Fear attacks on sleeping or unconscious paladins?

[Particle_Man]

Paladins at third level get the aura of courage, which makes them immune to fear. This aura does not work when the Paladin is unconscious.

Is there any way to attack an unconscious Paladin with a fear effect, like the phantasmal killer spell? Does sleeping count as unconscious?

Do unconscious characters automatically make or automatically fail saving throws, like vs phantasmal killer?

[InvisibleBison]

Is there any way to attack an unconscious Paladin with a fear effect, like the phantasmal killer spell?

If you can find a fear effect that would work on an unconscious creature, unconscious paladins would be vulnerable to it. I don't think phantasmal killer qualifies, though, since it says that it works by making the target's conscious mind visualize something.


Does sleeping count as unconscious?

The helpless (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#helpless) condition says that it can be caused by a creature being sleeping or unconscious, so I'd say that they are not the same thing.


Do unconscious characters automatically make or automatically fail saving throws, like vs phantasmal killer?

Unconscious creatures roll their saving throws normally.

[Biggus]

The helpless (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#helpless) condition says that it can be caused by a creature being sleeping or unconscious, so I'd say that they are not the same thing.


Unconscious is a specific condition, it means knocked out by damage or nonlethal damage exceeding your HP total (PHB p.314) so you're right, it definitely isn't the same as just sleeping.

[The_Jette]

Paladins at third level get the aura of courage, which makes them immune to fear. This aura does not work when the Paladin is unconscious.

Is there any way to attack an unconscious Paladin with a fear effect, like the phantasmal killer spell? Does sleeping count as unconscious?

Do unconscious characters automatically make or automatically fail saving throws, like vs phantasmal killer?

Personally, I read Aura of Courage as two separate abilities. The first ability is immunity to fear. The second ability is the aura itself, which provides allies with a bonus versus fear. I would only take away the bonus to others while the Paladin is asleep/unconscious, but not the immunity to fear. That's how I read it. I see that others read it differently, though. So, in the end it's up to interpretation.