|
This hase to be one of the hardest abilitys to understand. I hade to read it 4 times befor I figured out how it works. Any chance of geting better wording for what hapens?
It's not very clear on what hapens, but thats what i got from the ability.
Succesfull save = Frightened
Failed save = Shaken
4HD or fewer failed save = Panicked
Frightful Presence (Ex)
This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling to foes. Activating this ability is a free action that is usually part of an attack or charge. Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken. The range is usually 30 feet, and the duration is usually 5d6 rounds. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice than the creature has. An opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the frightful creature’s racial HD + the frightful creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if it has 4 Hit Dice or fewer. An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours. Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.
A) Target with more HD than scary creature: No effect.
B) Target with more than 4 HD (but fewer than scary creature): Failed save = shaken
C) Target with 4 or less HD: Failed save = panicked
If B or C make their save, there is no effect, and they are immune to it for 24 hours.
Basically, if you're stronger than the dragon, it's not scary. If you're a little bit weaker than the dragon, it's scary, but not that bad. If you're REALLY weak, then the dragon is so scary you freak out and run.
|
|
Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken.
On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if it has 4 Hit Dice or fewer.
The problem is it list all 3 fear effects but not how to place them.
So who becomes frightened? Thats how it reads maby not RAI, but RAW is not clear on what hapens.
So the way it comes accross to me.
More HD Immune to effect.
Succesfull save= is when you apply the frightend condetion becous it's not listed in any where for what hapens if you fail a save.
Failed save = Shaken
4HD or less = Panicked
Succesfull save= is when you apply the frightend condetion becous it's not listed in any where for what hapens if you fail a save.
An affected opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save.
An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature's frightful presence for 24 hours.
"Frightened" in this instance is probably used as a descriptive term for being affected by fear, rather than the glossary definition of a state between shaken and panicked. It was written that way in 3.5 also and copied over.
If you want your dragons to be stronger, you could house rule that a save means shaken, failed save means frightened, and failed save under 4 HD is panicked.
I also think that the "Frightened" part is either a copy paste error or a failed attempt of using a descriptive term.
It is poorly worded because of the referance to 'frightened or shaken' with no explicit details on when each should occur.
We actually ran into this this weekend in our game and we came to these conclusions:
1) If you have more HD than the creature or make your save your fine for the fight.
2) If your more than 4 HD but less than the creatures HD and you fail your save your Shaken.
3) If your more than 4 HD but less than the creatures HD and you fail your save a second time your Frightened.
4) If your more than 4 HD but less than the creatures HD and you fail your first save and then make your next save versus the power your still Shaken but can no longer be made worse.
Shaken was the lowest form of fear and fear effects were cumulative so that is what made us come up with this, along with the fact that you are not immune to the Frightful Presence until you make a save, so subsequent uses can make your fear worse if you fail.