What condition does a character suffer if they fail their will save against a Mummy's Despair?
Despair (Su) All creatures within a 30-foot radius that see
a mummy must make a DC 16 Will save or be paralyzed by fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by the same mummy’s despair ability for 24 hours. This is a paralysis and a mind-affecting fear affect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Does the character suffer the condition Paralysis?
A paralyzed character cannot move, speak, or take any
physical action. He is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless. Not even friends can move his limbs. He may take purely mental actions, such as casting a spell with no components.
Or Fear? If so which Fear?
Or maybe it is both?
The reason I am asking for this clarification is that a player in my game asked for clarification on this effect. He had the spell effect of Overland Flight at the time that his character failed his will save against the Mummy's despair effect. So the problem here is can he still use the overland flight spell effect to move or does he become completely helpless???
- Paralysis states that you can cast a spell with no components
- as the spell has already been cast it is merely his concentration that controls his flight
- Fly states that - Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally.
My problem with this is simply that Paralyzed by Fear seems to imply more but there appears to be no rules to outline this as a condition nor does the Despair description specifically state how being paralyzed by fear effects the character.
The condition is paralyzed, but the mummy despair is a fear effect (meaning a paladin at least 3rd level can't get paralyzed by this effect).
What condition does a character suffer if they fail their will save against a Mummy's Despair?
Paralysis. . .
Or Fear? If so which Fear?
That text about fear means the effect has the fear descriptor ([fear]). Anything that helps you (or hurts you) against fear helps you against this ability. For instance, halflings get a +2 bonus against fear effects. Since despair is a fear effect, halflings can apply their bonus against this ability. Inspire Courage also helps you against this effect. Paladins are completely immune to this ability. There are a number of random bonuses against fear from many effects.
Also, any bonuses against paralysis also apply -- so you add all your bonuses versus paralysis and your bonuses versus fear to the saving throw versus despair.
I would say that the effect is more similar to Cowering
"Cowering: The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses his Dexterity bonus (if any)" than Paralyzed.
The Despair description is quite clear, though. It is Paralyzed, so he could take mental actions.
I would (house)rule that it is Cowering: though terrified, you should be able to defend yourself somehow. And, if you are so terrified you can't even move, you shouldn't be able to cast spells.
The problem here, for me, is that a mind-affecting effect that makes you so confused that you can't take physical actions, WHILE allowing mental actions.
My personal take, anyway.