the text on auras says something like "a silver dragon can suppress or activate this aura at will as a free action", but there's no such lines on the chromatic dragons... Is that on purpose or is it an error requiring errata?
If the aura you are referring to is Frightful Presence then no, there is no errata required. The Chromatic Dragon needs to spend a free action to apply it's effects to nearby creatures, so it already has control over whether or not Frightful Presence is "active".
I can't remember where it was, but I remember reading a rules line that said something along the line of "the fear aura activates when they first attack or use their breath weapon".
I can't imagine not being able to suppress it. That would be silly.
Here's the rule for the aura.
This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling to foes. Activating this ability is a free action that is usually part of an attack or charge. Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken. The range is usually 30 feet, and the duration is usually 5d6 rounds. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice than the creature has. An opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the frightful creature’s racial HD + the frightful creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if it has 4 Hit Dice or fewer. Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Format: frightful presence (60 ft., DC 21); Location: Aura.
From "Universal Monster Rules" in the Bestiary
Frightful Presence (Ex) This special quality makes a creature's very presence unsettling to foes. Activating this ability is a free action that is usually part of an attack or charge. Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken. The range is usually 30 feet, and the duration is usually 5d6 rounds. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice or levels than the creature has. An affected opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 frightful creature's racial HD + frightful creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's descriptive text). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature's frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if 4 HD or fewer. Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.
Format: frightful presence (60 ft., DC 21); Location: Aura.
Agh, totally ninja'd ;)
No, i don't talk about the frightful presence.
I talk about the electricity auras, cold auras, fire auras, slow auras, etc:
- blue dragon, electricity aura;
- red dragon, fire aura;
- white dragon, cold aura;
- brass dragon, fire aura;
- bronze dragon, electricity aura;
- copper dragon, slow aura;
- gold dragon, fire aura;
- silver dragon, cold aura;
- crystal dragon, scintillating aura;
- cave dragon, darkness aura;
- and so on...
Looks intentional to me. The evil dragons don't care if they hurt people.
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Looks intentional to me. The evil dragons don't care if they hurt people.
Still, they're intelligent creatures and while they may not care if some random creature gets hurt with their aura, they may have a reason to want to keep a specific creature alive (ransom, torture it later, it may be an evil ally, etc.)
In my game I would allow evil dragons to suppress their auras should they wish to do so, still, it would be nice if they change this in the book. Equal rights to all dragons in Golarion!
This seems like kind of a weird question to me. The only person who has any business playing a dragon mean enough for an aura that would actually need to be suppressed is the GM, and if you don't want to aura to effect the PCs for whatever reason, then just don't make it effect the PCs. It's not like a player is going to go "Um, why aren't we taking fire damage? That's a red dragon! This is b$*$$~!~! You can't just not make us take damage!"
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Still, they're intelligent creatures and while they may not care if some random creature gets hurt with their aura, they may have a reason to want to keep a specific creature alive (ransom, torture it later, it may be an evil ally, etc.)
They might occasionally want to keep things alive - for example, a dragon who has a cleric ally who needs to touch it to heal it - but their very nature is destructive; suppressing their auras just doesn't come naturally to them. Hence, Paizo added text to the good dragons saying they could switch off their auras, and didn't do the same for the evil dragons.
"You're always free to houserule things yourself in your game." :)
The question is if the rules are like that on purpose or it is just an accident.
As was stated, it's not something the players will complain about you ignoring. Do as you wish. Perhaps you want chromatic dragons that fry everyone who comes near?
Still, they're intelligent creatures and while they may not care if some random creature gets hurt with their aura, they may have a reason to want to keep a specific creature alive (ransom, torture it later, it may be an evil ally, etc.)They might occasionally want to keep things alive - for example, a dragon who has a cleric ally who needs to touch it to heal it - but their very nature is destructive; suppressing their auras just doesn't come naturally to them. Hence, Paizo added text to the good dragons saying they could switch off their auras, and didn't do the same for the evil dragons.
Well, i thought about it, but it is hard for them to live, getting a treasure they are going to damage, not being able to go close to other creatures and so on.
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There are plenty of evil dragons who spend a lot of time disguised among humans to manipulate them. My answer remains the same. It would be very silly if they couldn't suppress it.
LOL!
I agree... it'll be stupid if they become humans that burn everything around them...
Well, at least at home i'd rule those dragons can suppress their auras as other dragons do.
Hey, dragons should consider themselves lucky. At least they don't get damaged by their own auras.
Angels, meanwhile, have a protective aura that can't be turned off and suppresses a significant chunk of their own spell-like abilities.
Do you have examples?
While it could be worded better I think the intent of "Lesser Globe of Invulnerability" is to prevent others from casting 3rd level or lower spells on you. I don't think the intent is to stop you from being able to buff yourself.
I do think it needs an FAQ. I might start one later on.
While it could be worded better I think the intent of "Lesser Globe of Invulnerability" is to prevent others from casting 3rd level or lower spells on you. I don't think the intent is to stop you from being able to buff yourself.
I do think it needs an FAQ. I might start one later on.
Or i just takes strongly the words against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, otherwise and functions as and make those effects work like the spell lesser globe of invulnerability but only against evil creatures.
LOL!
I agree... it'll be stupid if they become humans that burn everything around them...
The Aura may be dependant on shape, so when you use a Polymorph spell to change shape it would be lost.
LOL!
I agree... it'll be stupid if they become humans that burn everything around them...
The Aura may be dependant on shape, so when you use a Polymorph spell to change shape it would be lost.
Yes, but it is not stated in the rules... and i cannot automatically assume that, cause it could also apply to other features of a dragon... e.g., "GM, if the dragon's aura disappeared because it is in humanoid form, it'll also lose the spell-casting ability tied to the dragon form, isn't it?"
Yes, but it is not stated in the rules... and i cannot automatically assume that, cause it could also apply to other features of a dragon... e.g., "GM, if the dragon's aura disappeared because it is in humanoid form, it'll also lose the spell-casting ability tied to the dragon form, isn't it?"LOL!
I agree... it'll be stupid if they become humans that burn everything around them...
The Aura may be dependant on shape, so when you use a Polymorph spell to change shape it would be lost.
It is stated in the rules, go read Transmutation/Polymorph school. Unless you are saying you need every conceivable possibility outlined for you... In which case this really isn't the game for you. And if you are for some reason, under the delusion it is, the Polymorph spells/effects are something you need to avoid.
You wanted a way to have it turned "off", I gave you a plausible and legitimate rule so that it could be. If you don't like it, there is nothing else I can do besides point to how it can happen by the rules saying " Here is how you can do it."
Well, i agree with you; it is a valid, according to the rules, way to turn the aura off if we are forced to go RAW.
The main question still persists, is it an error in the description?