Nightmare Spinner Inspire Fear ability

[Herzog]

I finally got into a situation to use my Nighmare Spinner Inspire Fear ability, only to re-read the ability and realise it doesn't actually seem to do what I thought it did:

Inspire Fear (Su): ​

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As a standard action, you can create a
mind-affecting fear effect that makes a living creature within
30 feet ill at ease. The target becomes shaken for a number of
rounds equal to your nightmare spinner class level; a successful
Will save (DC 10 + your class level + your Cha modifier)
halves this duration.
You can use this power a number of times per day equal
to 3 + your Cha modifier. Multiple uses of this ability on the​

same creature don't stack.

I originally read this as some kind of fear-inspiring aura.
Am I correct in reading this as affecting ony a single target per use?

 

[James the Newbie]

I'd hate to confirm your suspicions, but from what I am reading, it looks like it only hits a single target.

 

[Empirate]

"A living creature", and "the target". Clear-cut, and dried.

 

[Herzog]

I re-read the Nightmare Spinner, and encountered this section under 'Playing a Nightmare Spinner - Combat':

...You can also use your inspire fear ability to impair the combat ability of multiple opponents....

(emphasis mine)

This leads me to believe the ability IS intended to affect multiple targets. The wording in the ability itself, however, seems contrary to this. Any further thoughts?

 

[jefgorbach]

The last sentence of the quoted text states you can affect 3+your Cha modifier each day.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Each use would require an additional standard action, but you could in a single combat affect 2+ targets with successive uses of the ability.

Seems pretty craptactular to me unless you have other abilities to tack on fear, or friends who can. I suppose you could use that + Quickened Cause Fear to auto-Frighten a foe even if they make the save vs Cause Fear. Better would be to recruit a Barbarian friend with Dreadful Wrath, Intimidating Rage, and Never Outnumbered.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I think it's sad that a Class ability could be weaker than a Feat.

Frightful Presence. Scroll down a bit to see it. From Draconomicon.