3 questions about opposing conditions

[Frosty]

I'm not sure how to adjudicate what happensin these circumstances.

1. If two wizards have Foresight on and will fight each other, what happens? do they both win initiative and go at the same time? Should they just roll as normal because 2 Foresights could cancel each other out (they'll still go before everyone else though)?

2. Golems have infinite Spell Resistance, effectively. If a level 20 Beguiler catches a golem flat-footed, can she bypass that SR?

3. Does successful use of the Tumble skill prevent all movement-based AoOs, or just protect you in the act of moving out of a threatened square? I think the distinction is important when one is threatened by a Thicket of Blades stance Crusader.

[Draz74]

1. If two wizards have Foresight on and will fight each other, what happens? do they both win initiative and go at the same time? Should they just roll as normal because 2 Foresights could cancel each other out (they'll still go before everyone else though)?

Foresight doesn't help your Initiative at all, strangely. It just means you get to act normally in any surprise round, and you are never flat-footed.

2. Golems have infinite Spell Resistance, effectively. If a level 20 Beguiler catches a golem flat-footed, can she bypass that SR?

This one got ruled in the FAQ. If I remember correctly, it was ruled that Spell Immunity, while it works just like SR Infinity in most cases, isn't technically SR, and can't be bypassed by a Beguiler.

3. Does successful use of the Tumble skill prevent all movement-based AoOs, or just protect you in the act of moving out of a threatened square? I think the distinction is important when one is threatened by a Thicket of Blades stance Crusader.

This one has been hotly debated before. By RAW, it can go either way. Personally I say Thicket of Blades wins, because being that immune to AoO's just by making a DC 15 Tumble Check is pretty ridiculous.

[Frosty]

So in the case of these two wizards, they'll just both get to act in the surprise round. What happens if they both cast Celerity?

As for Thicket of Blades, would you say it's a fair compromise to raise the tumble DC instead of saying it flat-out doesn't work? The increase is based on the level of the person with Thicket of Blades. Maybe +2 DC per character level and +x where x is dex bonus?

[Mojo_Rat]

I am not specifically familiar with Celerity. But my assumption Is that you would resolve any ' we go at the same time' Spells That give you initiative or help you act first in the same way that you would resolve two people who roll the same initiative.

[Kurald Galain]

1. If two wizards have Foresight on and will fight each other, what happens? do they both win initiative and go at the same time? Should they just roll as normal because 2 Foresights could cancel each other out (they'll still go before everyone else though)?

In D&D, you can't act at the same time, so yes, they both roll initiative and go in that order with respect to one another, and before everybody else. (edit) oh yeah, except that foresight doesn't actually do that. But if there was a "you win initiative" spell, it'd most likely work like this.

However, I would be tempted to invoke a paradox ruling on this one.

2. Golems have infinite Spell Resistance, effectively. If a level 20 Beguiler catches a golem flat-footed, can she bypass that SR?

No, because "magic immunity" is not the same as "infinite spell resistance".

Also, beguilers are essentially mentalists so it doesn't really make sense for them to bypass a construct's immunity like that.

3. Does successful use of the Tumble skill prevent all movement-based AoOs, or just protect you in the act of moving out of a threatened square? I think the distinction is important when one is threatened by a Thicket of Blades stance Crusader.

I don't have the TOB at hand, but I believe the specific ruling (of Thicket) overrides the general one (of Tumble). The way tumble is worded, it prevents the regular AoOs as part of normal movement; not the AoOs from other stuff, like thicket.

However, I would personally allow the tumbler to safely bypass Thicket at an increased +5 DC.

[Chronos]

So in the case of these two wizards, they'll just both get to act in the surprise round. What happens if they both cast Celerity?

If both cast Celerity, then due to the way the action stack works, whichever one is last to declare that he's casting Celerity will go first. Since the wizards themselves would know this, and would also likely know that the other guy is a wizard, the most likely result would be that both would choose not to cast Celerity (at least, not until after the other guy does, which he won't), and you'd make initiative rolls as normal.

[Nermy]

So in the case of these two wizards, they'll just both get to act in the surprise round. What happens if they both cast Celerity?

I always assume that situation would go something like:

Wizard A: I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard B: Before he casts it, I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard A: Before he does that, I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard B: I cast celerity as an immediate action in response to that!
DM: Rocks fall. It's the fighter's turn now.

As a more serious response, as a DM I would have both wizards enter a celerity state and have them roll initiative to see who goes first (no casting celerity again). However, I don't know of any official rulings.

[Kurald Galain]

Wizard A: I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard B: Before he casts it, I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard A: Before he does that, I cast celerity as an immediate action.
Wizard B: I cast celerity as an immediate action in response to that!
DM: Rocks fall. It's the fighter's turn now.

Considering both have only a finite amount of celerities available, this is not actually that much of a problem.

Also, you can't take two immediate actions during the same turn.

[SadisticFishing]

1. They roll initiative, as Foresight doesn't make you go first.

2. No, Magic Immunity is more than infinite spell resistance, it's immunity.

3. Thicket of Blades allows you to attack tumbling people, it's a major part of the point! AoO based Crusaders are quite cool, actually.

[Frosty]

No, because "magic immunity" is not the same as "infinite spell resistance"

Understandable, but in the MM, it specifically says it's as if the Golem has unbeatable SR, which is what caused the confusion.

[vanyell]

I've always said, for the celerity-time stop combo, if two mages did it at the same time, they'd both be moving in the turn, but nothing else would be. IIRC the books say that you aren't actually slowing down time, but instead moving really really fast. so, I'd give both of them the same time stop, and let them duke it out, if they really wanted to

[Frosty]

3. Thicket of Blades allows you to attack tumbling people, it's a major part of the point! AoO based Crusaders are quite cool, actually.

I can see why some would argue that, but is it clearly supported by the text is the question. Has there been an errata for ToB?