|
can a creature who has only an incorporeal touch use a coup de grace? the touch is only strength damage.
this, too:
an enemy is fascinated. can the pc do a coup de grace on the fascinated enemy? i would say yes, since he is completely at opponent's mercy.
also, fascinated says a threat allows a new save or an attack ends fascinate. if so, does the fascinate end before the coup occurs, or would it end after the coup occurs.
No to the coup de grace. There is no damage to the attack so it can't be critical.
Absolutely no to the fascinated question:
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect.
The effect would be broken just as soon as someone tried it.
|
The monster isn't approaching or being threatening so it doesnt break the fascination. it kills a victem quickly through con damage or drowning - non of which appears to come from the monster- and can help it escape since it lasts longer than concentration.
Hypnotic Lights (Su)
The corpse candle possesses the ability to create a dancing, twisting pattern of ever-shifting lights that slowly change colors. The corpse candle can create these lights within 20 feet of itself, covering an area in a 10-foot radius spread (usually underwater). Creatures viewing the pattern within 50 feet must make a successful Will save (DC 18) or become fascinated. If the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that corpse candle’s hypnotic lights for one day. The lights remain for as long as the corpse candle concentrates plus 1 minute. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes a +2 racial bonus.
A fascinated victim moves toward the lights, taking the most direct route available at its normal movement rate. The creature avoids certain dangers (walking off a cliff, walking through fire, etc.) and skirts around such obstructions if possible, but it will swim towards the light if necessary, paying no heed to the need for air. If no path to the light is available, the fascination is broken. Any living creature within the area of light at the end of its turn takes 1d2 points of Constitution damage. This is a death effect.
Fascinated
A fascinated creature is entranced by a supernatural or spell effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature's ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action.
No to the coup de grace. There is no damage to the attack so it can't be critical.
Is this a change from 3.5 that I was unaware of? In 3.5 attacks that dealt ability damage (note ability damage is damage), ability drain, and even negative levels could all critical.
(Note I am not saying that they could all be used for a CdG, I am saying that they could critical for double damage of what ever type they inflicted)
I am saying that they could critical for double damage of what ever type they inflicted
I agree, it's a melee touch attack and that can score critical hits. CRB page 185.
Page 184 is even better. I stand corrected.
If a spell causes ability damage or drain (see Appendix 1), the damage or drain is doubled on a critical hit.
Fascinate is best used for crowd control. Fascinate 1 opponent and attack another.
It's still iffy based on your reading of fascinate. It says, "drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target" which could easily be interpreted as "any time a weapon is drawn or a spell is cast, and any time a ranged weapon is targeted on the victim" instead of "any time any of the three are aimed at the victim". Which, you know, kind of makes sense: a victim seeing that something dangerous is going on is unlikely to continue to stare at the pretty thing.
It leads to fascinate being severely weak, however, in combat.
Personally, I use fascinate to end combats quickly (by having my people do nothing violent) or to allow someone to sneak while I fascinate, say, a guard. Much more limited use, but entirely valid.
... how did I get sucked into this/over here on the threads. Hm. Must go back to being super-busy.