Freedom of Movement + Pin Your Opponent = Woo hoo!

[Nareau]

From the SRD:
Freedom of Movement
Abjuration
Level: Brd 4, Clr 4, Drd 4, Luck 4, Rgr 4
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. The subject automatically succeeds on any grapple check made to resist a grapple attempt, as well as on grapple checks or Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.
The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, allow water breathing.
Material Component: A leather thong, bound around the arm or a similar appendage.

Tell me I'm reading this wrong. This is the way I see it going down:
You have FoM cast on you. You go grapple your enemy. You get a hold on him. He uses a grapple attempt to try to break free. You (being on the resisting end) automatically succeed in resisting his escape attempt.
Better still, you decide to pin your opponent. He can't attack you with light weapons, and any grapple-check escape-attempt he makes fails.

Methinks they could have worded the spell better...

Spider

 

[Camarath]

I think what "attempt" means in this case is attempt to initiate a grapple rather than the actions you can attempt wile in a grapple.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Tell me I'm reading this wrong.

You're reading it wrong.

Those situations are grapple checks, but they are not grapple attempts.

A grapple attempt is when someone has just made a touch attack on you and is making the roll to see if they can successfully secure a hold (ie, put both of you into the "grappled" state).

-Hyp.

 

[Tellerve]

I think it is defensively successful. If the person wants to get out you can't autosucceed to keep him there. But maybe I'm reading it wrong as well.

Tellerve

 

[Taloras]

the way i read it is it works on any check where the recipient of the spell is resisting a grapple. I dont see how being able to slip out of a grapple helps you maintain or start one. It does not say to start a grapple or maintain one. it says to resist one or escape one.

 

[Darklone]

I am with Hypersmurf, the word attempt is clearly defined as the start of a grapple.

 

[Pielorinho]

Tell me I'm reading this wrong.

You're reading it wrong. What Hypersmurf said. It's a ridiculously good spell for avoiding grapples, but isn't going to help you achieve a grapple at all. Otherwise, how would you handle the opposed grapple checks of two people with Freedom of Movement case on both of them?

Daniel

 

[Intrope]

Re: Re: Freedom of Movement + Pin Your Opponent = Woo hoo!

You're reading it wrong. What Hypersmurf said. It's a ridiculously good spell for avoiding grapples, but isn't going to help you achieve a grapple at all. Otherwise, how would you handle the opposed grapple checks of two people with Freedom of Movement case on both of them?

Daniel

You'd handle it just like two spell turning effects

I agree that Freedom of Movement isn't worded well--it should only help you escape the grapple, not make you then engine of unbeatable grappling!

 

[Pielorinho]

Imagine, for example, a spell that enables the subject "to succeed on any jump check made to reduce damage from falling 10'." Now imagine the subject's buddy tries to jump down from a wall: does the Freedom of movement allow the subject to succeed on the buddy's jump check?

Of course not. The agent of the participle "made" is understood to be "the subject." In other words, the sentence is understood to be:

The subject automatically succeeds on any grapple check made by the subject to resist a grapple attempt, as well as on grapple checks or Escape Artist checks made by the subject to escape a grapple or a pin.

When the subject is pinning someone, the subject is making a grapple check to enforce a grapple, not to resist a grapple, and the spell doesn't apply. The fact that the subject's opponent is making a check to resist a grapple attempt is immaterial.

Daniel

 

[Chimera]

It's Freedom of (your) movement, meaning you can't be grappled, held, etc, against your wishes.

Not Control of Movement, where you gain control over another's movement.