Allowed actions while panicked

[Keral]

Hi!

As the title says, what are the actions allowed for a panicked creature?
The SRD says

A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. [...] A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee

What consitutes 'fleeing'?
If an ally picks the panicked creature up, can she or rather, must she try to escape the grapple? Is it actually considered a grapple? And what if she in unable, for example by being blindfolded, to see the source of the fear? Does she supernaturally know where it is well enough to know in which direction not to flee?


Also, just to be sure, if it's a fear aura but the creature moves away from it, it doesn't just stop being afraind, right?

[Kelb_Panthera]

A certain amount of reasonable interpretation must be exercised here.

It is a panicked character's utmost desire to -flee- from the source of its fear in whatever way it can.

I would expect (though this is by no means locked in by the rules anywhere) that anyone capable of teleporting great distances, would do so if the ability is still available to him in that moment.

If they can fly, I'd expect them to engage that ability.

Otherwise, they head away from the source of their fear as fast as their legs can carry them.

If they can't percieve the source, say a hidden magical trap or an invisible creature's aura, then it would seem to me that the sensible solution would be to have them flee in the direction opposite the direction they last percieved the source or back in the direction from which they've come.

Standard fear rules apply. Follow the prescribed duration for the ability unless panick was reached by escalating from a lesser fear condition. In that case, the longest remaining fear duration holds the creautre panicked until it lapses, IIRC.

[Thaneus]

I see it rather simple:
You drop all items in the hand because they might hinder you.
You run at the top of your speed (when you have no other means to flee) using full round action for 4 times move speed until DM says you feel save.

When you can use any other means to move yourself away, then you use this (like a wizard casting teleport or a swordsage using shadow stride e.g.).
Care about your comrades? I'd like to make this a DM call, because this is situational and hard to rule on this part here.
I'd rule a good character will try to "rescue" all his allys or as many as possible, but non the less will not attempt to confront the "source" of fear and no less then in a normal move action reach. (or lets make a 2nd Will throw with less DC something like -5 for close friend, -10 for own child to get them and run off then)

You will not pop a "Greater Heroism" or other means to remove the fear effect.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

from the srd
Panicked
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a -2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.

Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightene

if you don't know from where to run you cant run = you are cornered which mean you are cowered

from the srd 2
Cowering
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a -2 penalty to Armor Class and loses her Dexterity bonus (if any).