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"A qlippoth can present itself as a standard action to assault the senses of all living creatures within 30 feet. The exact effects caused by a qlippoth’s horrific appearance vary by the type of qlippoth. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the qlippoth’s Hit Dice + the qlippoth’s Charisma modifier) reduces or negates the effect. This ability is a mind-affecting gaze attack."
So....how exactly does this work? Normal gaze attacks are 'always on'. Does the qlippoth activate the ability and it lasts for the encounter? Just for one round, causing an immediate save and a save on the PCs turns? Only instantaneously, causing a single save right there and that's it?
Also, with the iathavos, it feebleminds those who fail. Do arcanists take a -4 penalty to their save vs its horrific appearance?
Maybe it is like "Large Marge" from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure...
I don't know what that means, probably thankfully.
Bumping. My questions weren't answered, no matter how good Windquake's intentions were.
Maybe it is like "Large Marge" from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure...
Hahahahahhah...*Dies of laughter*
Anyway...I'm not quite sure as looking on d20pfsrd it's not noted down as a aura I believe Winquake meant, as I assume you havn't seen Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, The Character "Large Marge" says about a horrible story of a woman dying and then says she looked just like THIS!
She then made a horrible face scaring the crap out of pee-wee.
Bottom line, I think he means that this thing likes to either jump out at someone with it's hidious features or it can decide to suddenly warp it's features to try and freak people out and resemble something lovecraftian. Something so horrible and disgusting that it revolts and drives people mad, hence the mind-affecting bit I assume.
From the looks of it, it's just a one time save. The ability states that the qlippoth "presents itself," suggesting that it is changing itself or doing something that makes it particularly horrifying for the duration of that action.
I've run a module that had a creature with Horrific Appearance. However, it had the additional caveat that once a particular creature had made or failed the save, it could not be affected again for 24 hours, so once you'd seen it (and failed or not) it was a moot point.
I believe the INTENT (RAI) if not the actual RAW is that UNLIKE a standard gaze attack that has both active and passive uses (see page 300 in the bestiary) only the active use works (and indeed works differently in that it can affect multiple targets).
A creature with a gaze attack can actively gaze as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid this as described above.
In this case, the attack action is a standard action (present self) as described by the OP.
The description "mind-affecting gaze attack" means that the attack follows all the rules of a gaze attack in that you have to have line of sight, a creature might have averted its eyes, darkness or obscuring mist can prevent it, etc., but does not mean that it is limited to a single target nor has the passive use causing viewers to make additional saves on each turn.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Edit: spelling, gramar, sentence structure
Edit2: missing parenthesis
:
Of course, the way it reads, it almost seems like the qlippoth is making a Beetlejuice maneuver. Where he explodes his face. So when he "presents" himself, he may be showing his real appearance as a one shot deal.
Yeah I agree, that sounds about right. That he just causes the facial problem to scare people.
Creative Director
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Although it's classified as a gaze attack, a qlippoth's horrific appearance does not come from its eyes. It comes from its whole body. It's basically the ancient unknowable fiend version of a wild ape beating its chest, shrieking, and baring its fangs—it's a threat posture. Since the qlippoth is much more than a wild animal, though, its threat posture has much more magical and horrifically supernatural effects.
We didn't include actual descriptions of the disgusting physical blasphemies that these monsters do when they activate their horrific appearance mostly because if we did, we'd have had to put a "WARNING: FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY!" sticker on the book cover.
Bumping. My questions weren't answered, no matter how good Windquake's intentions were.It always helps if reference where you got that information from so others can look at it.
My bad. Bestiary 2, the only PF source with qlippoth (of which I'm aware) to date. I quoted the entire relevant text however.
And James, while you did explain the essence behind it, you skimmed over the mechanical questions. I get that it requires a standard action to activate, but I don't know how long that lasts. Instantaneous, 1 round, encounter, etc. And whether or not a feeblemind effect forces a -4 penalty on arcane casters.
Also, with the iathavos, it feebleminds those who fail. Do arcanists take a -4 penalty to their save vs its horrific appearance?
No. They get their save as normal and if they fail then the effects of feeblemind are applied. The horrific appearance is not feeblemind it just has an end effect that is applied like feeblemind.
It is a gaze attack as such it follows all the rules for gaze attacks as per the universal monster rules.
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Also, with the iathavos, it feebleminds those who fail. Do arcanists take a -4 penalty to their save vs its horrific appearance?
It sounds appropriate to the real-world source, but:
Creatures that succumb to the iathavos’s horrific appearance are affected by a feeblemind effect and permanently blinded.
The spell equivalent doesn't apply until the creature succumbs. The check to determine whether the victim is affected just follows the usual rules for horrific appearance.
I get that it requires a standard action to activate, but I don't know how long that lasts. Instantaneous, 1 round, encounter, etc.
If I understand the question correctly, the action immediately affects everyone within 30' who can see it, but doesn't persist after that. Feeblemind is an instantaneous effect and the blindness, as quoted, is permanent, so both would remain until cured.