Frightful Presence

[Fenzl]

I have a question with regards to the Frightful Presence monster rule. You'll notice that there are three distinct conditions mentioned in the ability description, which I show listed in bold below:

Quote:

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.

Format: frightful presence (60 ft., DC 21); Location: Aura.

Source: http://www.d20pfsrd.com

So which is it? Does the creature become frightened or panicked if he fails and is 4 Hit Dice of fewer?

Conditions
>Frightened
>Shaken
>Panicked

[Weirdo]

That's annoying wording.

I think it's panicked, since that's the term used in the more specific part of the description.

[mplindustries]

I don't understand the problem--the text explicitly says the following:

"On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if it has 4 Hit Dice or fewer."

That answers your question. You're giving too much value to the descriptive text at the beginning of the ability.

[Cheapy]

I think panicked is the right answer, primarily because creatures that have the ability are the same creatures that commoners should be running from.

I'll note that the first set of bolded text is barely if at all flavor text. Flavor text tends not to occur after rules text and reference two very clear and different game terms, and this goes so far as to draw a distinction between them.

Also that the ability being a free action is fairly annoying.

[Fenzl]

mplindustries wrote:

I don't understand the problem--the text explicitly says the following:

"On a failed save, the opponent is shaken, or panicked if it has 4 Hit Dice or fewer."

That answers your question. You're giving too much value to the descriptive text at the beginning of the ability.

The main reason I questioned it is because 'Frightened' is actually linked in the flavor text.

[KainPen]

I just want to res this thread because we have been getting a lot of stuff FAQ lately. I been working in d20pro for my next adventure and I went to set this ability up and I noticed the poor wording. Also when I did a search I have seen this thread pop up few times. Since this is the newest one on the subject,maybe we can get this FAQ or at least correct in another errata. to say shaken, or panicked, instead of frightened or shaken. in the 2nd sentence.

I also wonder if the original intent of this ability was to always cause shaken even on passed save but failed save would equal Frightened or Panicked for 4 hit dice or less. But it was too powerful that way and they edited the ability and forgot to change the 2nd sentence. It would certainly give a good add in to creatures with it making them more challenging.

but lets get this one FAQ so it can be fixed.