Terrible Remorse - target living creature

[baacchus]

My group just started a bit of an overpowered campaign, and I understand this particular spell is a bit op what with the loss of rounds when there's a failed save. But thats not the question.

My question is pretty basic. Target 1 living creature is just that, target 1 living creature. So this spell could in theory target a giant worm as long as its living. If it were to be limited to humanoids, or intelligent creatures only it would be target humanoids, etc. Just looking for confirmation, another player wanted to give me a hard time on the subject, and I'm a pushover.

TERRIBLE REMORSE
School enchantment (compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]; Level bard 3, cleric 4, inquisitor 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target 1 living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will partial (see text); Spell Resistance yes
You fill a target with such profound remorse that it begins to harm itself. Each round, the target must save or deal 1d8 points of damage + its Strength modifier to itself using an item held in its hand or with unarmed attacks. If the creature saves, it is staggered for 1 round and takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class, after which the spell ends.

[quibblemuch]

Which creature are you talking about?

If the "giant worm" is a vermin, then this spell, as a mind-affecting effect, would not work. It would also not work on plants or oozes, both of which are living creatures.

NOTE: You could still target a vermin/plant/ooze with this spell. They'd just be immune to the effects.

[baacchus]

I got you, so we look at it being "(compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]" and some living creatures by default would not fall prey.

I should see are those the only 3 types? vermin/plant/ooze?

[Azten]

As long as the creature is alive and not immune to the descriptors like quibblemuch pointed out, the spell will work on them. Doesn't matter if it's a Dragon, and Animal, or an Abberarrtion or other creature type.

[quibblemuch]

baacchus wrote:

I got you, so we look at it being "(compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]" and some living creatures by default would not fall prey.

I should see are those the only 3 types? vermin/plant/ooze?

Of living creatures, yes. Undead and constructs are also immune to mind-affecting effects. And some specific creatures of other types might have that called out in their stat block/description (I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I know there are some).

There are a few ways around this restriction, mostly involving sorcerer bloodlines or metamagic, but in most cases you'll ever run into, this is a good assumption.

[baacchus]

Thanks for the info, it made the most sense for it to fail so we went with it, without delving too deep. But good to know it will affect other creatures with at least a minimal intelligence.

[Imbicatus]

As long as it is alive and not immune to emotion or mind-affecting, it will work. Undead and Constructs are not alive so it wouldn't work on them. Anything mindless wouldn't work, so that covers most vermin and oozes. Pants are immune to mind effecting, and then you have things like androids that while are a alive are immune to emotion effects.

[baacchus]

Sure, so with an android, its more of an emotion immunity

[villadelfia]

It would not work on anything that is immune to mind-affecting effects, unless you're playing as a mesmer with the psychic inception bold stare. And even then it would _still_ not work if it's immune to emotion effects.

[quibblemuch]

If you were a sorcerer with the Impossible bloodline, it would work. Which I've always wanted to do, just to hear:

"Killbot sad for killing. Killbot confused by empathy, but Killbot must smash self in remorse."

Or words therelike.

[Shane LeRose]

quibblemuch wrote:

If you were a sorcerer with the Impossible bloodline, it would work. Which I've always wanted to do, just to hear:

"Killbot sad for killing. Killbot confused by empathy, but Killbot must smash self in remorse."

Or words therelike.

I plan on playing a kitsune sorcerer with the impossible bloodline in an upcoming Iron Gods game. This should be very interesting.