3.0 Eyebite error

[Venger]

3.0 eyebite was very different from 3.5's version. It let you charm, scare, sicken, or tranquilize creatures of any hd. But I don't care about that.

The rules text that's giving me a headache is


You are subject to the effects of your reflected gaze and are allowed any applicable saving throw. In the case of a reflected charm gaze, you are held (as a hold monster spell).

I thought perhaps the gaze rules in 3.0 were different from 3.5. They are not. You are both immune to your own gaze, and seeing a creature with a gaze in a reflective surface does not transmit the effects of the gaze to you.

Does anyone know why eyebite says this? I assume it's wrongly referring to some flavor text or something somewhere, I just want to know where. While I accept it may just be baseless nonsense, the specificity of it saying I'm affected by hold person makes me feel like it's based off some RAW elsewhere.

[Elkad]

Likely leftover from 2e. A caster was specifically vulnerable to a reflection there.

Note that the caster is subject to the effects of his reflected gaze and is allowed any applicable saving throw. In the case of a reflected charm gaze, the caster is paralyzed until it wears off or is countered.

Immunity to your own gaze attack was not a guarantee even for monsters with gaze attacks.
For example, a Basilisk was vulnerable to it's own gaze.

While it has strong, toothy jaws, the basilisk’s major weapon is its gaze. However, if its gaze is reflected, and it sees its own eyes, it will become petrified itself, but this requires light at least equal to bright torchlight and a good, smooth reflector.

[Zaq]

I mean, specific beats general? So if you're using the 3.0 eyebite rules, it specifically says that you're affected by your own gaze, which overrides the general rule about being immune to your own gaze.

[Elysiume]

In a world where creatures with gaze attacks are immune to their own reflected gaze, I could see a magical spell that grants you a temporary gaze attack (sort of) potentially not including an immunity to your own gaze. Much like fireball doesn't include protecting the caster from its effects, eyebite lacks any inbuilt defense against its effects. Maybe there'd be an equivalent to selective spell (in fluff, not mechanically) that would let you develop a version that could protect the user, but the economical use of magical power in casting the spell means that you're shining a magical laser that can bounce back and hurt you. That said, that's obviously just fluff.

I think the specific part about charm is there because while the other three effects (fear, sicken, sleep) affect you fully when reflected, charming yourself doesn't really mean anything. It's a clause that's there so that all four modes are harmful when reflected. Since charming yourself doesn't make mechanical sense, they replace it with being held for the duration.

[Elkad]

Which is a kludge from the old self-paralyze.


You are charmed, waiting for someone to tell you what to do, but that someone is yourself. Divide by zero. Stand there with smoke coming out of your ears until you shake it off.