Energy Adaptation and Immediate Action

[takasi]

Not retroactively, but based on "any time" it could be used to interrupt one.

I disagree. If the action is declared after another action has happened then you are retroactively changing the original event.

If you refuse to understand this then you have more significant issues at hand, like how you can counterspell a quickened magic missile with a plain old normal magic missile.

Counterspelling is a readied action. It is declared in advance.

This is one of those areas the DM needs to be clear and up front about when these 'immediate' spells and effects get allowed in.

If this is how I ruled:

Player 1 may now make an immediate action.
Monster 1 moves.
Player 1 may now make an immediate action.
Monster 1 attacks and deals 50 points of damage.
Player 1 may now make an immediate action.
Monster 2 moves.
Player 1 may now make an immediate action
etc.

Do you see any problems with this? What other complications would come up that would contradict other rules?

This is the situation I do not want to see:

Player 1 may now make an immediate action.
Player 1 chooses not to make an immediate action.
Monster 1 moves.
Player 1 chooses to make an immediate action to block the square monster 1 moved to.
Ummm...I guess Monster 1 didn't move...

 

[Crothian]

I wouldn't let the player interupt an action that is happening or to do it after the action and have it happen before. But if the player was thinking that dragon might be breathing I would allow a sense motive check or other skill to give the PC a chance to rightfully predict what the dragon is about to do.

 

[takasi]

I wouldn't let the player interupt an action that is happening or to do it after the action and have it happen before. But if the player was thinking that dragon might be breathing I would allow a sense motive check or other skill to give the PC a chance to rightfully predict what the dragon is about to do.

That makes sense to me.

For example, this is how I believe energy adaptation should be interpreted:

Dragon's Turn:
Player 1 may make an immediate action
Dragon moves (player 1 is now within breath weapon range of dragon)
Player 1 may make an immediate action
Player 1 chooses to manifest energy adaptation
Dragon breaths, player 1 takes no damage

Without the immediate action the player would only be able to manifest the power on his turn. In this scenario the immediate action is still powerful and IMO this interpretation makes more sense and is easier to adjudicate.

 

[IanB]

The whole point of immediate actions seems to be to interrupt things as they happen, so I would definitely allow it. The counter argument sort of seems to me to be like saying, for example, that you can't feather fall in response to a pit trap.

 

[Geoff Watson]

The problem with disallowing immediate actions to interrupt opponents actions is that makes many immediate actions completely useless.

Geoff.

 

[takasi]

Another question:

If you can manifest energy adaptation as an immediate action once the dragon breathes but before damage is dealt then why would anyone use Energy Adaptation when they could use Energy Adaptation Specified?

Now this is my interpretation of Energy Adaptation. Because it says 'or' in the energy types and because the body says the subtype is the same as the type of damage it protects against, I'm assuming this only protects against one energy type once damage is dealt by an energy type.

Energy Adaptation Specified is only 3 points and says you must declare the energy type when you manifest it.

If the DM declares that the dragon is breathing fire, the psion could simply cast energy adaptation specified (fire) immediately because they know what type of damage is being dealt.

Of course with a dragon it's usually much easier to know the damage type ahead of time, but what about a trap?

 

[Crothian]

The problem with disallowing immediate actions to interrupt opponents actions is that makes many immediate actions completely useless.

If you allow them to interupt, can the action being interupted be changed?

 

[IanB]

If you allow them to interupt, can the action being interupted be changed?

No, barring any weird corner cases that don't leap immediately to mind.

 

[IanB]

Another question:

If you can manifest energy adaptation as an immediate action once the dragon breathes but before damage is dealt then why would anyone use Energy Adaptation when they could use Energy Adaptation Specified?

Now this is my interpretation of Energy Adaptation. Because it says 'or' in the energy types and because the body says the subtype is the same as the type of damage it protects against, I'm assuming this only protects against one energy type once damage is dealt by an energy type.

Energy Adaptation Specified is only 3 points and says you must declare the energy type when you manifest it.

If the DM declares that the dragon is breathing fire, the psion could simply cast energy adaptation specified (fire) immediately because they know what type of damage is being dealt.

Of course with a dragon it's usually much easier to know the damage type ahead of time, but what about a trap?

I think your assumption about Energy Adaptation is wrong, but I only have the SRD in front of me - based on that, I believe it gives you 10/20/30 resistance to *all* energy types.

 

[takasi]

I think your assumption about Energy Adaptation is wrong, but I only have the SRD in front of me - based on that, I believe it gives you 10/20/30 resistance to *all* energy types.

I've posted about this in the past (and ironically I argued for it granting resistance to all types):

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=177011&highlight=energy+adaptation

Whatever the interpretation, many have agreed that the rules are poorly written.