Attacking while wind walking

[mypetrock]

I'm pretty certain I made a mistake in interpreting wind walk the other night. The spell description says that the players can't cast spells while wind walking.

Can they a) attack corporeal creatures, b) attack wind-based creatures, or c) turn undead?

Thanks,

mypetrock

 

[AuraSeer]

I've been looking at the spell too. (I'm a player in mypetrock's campaign.) The effect doesn't appear to be very well defined, but my impulse is to contrast it against Gaseous Form.

GF states all kinds of limitations and side effects: the target loses the benefit of material armor, can't manipulate objects, loses supernatural abilities, becomes immune to critical hits, etc. He can still cast spells, but only if they are metamagicked to have no V/S/M/F components.

Wind Walk only states that the targets can't cast spells. It doesn't say that it prevents supernatural abilities or physical attacks. Probably it should have more limitations, because it appears to be intended only as a utility spell, for travelling long distances. As written, it also makes a decent combat buff for non-casters. I can't find anything about it in the errata or the FAQ, though.

Anyone else have some input?

 

[Ferox4]

We simply do not allow any attacks whatsoever while in Wind Walk. We rationalize that without any physical form you can't do any physical damage. It is a travelling spell, and a very useful one at that. Keeps it simple.

 

[Berk]

The spell says it turns you into a cloud. Quite a harmless thing if a cloud started to attack you. If clouds were that dangerous then planes wouldn't be able to fly.

 

[AuraSeer]

The spell says it turns you into a cloud.

That's exactly the problem. What does a "cloudy" or "vaporous" form mean under the 3E rules?

Gaseous Form has a specific definition, and well-defined effects. But Wind Walk doesn't invoke that definition, nor does it refer to any other specific effects or spells. All it says is that the targets get DR 20/+1, and can't cast.

Do the targets become unable to manipulate objects? Does their physical armor cease functioning? Do they gain the other benefits of gaseous form, such as the immunity to critical hits? It's just not specified.

 

[Galfridus]

The SRD says two relevant things: 1) you become a "cloudlike vapor"; 2) you get damage reduction 20/+1.

Obviously, there's no definitive answer beyond those facts. However, common sense says that a vaporous form might be able to attack, but getting hit by a vapor isn't going to do any significant damage. I would give character normal attack rolls and zero damage. Common sense says again that one's ability to manipulate physical objects becomes impossible as a vapor.

Since one combat effect is noted and no others are, I would think that characters keep their AC and do not gain any immunity to criticals. However, as the spell doesn't specify, it's ultimately the DM's call.

 

[dcollins]

I'm quite certain that the intent is that wind walkers are unable to affect any other physical creatures or objects. When DM'ing this spell, I have assumed that the gaseous form spell acts as the base definition of "cloudlike vapor" in D&D.

AuraSeer's link to the special abilities SRD is actually quite helpful, since the section on being gaseous actually begins by stating that it deals with creatures who can "take the form of a cloud of vapor".

 

[AuraSeer]

I just got a Sage response about this. Original question is in bold:

Can a creature make physical attacks while under the effect of a Wind Walk spell?

No.
A windwalker is gaseous (just like the gaseous form spell).

That clears it up nicely. And quick, too-- I only sent the question a few days ago, after the game session where it came up.

 

[dcollins]

Thanks for the follow-up, AuraSeer.