Okay, our DM has asked me to find out what we, as a community, feel about a Paladin's Immunities:
Aura of Courage:
Aura of Courage (Su): At 3rd level, a paladin is immune to fear (magical or otherwise). Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects. This ability functions only while the paladin is conscious, not if she is unconscious or dead.
Exactly what does this immunity function towards? The Aura that gives a bonus to allies is a little better worded; a bonus to fear effects. But the paladin's immunity just says immunity to fear.
Now, one could assume that it means that you are immune to any and all fear effects, meaning anything that attempts to affect you though the use of fear. A dragon's aura, the spells Cause Fear and Fear. Each of these abilities inflict a status upon you that falls under the heading of "Fear".
Fear Status Effect:
Fear
Spells, magic items, and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. In most cases, the character makes a Will saving throw to resist this effect, and a failed roll means that the character is shaken, frightened, or panicked.
Shaken: Characters who are shaken take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Frightened: Characters who are frightened are shaken, and in addition they flee from the source of their fear as quickly as they can. They can choose the paths of their flight. Other than that stipulation, once they are out of sight (or hearing) of the source of their fear, they can act as they want. If the duration of their fear continues, however, characters can be forced to flee if the source of their fear presents itself again. Characters unable to flee can fight (though they are still shaken).
Panicked: Characters who are panicked are shaken, and they run away from the source of their fear as quickly as they can, dropping whatever they are holding. Other than running away from the source, their paths are random. They flee from all other dangers that confront them rather than facing those dangers. Once they are out of sight (or hearing) of any source of danger, they can act as they want. Panicked characters cower if they are prevented from fleeing.
Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.
Those seem to be pretty straight forward. The question comes in, does this also make you immune to spells with the Fear descriptor, like Phantasmal Killer or Weird?
Phantasmal Killer & Weird:
Phantasmal Killer
School illusion (phantasm) [fear, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one living creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will disbelief, then Fortitude partial; see text; Spell Resistance yes
You create a phantasmal image of the most fearsome creature imaginable to the subject simply by forming the fears of the subject's subconscious mind into something that its conscious mind can visualize: this most horrible beast. Only the spell's subject can see the phantasmal killer. You see only a vague shape. The target first gets a Will save to recognize the image as unreal. If that save fails, the phantasm touches the subject, and the subject must succeed on a Fortitude save or die from fear. Even if the Fortitude save is successful, the subject takes 3d6 points of damage.
If the subject of a phantasmal killer attack succeeds in disbelieving and possesses telepathy or is wearing a helm of telepathy, the beast can be turned upon you. You must then disbelieve it or become subject to its deadly fear attack.
Weird
School illusion (phantasm) [fear, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Targets any number of creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
This spell functions like phantasmal killer, except it can affect more than one creature. Only the affected creatures see the phantasmal creatures attacking them, though you see the attackers as shadowy shapes.
If a subject's Fortitude save succeeds, it still takes 3d6 points of damage and is stunned for 1 round. The subject also takes 1d4 points of Strength damage.
The problem with following this train of thought is that then a 3rd level paladin becomes immune to a 9th level spell (well, probably the instant death part of it, anyway).
The later Paladin immunities are worded slightly differently. Immunity to charm grants you immunity to charm spells and spell-like abilities, leaving you open to be tricked by someone who might seduce the character so long as no magic is used.
Paladins become immune to a few spells, it really isnt a huge deal as he was probably going to make the save anyway ;P. I would rather use oaths than have the immunities, i love the flavor of some of the oaths.
Your interpretation is correct. A Paladin is immune to any fear-based effect. But, even when he is immune to Charm effects, he can still be mundanely "charmed", say, by a pretty girl... =)
Your interpretation is correct. A Paladin is immune to any fear-based effect. But, even when he is immune to Charm effects, he can still be mundanely "charmed", say, by a pretty girl... =)
Let's just pray said pretty girl isn't some demon/devil/some evil girl/thing in disguise.
And yes, some will consider being immune to a 9th level spell at level 3 is over the top, but let's not forget: The Paladin MUST be Lawful Good. No getting to join in all the fun adventure games of stealing, and all that whatnot that NPCs tend to despise adventurers for.
Your interpretation is correct. A Paladin is immune to any fear-based effect. But, even when he is immune to Charm effects, he can still be mundanely "charmed", say, by a pretty girl... =)
Similarly, a paladin may be immune to fear but may still recognize that messing with that dragon is a bad idea and choose to run. They can also still be made to act with threats, but only if the threatening party has real power/leverage to back up those threats that forces the paladin's hand.
They're immune to fear, not immune to reason. I suppose you could say they are immune to cowardice, but not to discretion.
Plus at that level the wizard gets the ability to tell people "Save or be blinded for 1d4+1 rounds" OR "Be blinded 1 round/level at no save and you must make a seperate type of save to avoid taking a noticeable penalty to strength and dex" and he doesn't even have to be in the general area.
