Travel Domain: Freedom of Movement

[Quikill]

Hi all,

Not sure if this has come into question, but the Cleric Travel Domain lists that the cleric can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if under a Freedom of Movement spell, but Freedom of Movement spell affects anything that impedes movement including non-magical effects such as escaping from a grapple or moving underwater.

My question is this:
Does the Travel Domain power kick in if the cleric is grappled or moving underwater? I ask because the wording in the travel domain is almost identical to that in Freedom of Movement spell' first sentence.

Any clarity on this is appreciated.

Thanks

Travel Domain
Granted Powers

For a total time per day of 1 round per cleric level you possess, you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you were affected by the spell freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds).

This granted power is a supernatural ability.

Add Survival to your list of cleric class skills.


Freedom of Movement
Abjuration
Level: Brd 4, Clr 4, Drd 4, Luck 4, Rgr 4
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell enables you or a creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. The subject automatically succeeds on any grapple check made to resist a grapple attempt, as well as on grapple checks or Escape Artist checks made to escape a grapple or a pin.

The spell also allows the subject to move and attack normally while underwater, even with slashing weapons such as axes and swords or with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and maces, provided that the weapon is wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, allow water breathing.
Material Component

A leather thong, bound around the arm or a similar appendage.

 

[Wolfwood2]

My question is this:
Does the Travel Domain power kick in if the cleric is grappled or moving underwater? I ask because the wording in the travel domain is almost identical to that in Freedom of Movement spell' first sentence.

Yes it does. So not only does the Travel Domain grant access to such phat wizard spells as Fly, Dimension Door, and Teleport, but it also makes a cleric nearly immune to grappling.

Not coincidentally, Travel is considered one of the most powerful domains out there.

 

[frankthedm]

No, the travel domain power won't help against anything non magical.

Wheather that is an intended balance or because of a copy and paste oversight from 3.0, only the game designers know.

 

[Slaved]

The Travel Domain Granted Ability does not help against Non-Magical Effects.

 

[Nail]

Does the Travel Domain power kick in if the cleric is grappled or moving underwater?

No.

Neither is a magical effect.

The Travel domain power does not exactly copy the effects of the Freedom of Movement spell. It only takes from that spell its powers against magical effects that impede movement. Period.

 

[Nail]

Yes it does.

Read that again. Note the phrasing "you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you were affected by the spell freedom of movement".

If you need to, read it twice for emphasis.

 

[Quikill]

Thanks for the clarification. I had always played it as identical to Freedom of Movement, but the wording of the text came up in a discussion recently.

 

[mvincent]

Does the Travel Domain power kick in if the cleric is grappled or moving underwater?

I believe that this was the writer's intent, but the strict wording is often interpreted otherwise.

Since the travel domain is overpowered, it probably best to use the strict wording. Still, if the writer's had intended it to function differently from Freedom of Movement, they likely would've made that clear.

 

[Arkhandus]

But they DID make it quite clear.

If it was supposed to just duplicate Freedom of Movement in its entirety, it would have simply said "the cleric may act as though under a Freedom of Movement spell for up to 1 round per cleric level each day'.

Instead the description specifies that the cleric may only ignore magical movement impediments.

 

[mvincent]

But they DID make it quite clear.

Every group I've played with has had the opposite interpretation of yours. I can also point to several threads (here's one) on this topic. As written, I don't believe we can conclusively determine that the writer intended to preclude non-magical effects.

A similar example might be where the jump skill description says "Long Jump: A long jump is a horizontal jump, made across a gap like a chasm or stream". Strictly by RAW, we could conclude that this means that one could not long jump over something that is not a gap, but that's not the intent. The last part of that sentence is a descriptor rather than a limiter.

Like I said earlier: I agree with your conclusion, but am aware of how others may interpret it differently. I view such knowledge/understanding to be important when discussing the rules.