Travel Domain: Escape a grapple?

[evilbob]

I just wish they could be more curt and non-explanatory in their responses. I mean two whole sentences? Who has time to read that?

 

[Stalker0]

So that must mean that both answers are wrong and that there is a third, yet to be mentioned, option that is completely correct

Maybe it actually works like spider climb but only whenever you are free of any enchantments that might hinder your ability to do a jig?

As the Vorlons say, the truth is a 3 edged sword.

I'm of the opinion, that the put the clause of not being impeded by magic for a reason, as has been mentioned, why not just say you have freedom of movement if you just have freedom of movement?

Also, from a balance standpoint, the travel domain is one of the most kickass domains just for its spells. And the freedom of movement is another huge bonus, I think limiting it a little helps to balance the domain.

 

[Quasqueton]

If the travel domain ability works just like freedom of movement, and not just versus magical empediments, and it automatically works as soon as the character's movement is hindered, then. . .

it works when the character is in/under water.

it works when the character moves through heavy brush.

does it work when the character wears medium/heavy armor? [Which would "drain" the power automatically within the first few rounds of the character's day.]

can the character have it *not* work, so as to not have it drain on mundane movement obstacles?


Quasqueton

 

[James McMurray]

It doesn't indiate any kind of control mechanis,m, so no, it can't be shut off if you don't want to use it. Luckily for the travel clerics, it doesn't help against mundane movement hinderances.

 

[Gort]

It only mentions diseases that were caused by magic in the clause. This would be just as ambiguous as the travel domain ability is now. Does the fact that it doesn't mention normal diseases mean it doesn't work on normal diseases? If it removed all diseases, it could have just said it removes ALL diseases and not mentioned magic ones specifically. Could the ability also mean that it removes all diseases and mentioned magical ones for emphasis, or out of carelessness?

What? Descriptions of powers mean, "Here is what the power does." Not, "Here is what the power does, and anything not mentioned is optional by player/GM discretion."

I think there're a lot of people in this thread who have the Travel domain and want it to apply to everything, because they'd like to have that power, regardless of what the rules say.

 

[evilbob]

That might be dependant on how you chose to interpret "lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed" - in other words, you could argue that if it is not really needed, they don't use it. Another tricky situation is if your character intentionally grapples someone - do they fail it automatically because of the domain? Personally, I would probably rule that like most other abilities, you can voluntarily supress it at will, but I'm sure others will disagree.

But yes, you're right - if it works like the spell, it would work in water, heavy brush, etc.

 

[Caliban]

Another tricky situation is if your character intentionally grapples someone - do they fail it automatically because of the domain?

Freedom of Movement doesn't prevent you from grappling anyone. It just means that you automatically make the check to escape the grapple. If you aren't making a check to escape the grapple, it doesn't have any effect.

 

[Artoomis]

Freedom of Movement doesn't prevent you from grappling anyone. It just means that you automatically make the check to escape the grapple. If you aren't making a check to escape the grapple, it doesn't have any effect.

That's not quite accurate - almost, though.

Freedom of Movement:

...The subject automatically succeeds on any grapple check made to resist a grapple attempt...

Grapple:

Step 3: Hold. Make an opposed grapple check as a free action.
If you succeed, you and your target are now grappling, and you deal damage to the target as if with an unarmed strike.
If you lose, you fail to start the grapple. You automatically lose an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than you are.

Since you are resisting the grapple attempt with this first opposed grapple check, Freedom of Movement does indeed mean you are immune to being grappled - not just when you are trying to escape a grapple. In other words, attempting to grapple someone with Freedom of Movement is a wasted action.

However, you may indeed grapple someone when YOU have Freedom of Movement, because, in that case, you are not "resisting" the grapple attempt.

 

[James McMurray]

That's what Caliban was saying.

 

[Artoomis]

That's what Caliban was saying.

Not quite - which I why I pointed it out.

Caliban stated you use Freedom of Movement to escape as grapple, but that would imply that you get grappled and then, on your turn, escape. That's not what happens - you never get grappled in the first place.

Since he was answering a question on whether or not you can grapple another if you have Freedom of Movement, the distinction did not matter for the purposes of that question only, but, in the broader context, it matters great deal for whether you automatically prevent a grapple or get to escape automatically.

The difference is between "resisting" a grapple and "escaping" a grapple - two very, very different things.