Helpless doesn't Hinder

[Obryn]

By raw how the heck do you even describe helpless?

Your enemy stands there looking particularly easy to hurt only if you hit him. However, he's completely mobile, able to attack, and looks fairly comfortable otherwise.

In this case, I'd say that it's an illusion effect which makes all attacks seem utterly deadly, or perhaps unblockable.

It works, IMHO.

-O

 

[Jack99]

Here is what it says in the Compendium about being helpless.


[/LIST]</H1>Not a blessed word about not taking actions.

Not according to the Player's Handbook.

I never claimed that the PHB said so. If I did, I would have quoted it. Sometimes you need to look at the RAI. Hard to prove RAI though.

If you guys hadn't posted what you had, I would have said it was obvious that a helpless creature cant take any actions. After all, if you can take defensive measures, you can't very well be helpless, can you? Ah well, I am guessing it's not so obvious to everybody after all.

 

[blargney the second]

Huh, so helpless simply means helpless to defend yourself, but you can attack just fine.

 

[IanB]

I don't think there's any reason there couldn't be a condition that works exactly as helpless does in the PHB; the issue is what used to be 'helpless' in 3e is now called 'unconscious' and we are attaching our 3e/dictonary definition expectations to this condition.

They probably should have called it something else...

 

[Iron Sky]

Huh, so helpless simply means helpless to defend yourself, but you can attack just fine.

Actually, you aren't helpless to defend yourself, it's like your internal organs are dangling about outside your body so anything that hits you will rupture and organ. "His liver is under his shield, get it!" "I saw his kidney under that armor plate on his back!" "He's got a heart plug, pull it!"

 

[Saeviomagy]

That's a pretty awesome way to flavour the spell - it turns the target inside out!

 

[Jhaelen]

I never claimed that the PHB said so. If I did, I would have quoted it. Sometimes you need to look at the RAI. Hard to prove RAI though.

If you guys hadn't posted what you had, I would have said it was obvious that a helpless creature cant take any actions. After all, if you can take defensive measures, you can't very well be helpless, can you? Ah well, I am guessing it's not so obvious to everybody after all.

It's not only not obvious, I also think it is not the intention of the helpless condition to include being unable to take actions.

I think it's just the inability to take defensive actions. Maybe they should have called it defenseless...

Having said that I never noticed that there are ways to become helpless without becoming unconscious. Are there any others besides this Face of Death power?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Heh, I never noticed that.

I am not sure if this was intended or not. If it is, the name is misleading for someone coming from D&D 3.x. Calling it "defenseless" might make more sense.

 

[Dan'L]

I think it's just the inability to take defensive actions. Maybe they should have called it defenseless...

This isn't entirely true, though, since you can still take a Total Defense standard action. How about "exposed?"

-Dan'L

 

[James McMurray]

It seems obvious to me that some designer screwed the pooch on this one, and didn't realize that Helpless was supposed to be a rider to other conditions. It doesn't make any sense on its own.

It's the only thing out there that can make you helpless on its own, at least according to the compendium.