My skald just leveled, so I'm looking at the third level spells I can take. One of my group mentioned how he doesn't get very many opportunities to use his sneak attack, so I thought that Shifting Shadows would help, especially since one of the rage powers I grant through my Inspired Rage raging song is scent.
Shifting Shadows
School evocation [darkness]; Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a drop of ink)
EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius emanation centered on a point in space
Duration 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw none, see text; Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
Waves of shifting shadows obscure the appearance of all creatures caught within the emanation, making it harder to tell friends from foes.
This spell does not cause affected creatures to risk accidentally attacking their allies, but it does require them to concentrate harder to keep track of their allies and foes. While this spell is in effect, every creature in the area can treat any other creature in the area as an allied threatening creature for the purpose of flanking. Further, whenever a creature in the area would provoke an attack of opportunity from an enemy, that creatures' allies in the area must succeed at a Reflex save or lose one attack of opportunity for that round as they suppress the instinct to attack a vulnerable target that might be an ally. The shadows do not hinder precision-based attacks or create areas of dim light.
Creatures under the effect of true seeing are not affected by this spell. Creatures with scent or keen scent, creatures that are blind, and creatures that operate effectively without vision (such as creatures with blindsight or blindsense) are also not affected by this spell.
Here's my confusion:
"Creatures under the effect of true seeing are not affected by this spell. Creatures with scent or keen scent, creatures that are blind, and creatures that operate effectively without vision (such as creatures with blindsight or blindsense) are also not affected by this spell."So, does that mean that creatures with scent are not flanked by this spell or that they cannot take advantage of the flank provided by this spell, or both?
bump? :)
Wow. What a mess of a spell.
My only bit of advice is don't take this spell. It's poorly written and there are much better choices.
Wow. What a mess of a spell.
My only bit of advice is don't take this spell. It's poorly written and there are much better choices.
Ya, I may end up picking another spell instead... but since I'm trying to be helpful to my party (I'm _trying_ to play a support character, I really am!), when the party rogue mentions that he doesn't seem to get enough sneak attack opportunities, I wanted to see if I could help out :)
That is very altruistic of you. However, if the rogue is not getting of reliable sneak attacks at level 10, either he does not know how to build and/or your GM is very rough on surprising your party. I would probably help the rogue to build a little better.
A strict reading of RAW seems to imply that having scent makes your immune to all effects of the spell. However I would personally rule that you can still make use of the spell to gain flanking because that seems to logically make sense.
I just spoke with him again and, as it turns out, he was asking for flanking, not sneaking. The difference is that he isn't a rogue but a Sanctified Slayer inquisitor (I had forgotten that part). He wants to be able to use his flanking teamwork feats (which, unless I'm wrong, this spell wouldn't help with anyway... unless, when your enemy is under the effect of this spell and he sees his allies as enemies giving you flank, can an inquisitor then use them as valid targets of solo tactics? probably not...)
We didn't really discuss our characters when we built them, so I'm struggling to have my skald work as a support character in a group of spell casters (no casting? pass!) and others who would get no real benefit from raging :P
Well... "struggling" is the wrong word. More like "trying not to outshine the others and be more of a team player". :P
Take burst of speed. You can safely get into flanking position, and it's a great spell.
That, unfortunately, isn't a bard spell, but the inquisitor can cast it on himself if he needs it. :)
*facepalm* for some reason I thought you were a bloodrager.
Well you're not a frontliner who can risk getting into risky flanking positions. Talk to the people in your party with bigger hit dies.
*facepalm* for some reason I thought you were a bloodrager.
Well you're not a frontliner who can risk getting into risky flanking positions. Talk to the people in your party with bigger hit dies.
Gotcha. Thanks!