Immediate Spells

[Bagpuss]

Immediate Spells when can you cast them?

For example....

A barbarian declares a charge towards you... can you cast Hesitate (PPBII:114) to make him lose all actions, and so he stops before he reaches you.

A wizard casts Fireball, as the bead of light travels towards you can you counter with Energy Aegis (PHBII:111) to gain Resistance 20 against fire before it goes off?

Immediate Spells can be cast at anytime, even when it isn't your turn, but can they actually interrupt other peoples actions. There results make it appear to me that this is there intention, they aren't that useful otherwise, but it isn't clear from the rules.

 

[MarkB]

Immediate Spells when can you cast them?

For example....

A barbarian declares a charge towards you... can you cast Hesitate (PPBII:114) to make him lose all actions, and so he stops before he reaches you.

Yes.

A wizard casts Fireball, as the bead of light travels towards you can you counter with Energy Aegis (PHBII:111) to gain Resistance 20 against fire before it goes off?

Yes.

Immediate Spells can be cast at anytime, even when it isn't your turn, but can they actually interrupt other peoples actions. There results make it appear to me that this is there intention, they aren't that useful otherwise, but it isn't clear from the rules.

Many Immediate actions are specifically designed to interrupt actions - for instance, a Knight's Shield Ally ability must be used after an opponent's attack on an ally is confirmed as successful, but before damage is rolled. Whilst it's not explicitly indicated that all immediate actions can interrupt other characters' actions in this manner, the design intent does indeed seem to be for them to be able to do so.

 

[Thanee]

A wizard casts Fireball, as the bead of light travels towards you can you counter with Energy Aegis (PHBII:111) to gain Resistance 20 against fire before it goes off?

That's the point of that spell (and immediate actions in general), yes, to be used exactly when needed. However in this specific example it wouldn't help you at all, since Energy Aegis doesn't protect against Fireball, which is also why the spell unfortunately sucks badly.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bagpuss]

since Energy Aegis doesn't protect against Fireball, which is also why the spell unfortunately sucks badly.

Oh yeah, I was just going from the short description (from the spell book generator) which mentions for one attack, having read the full discription it does say "that targets the subject" so it's useless against area of effect attacks. I wonder if that was intentional (to limit the power of the spell) or just poor wording.

 

[Bagpuss]

for instance, a Knight's Shield Ally ability must be used after an opponent's attack on an ally is confirmed as successful, but before damage is rolled.

Actually reading the Shield Ally ability it mention nothing about the immediate action having to be taken before damage is rolled. In fact it says "Each time an ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half the damage on yourself." which implies it happens after the damage roll.

It's Improved Shield Ally that mentions having to decide to take all the damage between the attack roll and damage roll.

Sort of screws with the tip (PHBII:144 the same product!) to roll attack and damge rolls at the same time. So I'm inclined to ignore the timing on that and let them declare after seeing the damage.

 

[MarkB]

Actually reading the Shield Ally ability it mention nothing about the immediate action having to be taken before damage is rolled. In fact it says "Each time an ally takes damage from a physical attack before your next turn, you can take half the damage on yourself." which implies it happens after the damage roll.

It's Improved Shield Ally that mentions having to decide to take all the damage between the attack roll and damage roll.

Sort of screws with the tip (PHBII:144 the same product!) to roll attack and damge rolls at the same time. So I'm inclined to ignore the timing on that and let them declare after seeing the damage.

Well, you don't have to actually announce the damage when you roll it (though if you roll in the open, this is of course a moot point).

I think the idea is that it's a test of commitment for the knight - he has to choose to take the blow after knowing that it will indeed hit him, but before he knows for sure whether he'll survive it.

 

[moritheil]

Oh yeah, I was just going from the short description (from the spell book generator) which mentions for one attack, having read the full discription it does say "that targets the subject" so it's useless against area of effect attacks. I wonder if that was intentional (to limit the power of the spell) or just poor wording.

Energy Aegis is more meant to counter the power of something like scorching ray, or seeking ray - though it doesn't even do very well against scorching ray, if you consider the separate rays as separate attacks.

 

[brehobit]

questions on immediate/swift actions

And while we're at it:
When do immediate actions refresh?

* Can you do an immediate/swift action as a Move action? As a Standard Action?

* Can you take both an immediate and swift action in a round (in addition to a standard and move?) The SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm) is really unclear on that but I think the splat books were much more clear.

* Can you use an immediate action if you are flat footed?

I am looking at playing a pretty high-level bard. And in the SC there is an immediate spell (Ruins something) which looks mighty handy. But its interactions with other swift spells make it less obviously useful.

 

[moritheil]

And while we're at it:
When do immediate actions refresh?

* Can you do an immediate/swift action as a Move action? As a Standard Action?

* Can you take both an immediate and swift action in a round (in addition to a standard and move?) The SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm) is really unclear on that but I think the splat books were much more clear.

* Can you use an immediate action if you are flat footed?

I am looking at playing a pretty high-level bard. And in the SC there is an immediate spell (Ruins something) which looks mighty handy. But its interactions with other swift spells make it less obviously useful.

Generally duration details are spelled out in a spell's text.

Regarding immediate and swift actions, there's an easy way around any confusion - take your immediate action in someone else's round.

 

[Mouseferatu]

* Can you take both an immediate and swift action in a round (in addition to a standard and move?) The SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsInCombat.htm) is really unclear on that but I think the splat books were much more clear.

No. An immediate action uses up your swift action "slot" for your coming turn.