonder if there's a well designed and tested, working - and, of course, unofficial (?) - adaptation of Skyrim's Dragon Shouts (Thu'um) to DnD 3.x (or possibly Pathfinder)?
If not, how would you ...
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Can darkvision distinguish visual contrast?
Does darkvision allow a creature to distinguish visual contrast? The rules as written, in both Pathfinder and 3.5e, state simply that "Darkvision is black-and-white only (colors cannot be discerned)." ...
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4answers
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A medusa and a beholder look at each other. What happens?
What happens when a medusa and a beholder look at each other? Will the beholder petrify, or will the medusa lose his power?
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2answers
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Can you take 10 when creating an item?
You can take 10 when you make a skill roll "When your character is not in immediate danger or distracted".
Would this include when a character is making a magical item?
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4answers
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About Spell Scrolls' mechanic, how do they work?
This question is bothering me, my dm couldn't answer it.
What is the difference between a spell scroll and a page of spellbook? One goes "puff" after use while others stays permanently. Also I'm ...
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10answers
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Making weapon choices that count, and more realistic/interesting weapons
Due to the nature of DnD core its tropes and builds, weapon types rarely count. Enchantments, especially at higher levels, are what count. Your weapon damage die and type rarely count, and the game ...
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Can anyone search for traps?
I'm curious as to whether any character can search for traps, or only someone with an ability like the rogue's trapfinding ability.
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Which skill is more suitable for provoking someone?
If a character wants to provoke some sort of reaction (be it anger, or even just breaking his self-imposed silence) by talking to another [player] character; which skill is best suited for a skill ...
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2answers
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How does the Slow spell affect flying creatures with minimum forward speeds?
Suppose a Slow spell is cast on a creature with a minimum forward speed while flying: is it required to spend his/her sole action on movement to prevent falling and crashing down?
The relevant rule ...
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3answers
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Guide to convert a 3.5e DM to a 4e DM
I have never played fourth ed, I have read most of the new books, but it is so different as to be quite foreign to my play style. Is there a primer or guide out to help 3.5 DMs switch to 4th smoothly? ...
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Writing new campaign, is it fine to “make it up as we go along”?
Making new fantasy Dungeons and Dragons third edition game. Wrote out the entire first situation with most general situations in mind. Should I try and just "ole" the whole creative process and have ...
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5answers
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How do I encourage player-GM storytelling collaboration without “breaking” my game?
I've DM/GM'd for several gaming groups, young and old, and have found that one of the things that separates my younger players from older players is their eagerness to elaborate/collaborate in the ...
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2answers
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Would “Bane: Human” affect Kalashtar?
Would human-bane weapons do extra damage against the Kalashtar?
Kalashtar look similar to humans (to the point they get a disguise bonus), originated as humans, and the main differences are ...
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3answers
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Penalties for being drunk?
If a character is drunk, what are the penalties associated to it ? I do remember a special prestige class for monks about it, but I don't remember anything specific in the core rulebook.
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How can I optimize a factotum?
I'm playing a level 3 factotum (class from Dungeonscape) in a Midnight game. The race provides an extra bonus feat and an extra 4 ranks in skills per level. The skills are taken from pathfinder, but ...
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1answer
727 views
Can a Warlock use his Eldritch blast when paralyzed?
A warlock's eldritch blast is a spell-like ability:
Eldritch Blast (Sp): The first ability a warlock learns is
eldritch blast. A warlock attacks his foes with eldritch power,
using baleful ...
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How do cursed items work?
I have never really used cursed items in my campaigns, but I'm considering doing so for my latest one. For the most part, cursed items seem pretty straightforward except for two things:
How do you ...
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2answers
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If I am dual-wielding, how many attacks can I make as a standard action?
Hopefully this is a relatively straightforward question. I am used to playing 3.5e, and we recently switched to pathfinder. I had thought that taking any more than a single attack would require a ...
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How do Energy Effects work underwater?
This is similar to this question on fire damage underwater but a little broader. How do other energy types work underwater? I'm plumbing through the underwater level of Castle Whiterock and my ...
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1answer
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Will attacking with a magical or wonderous item overcome damage reduction?
As I recall, magical weapons can overcome damage reduction. If one were to attack an enemy with a wonderous item, like say attacking with an everfull mug in a barfight would it overcome an enemies ...
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Cleric's Aligment Changes?
There is an neutral cleric, Maximus, who is worshiping not a deity, but a cause; he's got two domains, War and Travel. At first level, he chose that he'll channel positive energy and will turn undead.
...
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Feat prerequisites
Related to this question: Skill rank feat prerequisites, and specifically this rule text:
Some feats have prerequisites. Your character must have the indicated
ability score, class feature, ...
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1answer
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How does a mount interact with its rider in regards to Reflex saves?
In this episode of 'Wasting Time with Phill', we take a look at how mounts and riders interact with their saving throws.
How does a mount interact with its rider in regards to Reflex saves?
If a ...
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Magic Dead Zones and rules clarifications
I would like clarification on some points, if possible with rule sources, regarding Magic Dead Zones (and, maybe, Anti-Magic Fields):
Do potions work at all? In an MDZ, there is no conduit for ...
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When exactly do “once each round” effects work?
Quite a bit of spell effects state that they work once in a round.
For example, Balor Nimbus:
each round, the flames deal 6d6 points of fire damage to any creature grappling you (or any creature ...
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3answers
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How worldly is a polymorphic elf?
In the 3.5e campaign I'm running, a very real concern has arisen that the player characters might actually fail to save the world from the horrific fate that the villian has planned for it. If this ...
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6answers
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My fifth level PC has a +2 longsword but that's about all
How much can any single possession take up a character's wealth? For this question, I'd like answers that operate under the presumption that wealth-by-level isn't a minimum but instead a target.
I've ...
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4answers
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What's with this tier stuff, and how does that translate to levels?
I've seen a few questions mentioning things like "paragon tier" or "epic tier". What are tiers? What game(s) are they used in ? How do they translate to D&D 3.5/Pathfinder Levels?
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Why is Hand Crossbow regarded as Exotic Weapon in 3.5e?
Using a hand crossbow is simpler and easier than using a light/heavy crossbow, isn't? So out of what considerations is Hand Crossbow regarded as Exotic Weapon in 3.5e?
In 4e, Hand Crossbow is ...
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7answers
476 views
Can a cat familiar open a potion bottle by itself?
My character has a Cat familiar (lvl 16) with an INT of 11 and a DEX of 15. Previously our DM has ruled that the Cat can retrieve a potion from the characters Heward's Handy Haversack. The question ...
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How do I pick monsters of appropriate CR for parties with superior armour?
As background, my low-level PCs managed to come into a "king's ransom's" worth of cash (due to poor planning on my part as DM, I'll admit) and now have purchased armour/enchantments that give them ...
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Unusually Unfair Trap in White Plume Mountain
In the 3rd Edition rewrite of the famous module White Plume Mountain, the titular dungeon gets modified highly successfully to use 3rd Edition rules while staying very true to the original version in ...
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Are 3.5 Bards mechanically weak?
People frequently seem to think that Bards are mechanically weaker than other classes, and I was wondering if this was true?
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Which classes are good as long-range fighters?
I've just started out playing DnD. I want to pick a class that plays well with long-range, and was wondering whether other classes besides ranger can fill in that role effectively.
Are there are any ...
