Slow is naaasty

[Scion]

Personally, I'd either let the 5' step be able to take place so long as the persons half movement is still greater than 5' (ie 10'+) or, less likely, I would allow them to make a partial charge over the 5' (after all, to them it feels like 10' ).

One or the other, but definately not neither.. well, maybe both, that could be fun too. I like having very strange reasons to cast normally harmful spells on the party (such as ray of enfeeblement).

 

[mikebr99]

Well... as the phb states:

You can only take a 5-foot step if your movement isn't hampered by... <insert SOME, not all examples here>

The slow spell doubles the "additional Movement cost" just as darkness does...

being slowed = hampered movement.


Mike

 

[Thanee]

And there they said Zombies had it rough...

Bye
Thanee

 

[Deset Gled]

Well... as the phb states:

The slow spell doubles the "additional Movement cost" just as darkness does...

being slowed = hampered movement.

No offence, but... huh?

First of all, your quote gives two very specific cases, not the possibility of a long list of conditions like you imply.

Second, neither slowness nor darkness result in any kind of "additional Movement cost". Blinded creatures (not creatures in darkness) move at half speed, and a slowed creature moves at half it's normal speed.

 

[mikebr99]

No offence, but... huh?

First of all, your quote gives two very specific cases, not the possibility of a long list of conditions like you imply.

Second, neither slowness nor darkness result in any kind of "additional Movement cost". Blinded creatures (not creatures in darkness) move at half speed, and a slowed creature moves at half it's normal speed.

Please turn to page 163 in the phb, and look at table 9-4: Hampered movement


Mike

 

[Zad]

I'll start: Half-speed is a game term, not merely a descriptive one. If a spell (slow) says a player moves "at half its normal speed (round down to the next 5-foot increment)", that is not the same as "half-speed". The fact that the spell actually clarifies that "half its normal speed" works differently mechanically than "half-speed" does (one uses division, one uses the mechanic of 1 square counting as 2) strengthens this arguement.

I'm on board with this for exactly this reason. I read the slow spell and I don't think it removes your ability to make a 5' step. If it did, I think it would mention it explicitly.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

As a DM, my gut tells me to allow the zombie a 5' step. It's a bit wonky that it can move 1/3 it's movement for free and a non-slowed fighter only gets to move 1/6 for free, but sometimes the abstraction does that.

I'm not sure about the charging. On the one hand, the charge provision about being resticted to a standard or move action seems to refer specifically to a zombie or slowed PC. On the other hand, any hindrance to movement, as I understand it, prevents a charge. Meaning that if there's a single patch of brush that hinders movement by an additional 5', even a paladin mounted on a dire lion can't charge through that square. That being the case, it seems silly to say that a zombie, which is always hindered in such a way, can freely charge.

I suppose it comes down to a hindrance to movement (such as the brush mentioned above) being different than merely being slowed. Slowed doesn't actually hinder movement, so much as reduce how much movement you have.

So...I suppose that at the moment, I lean towards allowing the partial charging (assuming there isn't also a patch of brush ), and the 5' step.

 

[ken-ichi]

pretty obvious there are only two things that prevent 5-ft. steps.
All quotes from SRD.

You can only take a 5-foot-step if your movement isn’t hampered by difficult terrain or darkness.

Being slowed is not difficult terrain nor is it darkness. Thus 5 foot steps are allowed.

You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent.
You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). Here’s what it means to have a clear path. First, you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. (If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can’t charge.) Second, if any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can’t charge. (Helpless creatures don’t stop a charge.)

Hampered Movement: Difficult terrain, obstacles, or poor visibility can hamper movement.

Note the italics I added above. These are the things that stop a charge.
Hampered movement (difficult terrain, obstacles, and poor visibility).
Note that everything that stops a charge deals with things in the squares you are moving through, not in your ability to move at full speed.

Thus I conclude that 5 ft. steps and charges are allowable when affected by a slow spell. You get hosed enough as it is.

 

[Deset Gled]

Please turn to page 163 in the phb, and look at table 9-4: Hampered movement


Mike

p 163 corrects me in saying (in a table only) that darkness causes an Additional Movement Cost. But I am still at a loss to see how this is relevant when discussing the Slow spell. The spell Slow doesn't cause an Additional Movement Cost. It isn't hampered movement. The target merely moves "at half its normal speed".

Even if being Slowed did constitute hampered movement, hampered movement doesn't necessarily prohibit the use of a 5-foot step. Only "difficult terrain or darkness" (to re-quote the same section you referenced), moving at half-speed (such as when blinded), or taking another move action stop someone from taking a 5-foot step. Slow does not cause any of these conditions.

 

[Thanee]

You definitely have a point there.

They probably should have avoided the "half...speed" part in the Slow description and added something less ambiguous.

Bye
Thanee