imflynt |
Hi everyone, looking for advice, how would you handle a Magnetitie Golems supernatural abilities vs freedom of movement? I have my own ideas as do my players, we are all experienced players and DM’s with many decades experience and unfortunately things like this grind the game to a halt arguing over game mechanics. Thanks for the help!
Taja the Barbarian |
Hi everyone, looking for advice, how would you handle a Magnetitie Golems supernatural abilities vs freedom of movement? I have my own ideas as do my players, we are all experienced players and DM’s with many decades experience and unfortunately things like this grind the game to a halt arguing over game mechanics. Thanks for the help!
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. All combat maneuver checks made to grapple the target automatically fail. The subject automatically succeeds on any combat maneuver checks and Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.Description
The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, grant water breathing.
RAW, Grapple checks automatically fail vs a target with Freedom of Movement, so this ability is completely negated.
RAW, Freedom of Movement provides no protection against being disarmed, so this should still work normally.
RAW, Freedom of Movement only protects against effects that impede movement, so I think this ability should be able to pull protected characters closer, but won't prevent them from moving away on their own turn.
Pizza Lord |
I agree with Taja the Barbarian on these. Only on the Magnetic Field do I want to add something.
[Magnetic Field (Su) ...]
RAW, Freedom of Movement only protects against effects that impede movement, so I think this ability should be able to pull protected characters closer, but won't prevent them from moving away on their own turn.
Only if you consider this a gravity or similar effect would they be unable to move against it. Similar to how a character with freedom of movement could still be drawn upwards by a reverse gravity effect.
So with this ruling, you have to understand that such a protected character will also not be able to prevent themselves from immediately falling back down if pulled off the ground.
That means that a strategically placed golem, say 30 feet above a PC, flying or up a steep cliff or balcony, could continually pull such a character into the air (with a successful CMB check) 10 feet, and have them immediately drop back down. Yes, 1d6 falling damage is piddling at the levels you're probably facing a golem, but if you take any falling damage you also fall prone, though there's always tumbling attempts to reduce the damage, boots of the cat, or other methods to negate the damage (and thus falling prone). So that's a tactic to consider if there are other enemies ready to take advantage of a suddenly prone foe and them having to spend a move action to stand back up every round.
imflynt |
Thanks Pizza Lord, that actually give me a few ideas, it is a paladin with a ring of Freedom of Movement which also happens to have a Golembane scarab we are arguing over the whole freedom of movement thing, not sure why she will shred the golem(s) either way. I am using these golems in RotRL last chapter, my players did a 180 detour and they are currently working their way through the Shahalara in Xin SHalast, I had a major rewrite to do.