Frightful Presence and Pounce

[Matamane]

Frightful presence forces a will save every time one charges or attacks. What would happen if a character with frightful presence had pounce, and could make 2 or 3 attacks on a charge?

[Flickerdart]

A successful save against a Frightful Presence makes the saver immune to it for 24 hours. Effects also don't stack with themselves. So regardless of how many times it fires, you only get the one shot.

[Matamane]

That doesn't answer my question...or maybe I have it wrong

If I attack 3 times, it activates 3 times iiarc.

If I charge, and then attack 2 additional times, does it activate 3 times?

[AmberVael]

Frightful presence forces a will save every time one charges or attacks. What would happen if a character with frightful presence had pounce, and could make 2 or 3 attacks on a charge?

According to the SRD, it automatically takes effect "when the creature performs some sort of dramatic action (such as charging, attacking, or snarling)."

Presumably a pouncing charge would count as a single "dramatic action," but that's getting into pretty subjective territory.

Further, I'm pretty sure I've seen different text and activations for different versions of Frightful Presence, so you'll probably get a better answer if you explain which version of Frightful Presence you're looking at.

[Lateral]

Yes, but as stated above, having more than one has virtually pointless.

[Matamane]

From the Draconomicon, the feat Frigful Presence

[AmberVael]

Yes, but as stated above, having more than one has virtually pointless.

Actually, no... because on a failed save, you could still be affected by another. And fear effects stack. So if you get multiple activations on a single charge, it could be pretty devastating.

Edit: This is actually ruled out in the Rules Compendium.
Rules on this kind of minutiae are really all over the place.


From the Draconomicon, the feat Frigful Presence

Hmm. I'd say no, and here is my reasoning:

Whether you pounce, or not pounce, you're still just making a Charge action. The number of attacks on the end is merely a modification of Charge, and the Charge action is what is activating the ability.

If you argue that you get multiple activations through pounce, then you also make the argument that Charge, without pounce, activates Frightful Presence twice (once for the charge, once for the attack at the end of it). This is because arguing that each attack from Pounce is its own activation means you don't think it means an attack ACTION, just an attack, so charging would be a Charge and an Attack at the end of it. Two activations.

Theoretically, you can make an argument that it does indeed activate multiple times, and I don't think there will be enough basis to adequately end the argument... but I doubt most DMs would let it fly, so for practical purposes, you're probably better off assuming it just activates once.

[Flickerdart]

"A successful save indicates that the opponent is immune to your frightful presence for 24 hours."

It could activate a million times, but it wouldn't matter. Everyone gets one save. If they make it, they're immune to all the subsequent ones. If they fail it, they're shaken, but an effect from the same source can't stack with itself so they're also immune to all the subsequent ones.

[AmberVael]

It could activate a million times, but it wouldn't matter. Everyone gets one save. If they make it, they're immune to all the subsequent ones. If they fail it, they're shaken, but an effect from the same source can't stack with itself so they're also immune to all the subsequent ones.

Even if the effect doesn't stack, even if people who saved are immune to it, it still matters if it activates more than once or not, if only for the very low chance that between your attacks, someone teleports into the area with a readied action or something.

[ffone]

A full attack charge is still one charge.

So if the effect says 'when you attack', it's probably once per attack in the FA routine.

But if it only says 'when you charge', it's probably once.