Freedom of Movement vs. Forbid Action


Rules Questions


Core Rulebook wrote:

Freedom of Movement

This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.
Ultimate Magic wrote:

Forbid Action

You forbid the target a single course of action, which it avoids to the best of its ability. You may demand the target not take actions that fall into one of the following options.
...
Move: The target can take no act that would cause it to end up in a different location. The target does not resist being moved by others (and thus can be picked up or dragged, or can float along on a raft), but does not consciously attempt to move (including not directing a mount to move).

bolded things for emphasis

So my question is pretty straight forward, does Freedom of Movement thwart the move option of Forbid Action?

At first I thought, "no, it doesn't - it's mind affecting and all the examples given are physical impediments to movement, not mental inclinations" - but now I'm not so sure. My impression is this almost functions more like charm person than it does hold person. Rather than making the target unable to move, it makes the target unwilling to move.

Thoughts?


Freedom of movement simply negates environmental effects.

Forbid Action is, as you say, a mental compulsion. There's nothing preventing you from moving from A to B over the bridge, for example, but you decide not to do so.

If you allowed FoM to trump FA, then you'd basically be allowing that single spell to trump every thing in the game.

Illusion : I put an illusory wall of stone in front of the bridge! Hah, I have FoM, I ignore the illusion automatically because it impedes my movement!

Conjuration : I put a wall of stone in front of the bridge! Hah, I have FoM, I pass through your stone wall because it impedes my movement!

Dominate Person : Go jump off the bridge! Hah, I ignore your dominate, since jumping off the bridge would prevent me from moving across it! And I want to move across it and stab you!

Get's rather silly. FoM only allows you to ignore impediments to your movement that normally stop you from moving. It doesn't open holes in walls, it doesn't grant immunity to compulsions.

Scarab Sages

Ehh... freedom of movement negates paralysis. It seems to me like freedom of movement could negate forbid action (movement)on the same grounds since it prevents you from moving.

Dark Archive Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games

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I agree with MDT. Forbid Action does not prevent you from moving, it changes your thought process so that you do not WANT to move.

Freedom of Movement doesn't even come into play, as you will not even attempt to move while under the effects of Forbid Action. While under these effects, there is nothing preventing you from moving but yourself.


Larry Lichman wrote:
Forbid Action does not prevent you from moving, it changes your thought process so that you do not WANT to move.

Good summary. I agree with it.

To continue the examples of why it'd work this way, consider sleep: "I can't move because I'm asleep. But I have freedom of movement, so sleep can't impede me, so I'm not actually asleep." Clearly not what's intended. Instead, you're free to move, you just don't because you're asleep.


Ok - so it looks like my initial inclination (that FoM would NOT trump FA(move)) seems to be on the right track.

@Magicdealer - that's exactly what gave me pause when I was thinking about this. I think the distinction between paralysis (being physically frozen and unable to move one's muscles) and being able to move but not wanting to (even if it's a spell that makes you not want to move) is key.

I asked because I have

super secret plans to unleash in an upcoming game:
that involve a quickened forbid action paired with polar midnight
and I want know how these things'll interact with fairly common spells in case a question comes up.

Thanks for the help!

Owner - House of Books and Games LLC

Oooooh.

(Goes and looks up forbid action.)

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