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Maerok
2007-01-04, 09:51 PM
For Empty Body, it just says that the monk assumes an ethereal state. So is this a free action (go ethereal, move, unethereal, attack)? And I pretty much have the same question for Abundant Step. I looked around but it's never mentioned in detail.

PhoeKun
2007-01-04, 09:58 PM
Well, this is ironic.

Both abilities mention that they function as spells, those being Etherealness and Dimension Door, respectively. As each of those spells has a standard action casting time, it would make sense that these abilities do, as well.

It also bears mentioning that a monk cannot take another action in the round he uses Abundant Step, just like a Wizard is similarly limited after Dimension Door-ing.

Maerok
2007-01-04, 10:00 PM
Ok. Umm. Totally unrelated to the campaign >_>. :D

Person_Man
2007-01-04, 10:19 PM
For Empty Body, it just says that the monk assumes an ethereal state. So is this a free action (go ethereal, move, unethereal, attack)? And I pretty much have the same question for Abundant Step. I looked around but it's never mentioned in detail.

Empty Body is a Supernatural Ability. Activating any Supernatural Ability is a standard action unless otherwise noted in the description.

ken-do-nim
2007-01-05, 09:55 AM
Empty Body is a Supernatural Ability. Activating any Supernatural Ability is a standard action unless otherwise noted in the description.

The big question - which is kinda already being discussed in another thread - is whether de-activating empty body is a standard action as well.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-01-05, 10:24 AM
The big question - which is kinda already being discussed in another thread - is whether de-activating empty body is a standard action as well.

Dismissing a spell is always a standard action, unless otherwise noted or the spell requires concentration.

ken-do-nim
2007-01-05, 10:45 AM
Dismissing a spell is always a standard action, unless otherwise noted or the spell requires concentration.

Yeah, but empty body is a little different (maybe) because the monk controls the duration:



At 19th level, a monk gains the ability to assume an ethereal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#etherealness) state for 1 round per monk level per day, as though using the spell etherealness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/etherealness.htm). She may go ethereal on a number of different occasions during any single day, as long as the total number of rounds spent in an ethereal state does not exceed her monk level.


So let's take a 19th level monk. She goes ethereal. That's a standard action right there, and I assume round 1. On the next round, let's say she chooses to return. That's another standard action, and does that eat up round #2?

Now let's say she's eaten up 18 rounds so far. She uses a standard action to go ethereal. That's round 19. Does she get automatically expelled just before the start of her next turn?

In which case, getting back to the other thread, she'd definitely be in line for a surprise round! So it sounds like if you want be sure about surprising someone, you shadow somebody in the ethereal plane and wait for the effect to wear off. Cheesy.

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-01-05, 10:51 AM
Well, it is the same with the spell.
If you do not want to use your standard action to dismiss the spell you have to wait until the duration runs out.

The point is that, unless the description says something else we have to assume the ability follows the standard rules.

Skyserpent
2007-01-05, 02:58 PM
I just find it hilarious imagining a spectacled, graduation cap-wearing Beholder explaining these rulings... Totally frikkin win here...

Lord Lorac Silvanos
2007-01-05, 03:24 PM
Beauty is in the BIG eye of the Beholder.



And it is a Spectacle of Perfect Hindsight.