Need some help figuring out when you can really advert your eyes or if you are caught flat footed do you just have to make the save.
Here is the situation. A group of PCs decide to dim door/teleport into a room. They do not know what is in the room and have their eyes open.
They happen to teleport infront of 4 medusa looking right at them.
A few scenarios.
1. Both sides are surprised.
2. Medusa somehow knew they were coming and are not suprised but the party is. Or at least one creature is not surprised.
3. Both sides knew and nobody is surprised.
Gaze (Su) A gaze special attack takes effect when foes look at the attacking creature's eyes. The attack can have any sort of effect: petrification, death, and charm are common. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature's entry for details. The type of saving throw for a gaze attack varies, but it is usually a Will or Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 gazing creature's racial HD + gazing creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's text). A successful saving throw negates the effect. A monster's gaze attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.
The Surprise Round: If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard or move action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.
1 and 3 are simple, there is no surprise round as per the rules for Surprise Round.
As long as there is at least 1 creature that is not surprised a surprise round occurs.
Those who are not surprised has actions and can advert their eyes.
The question is how about those who are surprised? Since they do not have an action they would need to make a save on their init even though they do not get to do anything, so therefore would they be able to advert their eyes or just make the save.
Sounds like an "oh sh!*!" moment to me. Make your save, you wascally adwenturers. Good luck!
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Gaze (Su) A gaze special attack takes effect when foes look at the attacking creature's eyes. The attack can have any sort of effect: petrification, death, and charm are common. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature's entry for details. The type of saving throw for a gaze attack varies, but it is usually a Will or Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 gazing creature's racial HD + gazing creature's Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature's text). A successful saving throw negates the effect. A monster's gaze attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.
Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.
Averting Eyes: The opponent avoids looking at the creature’s face, instead looking at its body, watching its shadow, tracking it in a reflective surface, etc. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance to avoid having to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent.
Wearing a Blindfold: The foe cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one’s back on the creature or shutting one’s eyes) and does not have to make saving throws against the gaze. However, the creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.
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. Thus, it is possible for an opponent to save against a creature’s gaze twice during the same round, once before the opponent’s action and once during the creature’s turn.
Gaze attacks can affect ethereal opponents. A creature is immune to the gaze attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted. Allies of a creature with a gaze attack might be affected; these allies are considered to be averting their eyes from the creature with the gaze attack, and have a 50% chance to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature can also veil its eyes, thus negating its gaze ability.
I do not see where it says that averting your eyes is an action of any kind (not a free or immediate). So you could avert your eyes as long as you knew what you were facing. If you knew what you were facing, you would have to make a knowledge roll. Meaning you had to look at them in the first place. So yep the players are going to have to make at least one save regardless of surprise rounds.
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So you could avert your eyes as long as you knew what you were facing. If you knew what you were facing, you would have to make a knowledge roll.
Good point. Why would someone advert there eyes unless they knew to do so. Yes players can argue legends about snake haired ladies and adverting your gaze so you do not need a knowledge check.
What if they had disguise self up to look like average everyday lizard folk.
Dwarven fighter, "Oh crap why did the old poofy elf get turned to stone? It be only a lizard man. Must be a wizard lizard."
Halfling rogue, "Not sure let me get a better look." halfling turns to stone.
Dwarven fighter taking better part of valor and running away, "Stupid flesh to stone casting lizard wizard."