Question about Student of war's Anticipate

[Xavier319]

Anticipate (Ex)

A 3rd-level student of war can anticipate her enemy’s moves. Once per day as an immediate action, she can ignore any damage and effects of a spell or ability she successfully saved against, such as the entangling effect of a web spell or the half damage from an inflict serious wounds spell. This ability has no effect against effects that do not allow saving throws (such as darkness, Difficulty Class (DC), etc.). This ability is usable one additional time per day for every three class levels.

It says you can ignore the effects and damage of a spell or ability. obviously, it can work out like evasion, or stalwart, getting rid of the half damage or the shaken effect of a fear spell (assuming you make your save). but 'effects' is very broad.. how about something like stinking cloud? Make your save against the nauseate, and you use this ability. From my reading, you could ignore the fact that the cloud is even there. It does not block LOS, it does not give your enemies concealment, and you would even not have to make saves in future rounds, as that is an effect of the spell as well. Now, before you object, look at the example, ignoring the entangling effects of web. That's a physical property of the spell as well that by all 'logical' sense you shouldnt be able to ignore. you're IN a spider web, you cant just not be touched by it when you're in it. But the example sets a precedence for that. I'm looking for confirmation that this is how it works.

Secondly, the uses per day wording is confusing. It states you get one use at third, and then one additional use for every three levels in the PrC. does that mean you get 2 uses at 3, 3 at six, and four at nine? That seems to contradict the chart, but the chart ONLY lists the first gaining of the ability at 3rd, not listing any of the increases. thoughts? thanks!

[eakratz]

"she can ignore any damage and effects of a spell or ability she successfully saved against"

I would look at it this way. For the stinking cloud example, she successfully saved vs being nauseated so she is immune for the nausea. She never saved vs the concealment for the fog's concealment properties because there is no save involved, therefore she can't see. Furthermore, if she stays in the cloud she needs to make another save the next turn.

As for the web spell, the ability says the entangling effect of the web spell. The sticky fibers that are left are are considered terrain, and no saving throw was involved for the difficult terrain.

As for uses per day, it would be 1/3rd, 2/6th, 3/9th. I can see how you could try to make it seem like you get an additional use at 3rd, but I think that is just vague wording.

[Xavier319]

I agree on anticipate, really bad wording there.

As for the ability, I honestly think that you would not have to make the save for the stinking cloud anymore. You can ignore the effects. it doesnt say just the effects you saved against ti says ignore the effects of a spell you successfully saved against. you ignore the effects of a SPELL. not the spell effects. you see the reasoning for my thoughts? Now, i would say, for example, with stinking cloud, you can ignore the part you save against, from that point on, like the entangling and grapple effects of web. but not the fact that it is difficult ground, since that part was not savable. does that make sense?