I was wondering how long the shaken condition from a screaming bolt lasts. Would be great if someone could help me.
Cheers
maxximilian
Well we had the same problem last night during our CotCT-session, but I guess you already know. ; )
No seriously, has anybody a clue? Doom is used during creation at CL 5th, so would it really be 5 minutes?
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No seriously, has anybody a clue? Doom is used during creation at CL 5th, so would it really be 5 minutes?
While it doesn't say explicitly, it is strongly implied on page 563 that the Shaken effect would last as long as the source of the "fear" persisted.
Items are often disjoined from the spells that it takes to make them, so assuming it is 5 minutes isn't a high probability of accuracy.
After carefully reading the definition of a magic item in the PRD, and James Risner's reference, I agree with Aureus that the Shaken effect should get a 5 minute duration. From the PRD:
"Caster Level (CL): . . . The caster level determines the item's saving throw bonus, as well as range or other level-dependent aspects of the powers of the item (if variable)."
That strongly suggests to me that when you're not sure about some facet of an item's effect, such as duration, use the caster level as a guide, and the only thing that has a caster level related to this item is Doom.
Moreover I dislike Mr. Risner's reference from the book about the source of the fear. The text on page 563 doesn't clarify how long fear conditions last, but rather how an ongoing fear condition may influence a creature's behavior variably depending on whether or not the source of the fear is present.
Are there many magic items with this kind of vagueness though? Having to suss it out and make intuitive leaps like this is kind of bothersome.