When does Mettle (Ex) apply?

[Sparafucile]

The extraordinary ability Mettle (from the Complete Warrior's Hexblade and Pious Templar classes, among otheres) seems similar to evasion, only it works on Will and Fortitude saves.

I am having trouble understanding what spells are affected by the ability. I can see the Fortitude saves better, affecting mostly Necromancy spells as ray of exhaustion, disintegrate, finger of death, horrid wilting, etc.

But what are some examples of Will saves? I can't seem to find any. Are they all in supplimental/splat books?

Furthermore, has anyone complied a list of spells that have partial Fort and Will saves, at least from the core RAW? Also, how would you apply the ability to phantasmal killer ?

 

[maggot]

Inflict light wounds series is Will save for half. Cause Fear is Will partial. Actually all inflict spells are Will save half and all fear spells in the core have a Will partial.

Phatasmal killer only has an effect if you fail the Will save, so you are fine if you make it regardless of Mettle. But if you fail the Will but make the Fort, you take no damage if you have Mettle because it is a Fort partial.

 

[The Souljourner]

Google "will partial" site:d20srd.org gives the following:

Fear, Unholy Blight, Order's Wrath, Holy Smite, Chaos Hammer, Baleful Polymorph, Cause Fear, Mind Probe, Demand, Psychic Turmoil, Antipathy, Scare, Recall Death.

Some of those are psionic powers I think... and actually that's a bigger list than I thought, but still pretty small compared to reflex: half.

Anyway, there ya go. Those are the core spells, probably more elsewhere.

-Nate

 

[Hypersmurf]

So, we have a Marilith in the Abyss. Some busybody casts Holy Word on her and beats her SR.

She's deafened for 1d4 rounds and blinded for 2d4 rounds, no save.

Now, we have a Marilith on the Material Plane. Some busybody casts Holy Word on her and beats her SR.

She's deafened for 1d4 rounds and blinded for 2d4 rounds, no save. In addition, as a nongood extraplanar creature she must make a Will save or be Banished.

----

Now let's make her a Hexblade with Mettle.

In the Abyss, she's still deafened for 1d4 rounds and blinded for 2d4 rounds, no save.

On the Material Plane, though, if she makes her Will save, she isn't banished... therefore the attack would normally have a lesser effect on a successful save. So making her Will save against the banishment will also negate the blindness and deafness.

-Hyp.

 

[Sejs]

I think the most amusing use of Mettle comes from the Book of Nine Swords.


Several of the strikes are in a basic 'hit enemy, apply debuff X' format. Oh, but the target gets a chance to save in order to negate the debuff.


... and they're listed as Fort Partial. Successful save negates the debuff, but you're still hurt by the blow that delivered it.


Aah, unless you have Mettle. Then, not only do you shrug off the debuff but also the injury that delivered it.


Badass.

 

[Darklone]

Harm or Disintegrate?

 

[Felix]

So, we have a Marilith in the Abyss. [snip Hyp vs Semantics ]

-Hyp.

So what would happen in the case of Baleful Polymorph?

It has a Will partial, not for physically becoming a Small animal, but for retaining your mental abilities. I assume as written Mettle means that if you succeed in retaining your mental state in the Will save, you then no longer suffer the physical transformation from the failed Fort save?

 

[Hypersmurf]

So what would happen in the case of Baleful Polymorph?

It has a Will partial, not for physically becoming a Small animal, but for retaining your mental abilities. I assume as written Mettle means that if you succeed in retaining your mental state in the Will save, you then no longer suffer the physical transformation from the failed Fort save?

That's an odd one... you don't get to make the Will save for 24 hours!

But if you do, it looks like the transformation would be negated...

-Hyp.

 

[the Jester]

That's an odd one... you don't get to make the Will save for 24 hours!

But if you do, it looks like the transformation would be negated...

-Hyp.

I gotta agree with the smurf.

That is an odd one.