Catharsis - Does it have a duration? Can it be counteracted or dispelled?

[ThatGuyDM]

Looking at the Cathartic Mage archetype and ways to get around the emotional fallout. While Catharsis is a discrete effect with discrete traits, it's unclear to me what parts it has. So here's a few questions:

Can dispel magic counteract any of it, and if so, what parts? (i.e. trigger, activation, effect, fallout)
Could a suppression effect like Calm Emotions suppress any of it? What parts?
Does it have a duration? If so, how long?
Edit: Could something that counteracted emotion or mental effects like Soothing Words work on it? If so, what parts?

[breithauptclan]

Duration: yes. 3 rounds for the benefit. Until you use the Settle Emotions activity for the fallout. I would probably have a night of rest also count as Settle Emotions.

The other questions... Not nearly as certain.

It doesn't seem to be a spell or spell like effect, so I wouldn't let dispel magic work.

Calm Emotions is a bit more questionable. It seems narratively like it should do something. But the mechanics don't really define what. So I would probably not have it do anything simply because I can't think of a good way of resolving it.

[ThatGuyDM]

breithauptclan wrote:

Duration: yes. 3 rounds for the benefit. Until you use the Settle Emotions activity for the fallout. I would probably have a night of rest also count as Settle Emotions.

The other questions... Not nearly as certain.

It doesn't seem to be a spell or spell like effect, so I wouldn't let dispel magic work.

Calm Emotions is a bit more questionable. It seems narratively like it should do something. But the mechanics don't really define what. So I would probably not have it do anything simply because I can't think of a good way of resolving it.

Thank you for the reply. I'm still lost on the duration; as "Catharsis", that whole effect, has a lot of subsequent stages. If you wanted to counteract "Catharsis" as a whole, would it have a duration to allow you to before the fallout? Or is it more like a Wall of Stone situation, where the mechanical Effect keeps going with trait-less stages, but the Effect itself was just that initial reaction?

[breithauptclan]

I'm seeing Catharsis more like Barbarian's Rage or Ranger's Hunt Prey. It isn't really something that an enemy can counteract. Or an ally for that matter.

[Cordell Kintner]

Dispel magic would not work, as it only targets spell effects, unattended items, and anything that says it can be targeted by Dispel Magic (like a lot of Traps), and Catharsis doesn't even have the Magical trait.

Calm Emotions would work, as the reaction has the Mental Trait. It would stop the entire ability from working, both good and bad. You probably wouldn't even be able to use the reaction at all when under the effects of Calm Emotions.

There is no listed duration, you just gain the benefits for 3 rounds then the fallout for however long it says, usually until you Settle your Emotions. Falling under Calm Emotions after already triggering Catharsis would suppress that effect for a while, though it's not recommended to use in combat since you can't take hostile actions.

[breithauptclan]

Cordell Kintner wrote:

Falling under Calm Emotions after already triggering Catharsis would suppress that effect for a while, though it's not recommended to use in combat since you can't take hostile actions.

Yes. And suppressing the effect is not the same as counteracting it. When the Calm Emotions spell ends, the Catharsis effect is still there as normal.