Fear Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Fear Question [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TigerDawn
11-07-06, 11:23 AM Hello all,

I have a question about the Dread Witch PRC. The dread witch affects creatues that are normally immune to fear (lvl 4).

What if the creature you are affecting is immune to mind affecting effects, but not fear (eg. paladin)? Are they affected by this class ability using (cause fear etc.)?

I am looking for a RAW/WOTC Erratta answer, not a house rule.

Thanks...
Salla
11-07-06, 08:54 PM I'm not aware of any fear effect that isn't also mind-affecting (fear is an emotion, emotions are all in the mind, immune to mind-affecting=immune to fear), though it's never explicitly spelled out that all fear effects are mind-affecting.

I suppose one *could* have a poison that induces adrenaline production to trigger the flight of a fight-or-flight reflex, which might not be mind-affecting, but I'd think that'd be a bit of a stretch.
Toloran
11-07-06, 10:29 PM Here is how I understand it:

Spell types are split into two catagories: Supertype and Subtype.

Supertypes are the various schools of magic: Necromancy, Conjuration, etc.

Subtypes are varients: Mind-Affecting, Fear, Phantasim, Glamer, etc.

The spell Fear is a necromancy spell (supertype), a mind affecting spell (subtype), and a fear spell (subtype). For something to be immune to the spell Fear, it would have to be immune to either Necromancy spells, Mind Affecting spells, and/or fear spells. So if you are immune to ANY of those things, you are immune to the spell.

Next point: All fear spells are also mind-affecting spells. As such, anything that is immune to mind-affecting spells would be (by definition) immune to fear spells as well.

Now that thats laid out: Your question. For this I'll use an example:

The Kender race out of the dragonlance campaign setting is immune to specifically fear effects. Does this make them immune to mind-affecting spells? No, just fear spells. The dread witch ability bypasses that immunity and thus can fear kender.

Constructs are immune to all mind affecting effects. Does the dread witch ability say its fear affects can affect targets that are immune to mind affecting effects? No, just those immune to specifically fear spells. As such, a construct would still be immune to the fear effect but NOT because it was a fear spell but because it was a mind effecting spell.

From roleplaying perspective, think of it this way: Kender are fearless, however a dread witches fear effects are SO potent that even a kender would be frightened. However, no matter how much you try or how scary your fear effects are, you just can't frighten a chair.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TigerDawn 11-07-06, 11:23 AM	Hello all, I have a question about the Dread Witch PRC. The dread witch affects creatues that are normally immune to fear (lvl 4). What if the creature you are affecting is immune to mind affecting effects, but not fear (eg. paladin)? Are they affected by this class ability using (cause fear etc.)? I am looking for a RAW/WOTC Erratta answer, not a house rule. Thanks...
Salla 11-07-06, 08:54 PM	I'm not aware of any fear effect that isn't also mind-affecting (fear is an emotion, emotions are all in the mind, immune to mind-affecting=immune to fear), though it's never explicitly spelled out that all fear effects are mind-affecting. I suppose one could have a poison that induces adrenaline production to trigger the flight of a fight-or-flight reflex, which might not be mind-affecting, but I'd think that'd be a bit of a stretch.
Toloran 11-07-06, 10:29 PM	Here is how I understand it: Spell types are split into two catagories: Supertype and Subtype. Supertypes are the various schools of magic: Necromancy, Conjuration, etc. Subtypes are varients: Mind-Affecting, Fear, Phantasim, Glamer, etc. The spell Fear is a necromancy spell (supertype), a mind affecting spell (subtype), and a fear spell (subtype). For something to be immune to the spell Fear, it would have to be immune to either Necromancy spells, Mind Affecting spells, and/or fear spells. So if you are immune to ANY of those things, you are immune to the spell. Next point: All fear spells are also mind-affecting spells. As such, anything that is immune to mind-affecting spells would be (by definition) immune to fear spells as well. Now that thats laid out: Your question. For this I'll use an example: The Kender race out of the dragonlance campaign setting is immune to specifically fear effects. Does this make them immune to mind-affecting spells? No, just fear spells. The dread witch ability bypasses that immunity and thus can fear kender. Constructs are immune to all mind affecting effects. Does the dread witch ability say its fear affects can affect targets that are immune to mind affecting effects? No, just those immune to specifically fear spells. As such, a construct would still be immune to the fear effect but NOT because it was a fear spell but because it was a mind effecting spell. From roleplaying perspective, think of it this way: Kender are fearless, however a dread witches fear effects are SO potent that even a kender would be frightened. However, no matter how much you try or how scary your fear effects are, you just can't frighten a chair.