Help a newbie

I'd need to check it (e.g. get into a fight with spiders), but you may be right that a Ring of Free Movement hasn't helped the guy I've given it to when up against a Web spell.

I'll have to test it at some point, along with some other restricting spells.

 

I know the rings help against ghoul paralysis. Even though my characters get the icon indicating they're paralyzed, they can still move and fight without restriction.

 

Actually i think grease/FoM work similarly to how some interpret the spells to work RAW -- that FoM only prevents your movement from being slowed, but will not prevent you from falling down on your butt.

When vaguely worded spells interact in D&D, silliness always ensues.

The spell will seem more effective when first cast because the enemies caught in it will have to make 2 saves instead of one. One when the spell is cast, and the other when they try to get closer to your group. If the enemies have managed to get up to your melee line of fighters at the grease edge, they will no longer suffer from the grease at all because they will generally not be moving. In ToEE the reflex or "fall" chock is done when someone moves into the very first part of the grease, and from then on out it only checks if they move within the grease itself( if they end their movement in the grease or not)

I've known plenty of DMs who use a more common sense approach and regard enemies standing still in the grease but engaged in melee to either be forced to make balance checks to fall down or simply consider that person flat footed. But sadly for rogues everywhere that isn't RAW.

 

Yeah, that not being RAW doesn't make sense. If you're engaged in melee, it's not like your feet stay firmly planted. You shift weight, lean back and forth, adjust your footing, etc., even if you aren't actually taking walking/running steps. I still find Grease to be helpful at the start of a fight, before the enemy has managed to attack me, or if I want to put a little space between my guys and the enemies. But it's not as useful as I'd hoped it'd be based on common sense (rather than RAW).

 

To be fair though, the grease spell in ToEE is in some ways more powerful than in PnP. In ToEE if you fail your saving throw at all you fall down. That's much more powerful than how it's supposed to work.

Just using it as an AoE knockdown spell can prove pretty useful. For instance a nasty ogre/giant has made it to your characters and his next combat round he will deliver his full amount of attacks to some poor fool. Grease will give you a reasonably good chance to knock him flat on his butt, completely canceling his next turn out ad on top of that he will eat a bunch of attacks of opportunity on the way off the ground most likely.

 

I sometimes equip spell casters with bows, gives them something to contribute when they've run out of spells.


Extended reach weapons + high str + great cleave = happiness

Extended reach weapons + high str + great cleave + combat reflexes + improved critical = supreme happiness.

Barbarian + 18 str + belt of giant str +6 = nirvana.


Tomthefighter