Blade Barrier in Surprise Round

[two]

What happens if you cast Blade Barrier (circle) surrounding some bad guy in the surprise round?

I am very confused bewteen the spell description/FAQ stuff. Does the bad guy get a save, even if he's just INSIDE the blades not being "attacked" by them?

If a save, and he makes it, then he gets an automatic move outside the radius of the blades? Even in a surprise round (when flatfooted?)?

Or is there no save, and no damage, just because the bad guy is standing in the middle of it?

If the radius is, say, 30', the bad guy makes a save, does he move 30' in the surprise round automatically? (huh?)?

 

[Magic Slim]

I assume you're playing the 3.0 version.

How we interpreted it was such:

The creature trapped in the Barrier, on its turn, must:
1) Make a Reflex Save.
1.1) If the save is succesful, the creature takes no damage.
1.2) If the save is unsuccessful, the creature takes full damage.
2) Exit the Blade Barrier in the shortest possible route:
2.1) If the Barrier is exited by the shortest possible route, the creature stops taking damage.
2.2) If the Barrier is NOT exited by the shortest posible route, the creature takes damage from leaving the area.
2.3) If the Barrier is NOT exited, goto 1 on next round.

It may not be the official way, but it's simple.

Slim

 

[two]

Actually, 3.5!

Does this change things?

I'm so confused I can not see straight.

 

[Thanee]

Well, looks like the target of the spell gets moved to the side of the wall (target's choice) upon a successful Reflex save.

Being flat-footed doesn't interfere here (Reflex saves are not modified by that) in the same way as not having an action while it's the cleric's turn does not.

It's one of those rare occasions, where you change positions without actually acting.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Magic Slim]

Actually, 3.5!

Does this change things?

I'm so confused I can not see straight.

Oh, then it's simpler, since 3.0 wasn't clear whether there were actual blades in the middle of a blade barrier.

An immobile, vertical curtain of whirling blades shaped of pure force springs into existence. Any creature passing through the wall takes 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d6), with a Reflex save for half damage.
If you evoke the barrier so that it appears where creatures are, each creature takes damage as if passing through the wall. Each such creature can avoid the wall (ending up on the side of its choice) and thus take no damage by making a successful Reflex save.

If the target is within the ringed wall, then he takes no damage, since there is actual space in the middle of the Blade Ring.

If the target is caught in the Wall of Blades (maybe that's how they should call it), then it must make a save and then it must exit. It's simpler, IMO, if you play the creature's save and move at the same time, on it's turn.

Slim

 

[MerakSpielman]

Also note that in 3.5 the field of blades can no longer be horizontal. Leaving the area of effect via the shortest route no longer poses weird problems, and the spell can no longer be used to hit dozens of enemies at once