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View Full Version : Ghoul Touch.. just a check-up



SolkaTruesilver
2007-12-11, 03:37 PM
Ok, I want to be sure I've read correctly, and I want an answer by RAW:

here is the description of Ghoul Touch:


Ghoul Touch
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living humanoid touched
Duration: 1d6+2 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Imbuing you with negative energy, this
spell allows you to paralyze a single living
humanoid for the duration of the spell
with a successful melee touch attack.
Additionally, the paralyzed subject exudes
a carrion stench that causes all living
creatures (except you) in a 10-foot-radius
spread to become sickened (Fortitude
negates). A neutralize poison spell removes
the effect from a sickened creature, and
creatures immune to poison are unaffected
by the stench.

The description of the spell clearly states that the fortitude save is supposed to be applied against the carrion stench.

Have I read correctly? Is that a spell that automaticly paralyse it's target, following a touch attack?

Valairn
2007-12-11, 03:39 PM
I personally would translate this as two saves. One for the initial attack, and one for the stench.

Karsh
2007-12-11, 03:44 PM
If the two effects allowed different saves, it would say so in the description.

I'd say it's slightly stronger than Hold Person, but somewhat balanced by the fact that you have to actually walk up to someone and smack them for it to work.

Kioran
2007-12-11, 03:50 PM
I would read it as such that the victim saves against the spellīs effect (fort negates, as in the text above). If that save fails, the victim is paralyzed and exudes stench.
Thereīs also another fortitude save involved, for those near the target, who smell the carrion stench. But thatīs another effect, and thus gets itīs own mention and a mention of the save against it. That this save is the same as the one against the spells main effect has no bearing on the kinds of saves involved.

Itīs the easiest reading of the description, and, to me, the one that makes the most sense.

weenie
2007-12-11, 03:53 PM
If the two effects allowed different saves, it would say so in the description.

I'd say it's slightly stronger than Hold Person, but somewhat balanced by the fact that you have to actually walk up to someone and smack them for it to work.

No way. This would make it a save or suck with no save for gish characters. At spell level 2. The character becomes paralyzed only if it fails its fort save and would only then exude the stench that would trigger another save from those around.

Edit: Ninja'd

Tyger
2007-12-11, 03:53 PM
Yeah, I'd say that the "additionally" part of that implies that the Fortitude save noted in the details portion of the spell is for the initial person touched, where the second fort save noted, in the descriptive text portion, is strictly in regards to the people near the afflicted creature.