Spirit Totem Timing

[Melkiador]

Quote:

Spirit Totem, Lesser (Su) (Advanced Player's Guide pg. 77): 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.

Does it matter when the foe was adjacent to the barbarian? Do they need to start or end next to each other? Could the barbarian move through an adjacent square and get that spirit slam on an enemy as he's passing by?

[Lemartes]

I'd say on your turn.

5 foot step. Attack before or after.

At least I think that is the intent. Could you take the attack as an AOO? Uhh?????

Part of spring attack? I don't think so.

I have a different question can you heal living beings with negative energy affinity? Can you choose for them not to attack?

This is some pretty loose wording. :(

[Melkiador]

Quote:

Negative Energy Affinity: Though they’re living creatures, dhampirs react to positive and negative energy as if they were undead; positive energy harms them, and negative energy heals them.

Also a loosely worded ability. An actual undead isn't always healed by negative energy, just when the ability specifies it heals undead. But the racial ability implies it's always. So, maybe RAW is that it'd heal a dhampir, but I feel RAI is "no".

You'd also have to rules lawyer using that to your benefit, since the ability only targets "foe"s, and you are always your own ally.

[Derklord]

There is no official ruling on it. I have a Skald with LST in my group, and I've handled it as a free action once per turn that can't be used during another action.

Lemartes wrote:

I have a different question can you heal living beings with negative energy affinity?

No - "Individual effects will tell you whether they heal living (if they mention healing without specifying what they heal, they always mean only living creatures), harm undead, or both. (...) Negative energy works just as described above for positive energy, reversing living creatures and undead in all cases".

A dhampir would be immune to the damage, though.

[Lemartes]

I was not really thinking of it for healing allies but if it healed certain enemies. That is why I asked if you can choose to not attack with it.

Regardless, thanks to both. :)

Finally, I have liked this power thematically for some time. :)