OK here's an issue we ran into last night during the weekly session. The Half-Orc Barbarian in the party was raging during battle, then failed a "Horrifying Gaze" save against a creature from the City of the Spider Queen module, and cowered in fear. Next round a member of the party cast a Remove Fear spell to temporarily negate the fear effect.
My question is would the failed "Gaze/Fear" save stop the Barbarians Rage? If so when the fear was removed he would be fatigued. This was an issue last night because if he was fatigued the flow of the fight would take a severe turn for the worse, for the party that is.
Thank in advance for any comments.
My question is would the failed "Gaze/Fear" save stop the Barbarians Rage?
Not unless there is something special about the Horrifying Gaze ability. A barbarian may choose to end his rage prematurely, but the cowering condition does not require him to do so.
I would say that it does end the rage. This is just how I view things in terms of play-style. I think of someone worked up in a rage and gaining tremendous stength from the adrenaline rush and emotional focus that a rage brings. by making that person feel fear it undermines the rage and takes away the benefits of it.
That's kinda how I see it. How could you hold your "rage" while cowering in fear.
Well its always the DMs choice what to allow and not.
Id ask how long he cowered though, was he cured of fear the following round? If he was cowering obviously he wasnt able to flee from the thing but Id have to say that unless he was cowering for at least a whole round I dont see why he should lose his rage. If he wasnt imediately fixed the following round though Id have to agree he should lose the rage.
My $0.02:
Fear is a great way to generate the Flight or Fight response in humans (I am guessing that includes half-orcs as they are half human). I could easily see the barbarian really freaking out and raging against the source of the fear effect. Now whether he gets to keep his previous rage "cooking" while under the fear effect is up to the GM. I personally would allow it though.
Anger. Fear. Agression... The dark side are they!
Master Ultradan
I would rule that since the fear was magically induced that the rage would resume.
Two reasons
One: there isn't anything in the rules that states this
Two: I imagine the Barbarian gritting his teeth and wanting to rip the creature that caused him such humiliation to bits in a blood frenzy rather than wearily resume the fight
That said I can't find anything wrong with ending the rage either. it makes sense to me.
In one sense, the cowering in fear does seem logical to cut off the rage. On the other since it was a magical side effect, then who is to say what the results would be? Whether or not the barbarian chooses to end his rage or whether it just expires still leaves him/her winded after the rage has ended. In the end I would say that it has to be up to you, as the DM to make this choice. Personally I would say that the fear spell would counter the rage and leave him shook up and, depending on how long the barbarian raged (if he had only just begun it I don't think I'd make him winded), whether or not he would be fatigued.
A bit from my Hoarde