I just want to run this scenario by people and check my reasoning. If you have Freedom of Movement (hereafter, FoM) up, it shouldn't be possible for a monster to swallow you whole against your will, but I can think of cases where one might *want* to be swallowed whole, and so might allow it to happen. (Something like this happens in an early Adventure Path adventure I know of.) So, once you had been swallowed, is it safe to say that, due to FoM, you would not in fact be grappled, and so could (a) make normal attacks to the creature's GI system with any sort of weapon, not just light slashing and piercing weapons, and (b) could climb back into the creature's mouth whenever you wished?
And I assume that FoM would give one no protection against, for instance, any acid damage one was exposed to while swallowed.
For easy reference, here's the Swallow Whole rules from the PRD:
From the rule you quoted:If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent grappled in its mouth (see Grab), it can attempt a new combat maneuver check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey...
FoM = no initial grab possible, so the character cannot be swallowed in the first place. If a character willingly dives into a monster's gullet, the ruleset doesn't cover the outcome, so the GM will have to make a ruling.
I'd say that the character still couldn't wield anything larger than a light weapon simply because there isn't much free space to wield larger weapons. Otherwise, they can do whatever they normally could when in a very tight enclosed space without any breathable air, but with potentially some acid or other hostile chemicals present.
Well frankly its flat out impossible since anything with Freedom of Movement cant be grappled and swallow wbole requires grappling. If a PC gains FoM after being swallowed i dont see it changing their options too much. I have always seen the restriction on weapons as a lack of space.
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.
The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, grant water breathing.
I wasn't expecting so many quick responses, so thanks!
Let me respond to a couple different things:
(1) Automatic grapple failure: I agree that's the strict interpretation of the language, but it seems to me that a person under FoM could still allow herself to be swallowed, grappled, or pinned if she were so inclined. She could just choose to stop being grappled/pinned whenever she liked. What, could a person wearing a ring of FoM not allow himself to be hugged by his kids?
(2) Using weapons inside the beast: I agree that space is tight, which is why the swallow whole rules say that you count as grappled inside the creature. But FoM makes you immune to being grappled (whenever you want to be.) So my interpretation is that when you drew out your halberd inside the creature's gullet and wielded it, the magic of the spell would allow you to move freely within the space in a way that would allow you to attack with the weapon. By my reading of the spell, if movement is possible at all, the spell makes it possible for you to move normally. And I'd say the same thing about someone trapped under an avalanche or cave-in.
A person under freedom of movement could hug his kids just fine. However the kids wouldn't be able to restrain him or move him. A person under freedom of movement could lie down and not move, but someone couldn't pin them (bluff might make them think that they had.)
Similarly, a person might could jump into a monsters gullet (although no rules for this exist) whether they were under freedom of movement or not, but if they are under freedom of movement a monster couldn't 'pull' them into their gullet.
Lastly, freedom of movement doesn't let you move through solid ice and snow or rock. It doesn't resize your halberd or allow you to avoid squeezing penalties. If a situation says you can only use a light piercing or slashing weapon (such as being isn't a monster) freedom of movement doesn't help.
I agree with you that it doesn't let you move through solid surfaces. I guess I disagree with you about avoiding squeezing penalties, since those are exactly the kind of obstacles that prevent one from "moving and attacking normally".
The obvious question: How does the spell make it possible to wield a big weapon in a tight space? My answer, annoying as it might be: That's the way the magic works!
