I have a question about the spell lesser globe of invulnerability or rather the protective aura that comes with the spell greater angelic aspect or th angel subtype. Here's the relevant rules text, boling by me for emphasis:
This spell functions like lesser angelic aspect, except you gain low-light vision; darkvision 60 feet; DR 10/evil; immunity to acid, cold, and petrification; resistance to electricity and fire 10; a +4 racial bonus on saves against poison; and protective aura and truespeech as supernatural abilities for the duration of the spell. Also, your wings give you a fly speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability.
Protective aura provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures to anyone within 20 feet. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet.
Truespeech allows you to speak with any creature that has a language, as though using the tongues spell.
Protective Aura (Su) Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the angel. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel's HD). The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in an angel's statistics block.
An immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere surrounds you and excludes all spell effects of 3rd level or lower. The area or effect of any such spells does not include the area of the lesser globe of invulnerability. Such spells fail to affect any target located within the globe. Excluded effects include spell-like abilities and spells or spell-like effects from items. Any type of spell, however, can be cast through or out of the magical globe. Spells of 4th level and higher are not affected by the globe, nor are spells already in effect when the globe is cast. The globe can be brought down by a dispel magic spell. You can leave and return to the globe without penalty.
Note that spell effects are not disrupted unless their effects enter the globe, and even then they are merely suppressed, not dispelled.
OK, anyone inside the globe cannot be the target of or affected by a spell or or spell-like ability with a spell level of 3 or less. Now, take a look at the monadic deva. It has various spell-like abilities, such as aid, invisibility (self only), remove curse, remove disease, cure serious wounds, mirror image--all of which are either touch range or affect only the angel itself. Taking the rules literally, I think, the angel could never use any of these spell-like abilities, as the target would always be inside the protective aura and thus excluded from these spells. I see no rule that would allow the angel to suppress the protective aure, so these spell-like abilities seem to be totally useless. Other angels have lots of similar spell-like the would never work.
That can't be right, can it?
Another thing weird in the globe description: "spells already in effect when the globe is cast" are unaffected—interestingly no matter where the spell was cast. Which means the following scenarios differ:
1) X casts lesser globe of invulneratility. Then Y casts invisibility. Y walks into the globe and becomes visible, because his invisibility spell is supressed.
2) Y casts invisibility. Then X casts lesser globe of invulneratility. Y walks into the globe and remains invisible, because his invisibility spell was cast before the lesser globe of invulneratility and thus is unaffected by it.
Weird. I don't believe this is intended either.
Side note: luckily the greater angelic aspect is 4th level for paladins—if it were 3rd level, the spell would even suppress itself. :)
*bumping*
That issue with the Angel protective aura (and by extention, Greater Angelic Aspect, which mimics it) has been noted before. The rules are broken as written, and nobody knows how they are actually supposed to function (works vs evil only? Disable as a standard action like SR? Who knows).
As for your invisibity questions...yep, that's how it appears to work by RAW. That might be how it was intended to work, or they might have intended for it to be spells in effect within the radius of the globe of invulnerability. Who knows what was in the mind of the writer who made that spell (especially since the wording is from 3.5).
OK, anyone inside the globe cannot be the target of or affected by a spell or or spell-like ability with a spell level of 3 or less.
Not quite. Anyone inside the globe cannot be the target of or affected by a spell or spell-like ability with a spell level of 3 or less THAT ORIGINATES FROM OUTSIDE THE GLOBE.
OK, anyone inside the globe cannot be the target of or affected by a spell or or spell-like ability with a spell level of 3 or less.Not quite. Anyone inside the globe cannot be the target of or affected by a spell or spell-like ability with a spell level of 3 or less THAT ORIGINATES FROM OUTSIDE THE GLOBE.
I don't think it says so.
The Protective Aura is clearly expressed in RAI as a defense against enemy spells, not the Angel's own. It's meant to protect against the Evil Wizard's Fireball, not to inhibit the Angel's own magic.
Where is that expressed?
The Protective Aura is clearly expressed in RAI as a defense against enemy spells, not the Angel's own. It's meant to protect against the Evil Wizard's Fireball, not to inhibit the Angel's own magic.Where is that expressed?
It isn't. It's inferred from the fact that giving a creature abilities that it can't ever use is pants on head [expletive]. Angels must be able to use those abilities...somehow...despite the rules prohibiting them from ever being useful. Unfortunately it isn't clear how the rules should be changed to make RAW and RAI line up.