[3.5] Question about Crawling Eye

[Uncle Pine]

Hello Playgrounders!

Crawling Eye: a rather obscure lesser Warlock invocation from Complete Mage hardly mentioned on the boards because there are so many lesser invocations that are generally more useful. But what can it really do?
Here's the text:

One of your eyes leaves your head and sprouts spidery legs. You can see through the eye no matter where it goes, so you can use it to scout or spy. The eye can't crawl of its own volition, but you can direct it to move or climb up to 20 feet as a move action. Its Climb modifier is equal to your warlock level +8. You can direct a crawling eye in your space to climb back into your eye socket as a move action.
When you use this invocation, your current and full normal hit point totals are reduced by 2 for as long as the eye is detached. The eye is considered a Fine creature with AC 20 and 2 hit points. Its Hide and Move Silently modifiers are equal to your warlock level. For all other purposes, its statistics are equal to yours.
You can't cast most invocations or spells through the eye, but any spells or invocations that affect your sense of sight - such as devil's sight, all-seeing eyes, or detect magic - function through the eye as though it was still attached.
If your crawling eye is destroyed, you are dazzled for 1d4 hours, during which time the eye regrows. (If you normally have only one eye, you are blinded instead.) At the end of this period, you regain the 2 lost hit points, and the dazzled condition ends.
Only one of your eyes can be used for crawling eye at any time; if your crawling eye is destroyed, you can't use this invocation again until your eye regrows.
Nifty, but not astounding: you get this Fine frail scout that you can move as you wish. But since you could be flying around with Fell Flight or on the back of a zombie dire bat while spamming animate dead free of charge or being invisible 24/24, it's not that astounding.

Now read again the bolded sentence.

The crawling eye has a speed of 20 feet, an AC of 20, 2 hit points and fixed Climb, Hide and Move Silently modifiers. And then all your other statistics.
Here's a list of statistics the crawling eyes apparently shares with its creator by RAW:
- type and subtypes
- Initiative modifier
- BAB
- attack modes (?)
- special attacks
- special qualities
- class features (because by RAW you can't cast invocations through the crawling eye, but if the crawling eye itself can cast invocations it's a non-issue; also maneuvers and possibly spells)
- saves
- abilities score
- skills modifiers other than Climb, Hide and Move Silently
- feats
- alignment

Thoughts (i.e. reasons why this shouldn't work that I missed)? Anything else the crawling eye could get from its creator?

[Vizzerdrix]

What if you where under the effect of an ocular spelled spell before you let your eye go for a walk? :smallconfused:

If you turn one of your hands into a crawling claw, could the eye ride the hand?

Can your eye use your dragonmarks if it needs to?

[Flickerdart]

And then all your other statistics.
Here's a list of statistics the crawling eyes apparently shares with its creator by RAW:
Most of those aren't statistics. A lot of MM monster descriptions refer to "the statistics presented here" but there's no reason to assume that includes everything in the monster's description. In fact, since the Lycanthrope template refers to "either the base creature’s or the base animal’s statistics and special abilities" and most tempaltes say a creature has "all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here" we know that special abilities are not statistics.

Here's what's actually explicitly referred to as statistics:
Ability scores, natural armor, and attack rolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm)
Damage, hit points, speed, and saving throws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm)
Base attack bonus (and thus iterative attacks) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm)
Grapple modifier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/choker.htm)
Space and reach (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.htm)

[Uncle Pine]

What if you where under the effect of an ocular spelled spell before you let your eye go for a walk? :smallconfused:

If you turn one of your hands into a crawling claw, could the eye ride the hand?

Can your eye use your dragonmarks if it needs to?
1) Spells, even ocular spells, aren't statistics. They're (or produce) spell effects, and thus I'd say would not carry over to a crawling eye.

2) I don't see a reason not to allow that. You could even let your crawling eye ride a party member or a friendly NPC back at your base in case you need to split the party or want to keep an eye on your stronghold. Literally.

3) That's to be determined. Are feats and class features statistics?


Here's what's actually explicitly referred to as statistics:
Ability scores, natural armor, and attack rolls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm)
Damage, hit points, speed, and saving throws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm)
Base attack bonus (and thus iterative attacks) (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm)
Grapple modifier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/choker.htm)
Space and reach (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.htm)
That's a really good approach you're taking. I'll skim through my copy of Rules Compendium to see if I can find any other mention of the word "statistics" as soon as I can get a hold of it.

EDIT: Although since Polymorph and similar spells (I'm looking at Baleful Pholymorph at the moment) say that you get all the statistics and special abilities of the new form except as follow and then list a series of attributes, it should be safe to say that all those attributes (i.e. alignment, personality, HD and the ability to understand a language and write) are statistics unless they happen to be special abilities.

[Starbuck_II]

Wait, you can use any body part to release a touch spell. So cast Chill Touch (multiclass or scroll), it is therefore on the eye too. Cast this invocation. Your eye can body slam the effect on people.

Not very strong, but cool image.
Get eye scroll of Giant Size. It shares your UMD skill. Get Giant sized Eye when it uses scroll.