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cavanaht
2008-11-19, 07:59 AM
If a warlock uses eldritch blast with the frightful blast essence on a hexblade and the hexblade makes a successful save, would the mettle ability keep the hexblade from taking damage from the eldritch blast?

Jack_Simth
2008-11-19, 08:11 AM
If a warlock uses eldritch blast with the frightful blast essence on a hexblade and the hexblade makes a successful save, would the mettle ability keep the hexblade from taking damage from the eldritch blast?

That depends on which text takes precedence - the text in the warlock entry that says even if the target makes the save against the essence, the target still takes normal eldritch blast damage, or the text in the Hexblade entry that says that if the hexblade passes a save against an effect, the effect is completely negated.

To my knowledge, there is no clear strict-RAW way to handle it, so DM call.

Rad
2008-11-19, 08:17 AM
The RAW are not as clear as one would wish here.
I would say that the damage and the fear effects are distinct, especially since the frightful blast entry specifies that creatures immune to the fear effect still take the damage. So Mettle would have no effect on the damage dealt.

Sinfire Titan
2008-11-19, 08:26 AM
That depends on which text takes precedence - the text in the warlock entry that says even if the target makes the save against the essence, the target still takes normal eldritch blast damage, or the text in the Hexblade entry that says that if the hexblade passes a save against an effect, the effect is completely negated.

To my knowledge, there is no clear strict-RAW way to handle it, so DM call.

Mettle takes priority, as the Essence is a spell effect that says they take damage. Mettle was designed to counteract those effects entirely.

Gaiwecoor
2008-11-19, 08:30 AM
I'll agree with Rad on this one. The Eldritch Blast and Eldritch Essence are two separate invocations. Mettle may negate one, but the other still goes through.

Albonor
2008-11-19, 09:11 AM
There is never a save against the eldrich blast's damage so Mettle can't have an effect.

Keld Denar
2008-11-19, 09:54 AM
This kind of reminds me of how mettle can make you immune to a 4th level orb spell, since it has a status effect tacked on, but can't touch a 1st level orb spell, since its just damage. 1st level spell situationally better than a 4th level spell....lol!

Person_Man
2008-11-19, 11:33 AM
No. Mettle prevents secondary effects that would have otherwise taken effect even though you passed a Save. In this case, the damage from Eldritch Blast doesn't allow a Save. So you take full damage from it. Only the secondary effect of any Eldritch Essence (allowing a Fort or Will Save) would be prevented.