Fear-casting animals

[NegInfinity]

I think it would be a good idea to either remove fear spell from animals, or replace it with a custom spell that uses intimidate-like roll.

Basically, a lowly tiger can sometimes scare a very powerful characters (which can kill said tiger by sneezing at it).... and it doesn't make much sense.

I happens because fear spell is a magic that tests for will save and ignores character's power.

I think in case of animals it would make sense to either remove it completely (because animals do not have fear-inducing ability in pnp), or reduce it with something similar to intimidation roll. (intimidate rolls against target's HD + will save vs fear and does not work against fear-immune enemies. Meaning a level 1 cannot intimidate level 20. Ever.).

Feel free to add this spell to repertoire of magical enemies, though. But I think it has no place on tigers, wolves and bears.

[Shad]

If beetles would not talk (spell) while exhaling acid.. that would be nice
Powerful character may be weak-willed. Take Elephants and mice( thugh mice can really make elephants life complicated)
Well. Take women and spiders. And, and this is purely dnd thing, with right roll even dwarf fly, and there is whole thrad somewhere about what happens with wrong roll..

[NegInfinity]

If beetles would not talk (spell) while exhaling acid.. that would be nice
Powerful character may be weak-willed.

Weak will applies to magic, frightful aura and other things. Tigers are mundane animals and should not have ability to cast spells.

I understand it is an attempt to emulate tiger's roar, but doing that via fear spell was not the right idea.

[Steve]

Isn't it only Dire creatures that have this ability?

[NegInfinity]

If beetles would not talk (spell) while exhaling acid.. that would be nice
Powerful character may be weak-willed. Take Elephants and mice( thugh mice can really make elephants life complicated)
Well. Take women and spiders. And, and this is purely dnd thing, with right roll even dwarf fly, and there is whole thrad somewhere about what happens with wrong roll..

Look, I understand that in d&d mechanics elephants are great climbers and jumpers

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that can jump off tall trees onto unsuspecting targets, which is why dwarves are short and hate forests.

But the fear spell on tigers simply doesn't feel right in this case. Keep in mind that pnp tigers do not have ability to scare. They have grapple and rake, though.

[NegInfinity]

Isn't it only Dire creatures that have this ability?

Nope. All normal tigers on the servers have that ability, some of the bears too. Dire wolves too.
Tigers near beregost spam it the most often.

The reason why I posted this is because as far as I can tell a non-magical creature shouldn't really be able to scare (we're talking about hysterical panic here, when character drops everything and keeps running away) someone who can effortlessly kill it with one hit has killed dozeon of those creatures before and effortlessly slaughtered few hundred opponents.

The "fear of spiders" doesn't really fly here, you can't really force fear of tigers onto character a concept.

I would agree with using a will save if it were a spell and if it was a magical tiger. But it is a normal one. It shouldn't be able to do that.

[Hoihe]

Perhaps replace the "Fear" effect with a "shaken" effect? I.e: Negative morale bonus to AB/saves

[Tantive]

Animals casting Turn Cowards. Run failing willsave, shaken when succeed

[Tsidkenu]

Meet a bear or a tiger alone while you're walking in the woods somewhere and I guarantee the mere prescense of one of those magnificent creatures will get the endorphins flowing quick smart.

It is unfortunate that NWN2 uses spellcasting vfx/sfx for mundane creature abilities, but they are not casting spells. If you don't want to be sprung by hunting beasts, invest a little more into spot or don't travel alone!

[AlwaysSummer Day]

When I think of scary things I always did picture the strong warrior type running for his life while the elderly mage always stood his ground. . . . oh wait.

[chad878262]

When I think of scary things I always did picture the strong warrior type running for his life while the elderly mage always stood his ground. . . . oh wait.

One of the many wonders of the D&D editions. For every flaw they fixed they introduced a new one... Yes 2nd edition was far too complicated (I never had an issue with THAC0, but apparently it caused mass confusion and hysteria), but 3.x really bugs me with things like fear saves associated to Will and Fighters having low will saves. Brave, brave Sir Robin!

[Steve]

Annmnnddddd this is why a Fighter should take Steadfast.

[AlwaysSummer Day]

Annmnnddddd this is why a Fighter should take Steadfast.

Which might net them a +4 to will. . . They take a -7 for it being low. Even you have to admit it is a bit silly.

[Steve]

Then it is a Player issue, and a Build that either isn't optimized OR specifically imbalanced for awesome DMG/AB but crap Saves.

There a a hundred and one ways to make an awesome fighter build and get a natural, high Will save.

[AlwaysSummer Day]

+4 would require a 10 point buy in on most races. That + 2 feats is a hefty buy in no? Cant call that kind of investment min maxing for DPS myself. Personally I don't bother. A protection against alignment helmet is widely available and works 99% of the time in pve.

Oh and obviously builds are different from classes when it comes to saves. I am merely pointing a common scene of the big bad fighter running away from a tiger half his level.