The Devourer's Devour Soul ability says
By making a touch attack as a standard action,
a devourer can deal 12d6+18 points of damage as if using a slay living spell. A DC 22 Fortitude save reduces this damage to 3d6+18. The soul of a creature slain by this attack becomes trapped within the devourer’s chest. The creature cannot be brought back to life until the devourer’s destruction (or a spell deflection—see below) releases its soul. A devourer can hold only one soul at a time.
It's clear that it can only hold one soul at a time - but can it make this touch attack while it has a soul, or only when it's empty? If it can use this touch while it's full, can it choose to replace the existing soul if the touch kills, or is it stuck with it until it's drained and gone?
The Devourer's Devour Soul ability saysIt's clear that it can only hold one soul at a time - but can it make this touch attack while it has a soul, or only when it's empty? If it can use this touch while it's full, can it choose to replace the existing soul if the touch kills, or is it stuck with it until it's drained and gone?By making a touch attack as a standard action,
a devourer can deal 12d6+18 points of damage as if using a slay living spell. A DC 22 Fortitude save reduces this damage to 3d6+18. The soul of a creature slain by this attack becomes trapped within the devourer’s chest. The creature cannot be brought back to life until the devourer’s destruction (or a spell deflection—see below) releases its soul. A devourer can hold only one soul at a time.
Well it is not explicit, so I would say GM decision. It seems to me that it should either have to replace the soul or only be allowed to make the attack when it is empty. I would probably lean toward replacing the soul, unless allowing it to make that attack multiple times would be too powerful.
The Devourer's Devour Soul ability saysWell it is not explicit, so I would say GM decision. It seems to me that it should either have to replace the soul or only be allowed to make the attack when it is empty. I would probably lean toward replacing the soul, unless allowing it to make that attack multiple times would be too powerful.It's clear that it can only hold one soul at a time - but can it make this touch attack while it has a soul, or only when it's empty? If it can use this touch while it's full, can it choose to replace the existing soul if the touch kills, or is it stuck with it until it's drained and gone?By making a touch attack as a standard action,
a devourer can deal 12d6+18 points of damage as if using a slay living spell. A DC 22 Fortitude save reduces this damage to 3d6+18. The soul of a creature slain by this attack becomes trapped within the devourer’s chest. The creature cannot be brought back to life until the devourer’s destruction (or a spell deflection—see below) releases its soul. A devourer can hold only one soul at a time.
Well, it does a lot more damage than it's claws, and it's a touch attack, so it'd kindof render the claws useless.
Well, it does a lot more damage than it's claws, and it's a touch attack, so it'd kindof render the claws useless.
Well I don't have a bestiary in front of me so I can't say for sure what I'd do. But, if it is that much more powerful than any other attack, I'd probably lean towards only allowing it to use that attack when empty. Ultimately though, the question I would ask when interpreting this though is "Is this attack too powerful to be allowed every round in an appropriately leveled encounter?"
Ultimately though, the question I would ask when interpreting this though is "Is this attack too powerful to be allowed every round in an appropriately leveled encounter?"
Good way to put it. It's a CR 11 creature. If it could do 12d6+18 points of damage each round Fort save for 3d6+18), that'd be doing an average of 60 damage (28.5 on a save) as a touch attack. High damage for a CR 11 should be around 50, with a low of 37. So it actually seems pretty reasonable - when you fail the save it does too much damage, but when you make it, it's low.