General Consensus on Purely Mental Actions?

[Shadowdweller]

According to the descriptions of Paralysis, Held conditions the victim is still allowed to take 'purely mental' actions. So the question arises, what would you all consider to be purely mental?

This issue came up in a recent game I participated in, involving a trumpet archon and a horde of babaus. The Archon cast holy word, paralyzing the babaus...which promptly used the Greater Teleport ability to escape (were ruled to be able to do so).

Item: Spell-like abilities lack verbal, somatic, or material components. Are they therefore 'purely mental'? If not, then why not? If so...then we have the unpleasantly strange issue of a paralyzed creature being able to provoke an attack of opportunity because purely mental or not, spell-like abilities definitely DO provoke attacks of opportunity.

Any opinions, insight on this matter?

 

[Crothian]

Spell like abilities are not purely mental...the same reason spells that are silent, stilled with no materials are not. Personally, I'm not sure of any action that is purely mental.

 

[James McMurray]

I disagree with Crothian. I'm pretty sure that spell-ike abilities are purely mental, as are Silent, Stilled, Eschewed spells.

Psionic powers and the use of Int based skills that don't involve outside interaction are all mental actions.

If they aren't purely mental, then what else are you doing? You're not saying, moving, or holding anything.

 

[Particle_Man]

My DM decided yesterday that my being paralyzed with fear upon seeing a mummy meant that I was too scared to use psionic powers.

Not that I am bitter or anything.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I agree with james on this one. psionics and stilled/silent/eschewed if necessary spells are purely mental - there are NO components. (otherwise you are left with no meaningful mental actions!)

 

[James McMurray]

I could see paralysis from fear being considered mental paralysis and ths also preventing any mental actions.

 

[Crothian]

I would just hope that if it was purely mental, then somewhere in the books it would tell us.

 

[James McMurray]

You mean apart from it not requiring any outward activity?

 

[Thanee]

Commanding a dominated creature is also purely mental.

Bye
Thanee

 

[the Jester]

I'd say purely mental activities are those which require no physical action to perform them- thus, spells w/o components, psionics, spell-like abilities, telepathic communication- I'm sure there are more things, but that's a good scratch at the surface of a list.