Travel Domain: Escape a grapple?

[Caliban]

Now you are being silly. If a power is like a spell, then it should be clearly spelled out how it is not like the spell.

It does. When it comes to magical effects, it's exactly like the spell. If it's not a magical effect, then it doesn't operate like the spell. Use normal rules.

Nahhh.... - You are trying to read too much into "...regardless of..." As I said, it's not restrictive - it's kind of like saying "for example, ..." and then having folks inist that the list that follows is the entire list.

I think you are wrong. In context, it is clearly restrictive. It's telling what the following abilities applies to - magical effects. Saying it applies to nonmagical effects is reading meaning into the sentence that is not there.

It references Freedom of Movement for a reason - and that reason is so you can figure out how it really works. You really should give the benefit of the doubt to the the character for these things and not try and read it narrowly.

Not when it's clearly stated that this ability applies to magical effect. If they meant it to apply to any effect, magical or mundane, they would not have specified magical effects. That's common sense, not a narrow reading.

 

[Caliban]

I sent this simple note to custserv@wizards.com

Now send it again and see if you get two different answers.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I only wish that were true - especially in a rule book. Unfortunately, as often as not, the additional specificity was not really intended as such, but was intended to emphasis some point, thus clouding the whole issue. This is typical of WotC writing syle in their rule books. They are very badly in need of good technical communicators who also thoroughly understand what the writer meant to say.

On that, we are in complete agreement.

 

[Falling Icicle]

That's common sense, not a narrow reading.

Hmm. Let's be a bit more careful how we say things like that. Your remark would seem to imply that Artoomis doesn't have common sense, even if such an insult were not your intent. From what I have seen, he has both intelligence and common sense in abundence. He simply doesn't agree with the position you and I have taken on this issue.

I'm certainly not perfect in this regard, but we should all be mindful to not insult each other personally, especially over such a picky and insignificant issue.

 

[Artoomis]

Now send it again and see if you get two different answers.

Tempting, very tempting.

I think I am more likely to get no response than two different ones, though.

 

[Mac Callum]

It would seem odd to me to limit this to magical movement impediments.

You can get out of all sorts of interesting magical trciks that hold you fast, but not thick underbrush, for example? But you could escape if the thick underbrush were a spell effect.

Seems silly, doesn't it? It does to me.

Why does Woodland Stride allow you to ignore underbrush, but not grapple checks?

 

[hong]

It's a domain power that you can get at 1st level. It's not supposed to be as powerful as a 4th level spell in all situations.

Well, sure. And at 1st level, it means you get to avoid one grapple per day (maybe more, but if you're being grappled multiple times in one round, you're probably about to be toast anyway). This is hardly something to break the game.

 

[Blood Jester]

I vote with 'it references the spell because that is how it works'.

Beat that grapple, baby.

 

[Caliban]

Well, sure. And at 1st level, it means you get to avoid one grapple per day (maybe more, but if you're being grappled multiple times in one round, you're probably about to be toast anyway). This is hardly something to break the game.

Why do you act as if that was my entire arguement? It doesn't change the fact that the domain power still specifies that it works against magical effects. It doesn't specifiy that it works against mundane effects, it doesn't specify that it works against any effect other than magical ones.

It specifically states that against magical effects that impede movement, you act as if you were under the freedom of movement spell. It just seems pretty clear to me.

There are many spells or abilities that help you against some types of effects, but not other effects, even if they are related or similar. I don't see how this is any different.

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

Just a note that a character IMC has the travel domain, and the reading that it only applies to magical effects never occured to me -- but now I can see where that is a valid reading. I'll be following this thread closely.