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Ruling Question on Shapechanger & Hold Person
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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8974367" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>My understanding of the RAW is (A) the <em>hold person</em> would have no effect whatsoever. Depending on the level of interaction the PCs had with this shapechanged death slaad, I might pretend to roll a saving throw behind my screen (or on the VTT) and then say "it failed its save" to preserve the mystery. Or I might outright say "your spell fails to affect it, and you sense its nature is more than mere mortal." Depends on situation.</p><p></p><p>However... RAI and intended narrative in this case is fuzzy...</p><p></p><p>Whenever there's ambiguity in the rules (or arguably in the narrative intent here), I try to avoid binary positions and lean into the player's intent with a "no, but..." or a "yes, and..." more nuanced answer that both acknowledges the monster's description & the player's intent.</p><p></p><p>For example, I'd probably rule something like one of these options...</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"The humanoid begins to slow down, but suddenly gets a gleam in its eye and the flesh sloughs apart like peeling tree bark to reveal the monstrous toady form of a slaad beneath." (<em>hold person </em>fails, BUT reveals its true nature)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"The humanoid slows down to barely perceptible movement, its eyes and fingers twitching erratically." (the slaad <em>pretends</em> to be paralyzed, instead Readying attack/spell, but the unusual description hints that something is amiss, an Insight vs. its Deception might reveal it is playing possum)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"The spells fails against the humanoid, but for a moment the humanoid shudders and an insubstantial double image is faintly visible around it. As it staggers forward, shrugging off your magic, a bloody gem topples to the floor behind it." (<em>hold person</em> fails, BUT its control gem is forced out of its body)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">"With an expression of shock bleeding into twisted delight, a warped smile several inches too long is locked on its face as it succumbs to the spell." (<em>hold person</em> succeeds - assuming the death slaad fails save despite Magic Resistance - but I let it use an at-will spells like <em>detect thoughts </em>or<em> fear </em>for free)</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 8974367, member: 20323"] My understanding of the RAW is (A) the [I]hold person[/I] would have no effect whatsoever. Depending on the level of interaction the PCs had with this shapechanged death slaad, I might pretend to roll a saving throw behind my screen (or on the VTT) and then say "it failed its save" to preserve the mystery. Or I might outright say "your spell fails to affect it, and you sense its nature is more than mere mortal." Depends on situation. However... RAI and intended narrative in this case is fuzzy... Whenever there's ambiguity in the rules (or arguably in the narrative intent here), I try to avoid binary positions and lean into the player's intent with a "no, but..." or a "yes, and..." more nuanced answer that both acknowledges the monster's description & the player's intent. For example, I'd probably rule something like one of these options... [LIST] [*]"The humanoid begins to slow down, but suddenly gets a gleam in its eye and the flesh sloughs apart like peeling tree bark to reveal the monstrous toady form of a slaad beneath." ([I]hold person [/I]fails, BUT reveals its true nature) [*]"The humanoid slows down to barely perceptible movement, its eyes and fingers twitching erratically." (the slaad [I]pretends[/I] to be paralyzed, instead Readying attack/spell, but the unusual description hints that something is amiss, an Insight vs. its Deception might reveal it is playing possum) [*]"The spells fails against the humanoid, but for a moment the humanoid shudders and an insubstantial double image is faintly visible around it. As it staggers forward, shrugging off your magic, a bloody gem topples to the floor behind it." ([I]hold person[/I] fails, BUT its control gem is forced out of its body) [*]"With an expression of shock bleeding into twisted delight, a warped smile several inches too long is locked on its face as it succumbs to the spell." ([I]hold person[/I] succeeds - assuming the death slaad fails save despite Magic Resistance - but I let it use an at-will spells like [I]detect thoughts [/I]or[I] fear [/I]for free) [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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