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I have a question about how something works. We have a warpriest character, who recently has run into a situation where things kind of in a grey area.
The enemy the party is facing has an energy based attack that carries a secondary effect of stun on a failed save.
The way I understood DR and Energy Resistances was that if they completely nullified the damage, then the attack is considered to have never hit. doesn't disrupt spellcasting, and any other effects that the attack would have on hit do not occur.
However there is an entry in Resist Energy that states "Resist energy absorbs only damage. The subject could still suffer unfortunate side effects."
Now normally I would not have any questionshere. However the current situation has me unsure of which would be the correct way to handle it. This creature's energy attack is not capable of dealing any damage through this spell. If it dealt any damage it would be no question. However with no damage being dealt, does it negate the attack entirely along with the associated effect...or does the character still have to save against the secondary effect?
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The general assumption for effects is if the creature negates the damage from the effect, the creature isn't subject to additional effects from that attack (such as DR negating the damage from a poisoned weapon, which means the creature isn't subject to the poison). Therefore, a cold-immune creature takes no damage from the hex and can't be imprisoned by it.
Standing in a barn thats been fireballed could get smokey for instance
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The general assumption for effects is if the creature negates the damage from the effect, the creature isn't subject to additional effects from that attack (such as DR negating the damage from a poisoned weapon, which means the creature isn't subject to the poison). Therefore, a cold-immune creature takes no damage from the hex and can't be imprisoned by it.
Yes Matthew that is the general assumption I work with, however The spell resist energy notes that side effects may happen. So I'm not sure if it follows that rule.
Yes, agreed norse, however I would say that is a separate issue, the fireball lit the barn on fire and now you have to worry about smoke inhalation on future turns due to that, which is it's own effect.
Yes, agreed norse, however I would say that is a separate issue, the fireball lit the barn on fire and now you have to worry about smoke inhalation on future turns due to that, which is it's own effect.
Yes, exactly. Those are the "unfortunate side effects" of a fireball as stated in Resist Energy. At least, that's the only reading I can think of that works with both the FAQ stating that once you reduce the damage to zero, you aren't subject to additional effects from that attack and the text of Resist Energy. Smoke and burning on future turns are not exactly effects from that attack
I apply both of these principles. In and of itself, resist energy does not prevent non hp damage effects. But, in cases where resist energy prevents all hp damage the general principle quoted above kicks in and the secondary effects are prevented.
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Ok another related question.
It was brought up by one of my friends about this spell.
Their comment was that they think that casters whom prep their spells would have to pick what manner of energy the spell is set to upon preparing spells. So they would have you prep "resist energy (fire)" that morning...or whatever other element.
what are the opinions on this?
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Ok another related question.
It was brought up by one of my friends about this spell.
Their comment was that they think that casters whom prep their spells would have to pick what manner of energy the spell is set to upon preparing spells. So they would have you prep "resist energy (fire)" that morning...or whatever other element.
what are the opinions on this?
They are wrong. Magic chapter, under Choosing a Spell:
If a spell has multiple versions, you choose which version to use when you cast it. You don't have to prepare (or learn, in the case of a bard or sorcerer) a specific version of the spell.
i would say since it does not say when you cast you choose, you must choose what type of energy when casting it (unlike a sorceror because spontaneous), same for detect an alignment and protection vs an alignment
And you would be wrong. I already posted the relevant part of the rules. And doubly wrong about detecting an alignment and protection vs an alignment, because that isn't a single spell but 4 (one for each alignment) for each.