Anti Paladin casts Cause Fear on 6+ HD Creature

[MasterZeras]

Hey Everyone,

I am making an Anti Paladin as a GM. My party is going to fight him as Level 6 characters. My question is, if my Anti Paladin casts "Cause Fear" on a player, who will have 6 HD, are they susceptible to the effects of the spell if they are within 10 ft, due to his Aura of Cowardice?

Aura of Cowardice (Su): At 3rd level, an antipaladin radiates a palpably daunting aura that causes all enemies within 10 feet to take a –4 penalty on saving throws against fear effects. Creatures that are normally immune to fear lose that immunity while within 10 feet of an antipaladin with this ability. This ability functions only while the antipaladin remains conscious, not if he is unconscious or dead.

Cause Fear: The affected creature becomes frightened. If the subject succeeds on a Will save, it is shaken for 1 round. Creatures with 6 or more HD are immune to this effect. Cause fear counters and dispels remove fear.

I would rule that you can cast Cause Fear on high hit dice creatures, and when it lands, it just doesn't affect them, due to the immunity clause. However, when next to an anti-paladin, the immunity clause in the spell is overruled and would affect them normally. Am I interpretting this correctly?

Secondly, would the fear effect stay on after the character ran out of the aura of cowardice?

[Rynjin]

6+ HD creatures are not immune to Fear (the Condition) they are immune to Cause Fear (the spell).

Aura of Cowardice should not affect that.

[Doomed Hero]

Wow. Interesting. By RAW, it looks like you might be correct.

As for the second question, I'd say no. Once out of the Aura, the spell goes back to effecting them normally, in which case they are immune.

As a side note, if you want a fear-slinging Anti-paladin, dip one level of Thug Rogue, and take Power Attack, and Cornugon Smash. Add a Reach weapon and Combat Reflexes and you can stop someone mid-charge and send them packing.

[Doomed Hero]

Rynjin wrote:

6+ HD creatures are not immune to Fear (the Condition) they are immune to Cause Fear (the spell).

"Creatures with 6 or more HD are immune to this effect."

You think it's referring to the spell itself and not the Fear effect?

[Rynjin]

"This effect" this SPECIFIC effect on the spell's page.

Nowhere on the Fear condition(s) does it say "Creatures with 6+ HD are immune".