Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

[cossakking]

I was reading about the explanation of actions (p126? PHB) where they are talking about spell like abilities, supernatural abilities, etc....

When I caught something very peculiar....it talks about using a spell like ability (most of the time a standard action) defensively (I assume they mean during someone else's action...or at least that's how I read it last night...(requires Concentration roll vs DC 15)...then they use the example of "lay on hands" which if failed would cause the Paladin to use/lose 1 point of that ability. Does this mean that the Paladin could use this when they are hit/attacked and take damage...

OK you are hit for 5 points which would drop you to -2, but if you make your concentration DC of 15 you can use your lay on hands ability....

When I caught something very peculiar....it talks about using a supernatural ability (most of the time a standard action)

Second question:
Aura of Courage...supernatural ability requires standard action?

Third question:
Det evil @will...requires standard action?

 

[Darklone]

Paladin blabla

Please give page number and so on, didn't understand what you mean. But I think they are talking about the following situation: Paladin is surrounded and wants to use lay on hands on himself. If he gets hit due to the AoOs from his enemies, this will result in a concentration check for him to manage the lay on hands.

Second question:
Aura of Courage...supernatural ability requires standard action?

Supernatural? those require no action (barbarian faster movement)

Third question:
Det evil @will...requires standard action?

Spell like abilities require standard actions that may result in AoOs.

 

[AGGEMAM]

When I caught something very peculiar....it talks about using a spell like ability (most of the time a standard action) defensively (I assume they mean during someone else's action...or at least that's how I read it last night...(requires Concentration roll vs DC 15)...then they use the example of "lay on hands" which if failed would cause the Paladin to use/lose 1 point of that ability. Does this mean that the Paladin could use this when they are hit/attacked and take damage...

Reading rules during the night only leads to silly assumptions like this.

You can use a spell-like ability defensively as if you were casting (a spell) on the defensive.

Hope that clears things up for you.

 

[Umbran]

When I caught something very peculiar....it talks about using a spell like ability (most of the time a standard action) defensively (I assume they mean during someone else's action...or at least that's how I read it last night...(requires Concentration roll vs DC 15)...[...snip...[

Second question:
Aura of Courage...supernatural ability requires standard action?

Third question:
Det evil @will...requires standard action?

No, you cannot use Lay on Hands during someone else's action any more than you can cast a spell during someone else's action. They are describing using Lay on Hands defensively just like you'd cast a spell defensively - to avoid an Attack of Opportunity. See the PHB, pg 125.

Aura of Courage is "always on". If it requires a standard action to initiate, then it was done back when the Paladin became second level.

A paladin's Detect Evil - for many intents and purposes, you can imagine it were a spell the paladin knew, could cast an infinite number of times a day, without any verbal, somatic, or material components. It takes a standard action to initiate, just as it'd take a standard action to cast the spell. The paladin must concentrate, and gets information over the course of a few rounds, just as if they had cast the spell.

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

Aura of Courage is "always on". If it requires a standard action to initiate, then it was done back when the Paladin became second level.

Heh. I can just imagine a really dumb paladin (Int 3) forgetting to activate his aura of courage on levelling up. Or forgetting to take advantage of it.

"Darn, Bob's running away AGAIN! Someone go remind him that he's immune to fear!"

 

[AGGEMAM]

Re: Re: Re: Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

"Darn, Bob's running away AGAIN! Someone go remind him that he's immune to fear!"

I actually did forget that I granted a save bonus to my allies the 1st time somebody cast fear on one my friends after leveling up.

It happens. Not the character fault, but the players.

 

[maddman75]

Re: Re: Re: Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

Heh. I can just imagine a really dumb paladin (Int 3) forgetting to activate his aura of courage on levelling up. Or forgetting to take advantage of it.

"Darn, Bob's running away AGAIN! Someone go remind him that he's immune to fear!"

LOL - I had this moment in Baldur's Gate 2

Main character was a paladin-cavalier. I was fighting these nasty spellcasters. At the beginning of the fight they'd open with a symbol of fear, make most of my party flee, and proceed to stomp me.

I must have reloaded and fought that battle half a dozen times before I relized that my paladin could cast Remove Fear 13 times a day. After that, battle was easy.

 

[Pendelton]

A paladin's Detect Evil - for many intents and purposes, you can imagine it were a spell the paladin knew, could cast an infinite number of times a day, without any verbal, somatic, or material components. It takes a standard action to initiate, just as it'd take a standard action to cast the spell. The paladin must concentrate, and gets information over the course of a few rounds, just as if they had cast the spell.

Your post brings up a question I have been trying to find the answer to. Are there any outward signs that a Paladin is using Detect Evil? Can characters and creatures around a Paladin tell when they are Detecting the presence of Evil?

 

[shilsen]

Re: Re: Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

Your post brings up a question I have been trying to find the answer to. Are there any outward signs that a Paladin is using Detect Evil? Can characters and creatures around a Paladin tell when they are Detecting the presence of Evil?

The rules don't specifically say, but you can extrapolate that there are outward signs (and yes, knowing these boards, someone will disagree ). Using Detect Evil is a spell-like ability, and since these draw AoOs if used in combat, I'd argue that there must be some sign or indication. Maybe the paladin needs to shut his eyes for a moment to concentrate, maybe he has to trace a quick symbol in the air - it's up the DM to decide.

 

[Umbran]

Re: Re: Paladin Lay on Hands Defensively?

Your post brings up a question I have been trying to find the answer to. Are there any outward signs that a Paladin is using Detect Evil? Can characters and creatures around a Paladin tell when they are Detecting the presence of Evil?

Shilsen there mentioned drawign a symbol in the air - I note that such an ability doesn't require a specific somatic (or verbal, or material) component. However, it draws an AoO, so it does require something.

My suggestion is concentration - the paladin stops whatever he's doing, and *stares* in the direction he's detecting evil. His mind is elsewhere, he weapons not specifically in line to defend himself, muscles slightly slack. It would be obvious to a combatant that he's not paying attention to combat. With no components, it'd be difficult to identify exactly what he was up to. It would probably require knowledge that the character is a paladin, and of exactly what a paladin can do, to put them togetehr and figure that he's detecting evil, specifically.