While raging, the barbarian is surrounded by spirit wisps that harass her foes. These spirits make one slam attack each round against a living foe that is adjacent to the barbarian. This slam attack is made using the barbarian’s full base attack bonus, plus the barbarian’s Charisma modifier. The slam deals 1d4 points of negative energy damage, plus the barbarian’s Charisma modifier.
Hypothetical situation here. Bardiche Barbarian Bill w/ Lesser Spirit Totem and Combat Reflexes wins initiative and readies an action to attack the first foe within range. The only foe is a goblin at 20 ft' away. Barbarian turn ends - spirits have no legible target.
Goblin decides to charge at Bill, eats the readied action and an aoo for leaving a threatened square - is still up (tough biscuit) Now, as it gets adjacent to Bill, would the spirits attack him before the end of the round? If so, would they attack the goblin before it gets to resolve its charge (acting on Bill's initiative), or would that happen afterwards - if even at all?
The barbarian decides who the spirits attack each round. The spirits are not affected by effects that aid their attacks or damage (such as bardic performance or bless) or penalize their attacks or damage (such as bane or darkness). The spirits always strike from your direction. They do not get flanking bonuses or help a combatant get one.
- would this imply that Bill can just decide that the spirits attack off his turn when convenient?
They would attack on your turn. Whether at the beginning or end is up to you, but there is nothing in the ability allowing to to attack outside your turn.
Everything that you can do happens on your turn unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Got it, brilliant. Thanks for helping out! :)