Fear Spell, Wand Caster Level

[Lord Zardoz]

I am pretty sure I got this correct, however, I just want to double check.

I managed to hit my players with the Fear spell today. Now, a successful save is obvious, Target Shaken for 1 round.

On a failed save though, the target is panicked for as many rounds as the duration. And Panicked means the victim is fleeing for X rounds as fast as they can, and then can choose to return when the duration is up. Assuming a 7th Level caster, it amounts to being out of the fight for 14 rounds (7 fleeing, and 7 returning).

Is this correct? If so, the spell is much nastier than you would think. You can keep an opponent out of the fight for quite a while, making Divide and Conquer very easy.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Goobermunch]

I am pretty sure I got this correct, however, I just want to double check.

I managed to hit my players with the Fear spell today. Now, a successful save is obvious, Target Shaken for 1 round.

On a failed save though, the target is panicked for as many rounds as the duration. And Panicked means the victim is fleeing for X rounds as fast as they can, and then can choose to return when the duration is up. Assuming a 7th Level caster, it amounts to being out of the fight for 14 rounds (14 fleeing, and 14 returning).

Is this correct? If so, the spell is much nastier than you would think. You can keep an opponent out of the fight for quite a while, making Divide and Conquer very easy.

END COMMUNICATION

Provided you meant 7 fleeing, and 7 returning, I think you're right.

--G

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Ahh. Well, thanks for pointing out the error, Goober. Edited.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Infiniti2000]

Yes, it can be quite nasty in the right circumstances. It pays to have a cleric on hand, or a paladin.

 

[Shin Okada]

Yeah. I remember once in a 3.0e game, one cast of Fear spell had let all the party members and cohorts, except for my Cleric PC, flee. Unfortunately, that was at the end of a long corridor with multiple corners. All the members went out of my cleric's sight before he can cast remove fear. So he had to fight the dungeon both alone.

Luckily, I won.

 

[akbearfoot]

And with a Dual wand master, It's especially nasty.

If you're already shaken and you suffer an effect that causes shaken again, you automatically become panicked.

You get to use 2 wands of fear, they become panicked automatically, even if they make both saves.

Doesen't fear have a hitdice cap of like 5th level creatures now though? So...not so useful anymore once the PCs should be fighting things that can cast 4th level spells.

 

[Kat']

If you're already shaken and you suffer an effect that causes shaken again, you automatically become panicked.

Not sure of that. Would you mind giving a reference? I could not find any trace of this rule in the SRD. It works for Fatigue and Exhaustion, but I wasn't aware of stacking fear levels... I mean, two Mummies are not that much scarier than one, are they?

 

[darthkilmor]

Not sure of that. Would you mind giving a reference? I could not find any trace of this rule in the SRD. It works for Fatigue and Exhaustion, but I wasn't aware of stacking fear levels... I mean, two Mummies are not that much scarier than one, are they?

Fear

Spells, magic items, and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. If a fear effect allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (DC 10 + ½ fearsome creature’s racial HD + creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). All fear attacks are mind-affecting fear effects. A failed roll usually means that the character is shaken, frightened, or panicked.

Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.

Linky

Ask and ye shall receive. It would require 3 successful saves to become panicked though.

 

[Kat']

OK, thanks. Now, given that the "same cause, same effect" rule certainly applies, would two consecutive Fear spells stack?

 

[Infiniti2000]

Ask and ye shall receive. It would require 3 successful saves to become panicked though.

Which is impossible even with the dual wand wielder unless he also has a quickened fear, and you allow Fear to stack with itself. The victim would have to fail one of the two saves to become panicked.

I remember once in a 3.0e game, one cast of Fear spell had let all the party members and cohorts, except for my Cleric PC, flee. Unfortunately, that was at the end of a long corridor with multiple corners. All the members went out of my cleric's sight before he can cast remove fear.

That's highly unlucky for you to have to act just before the BBEG. Otherwise, you would've been able to act before one or more of your party members could flee. I only mention this because I know a lot of people would erroneously have victims flee immediately rather than on their turn.