Freedom Of Movement vs. other spells

[AuraSeer]

Yes, it's another freedom of movement thread. My players now have an NPC cohort with the Travel domain, and I'm trying to nail down exactly what he's capable of. (By fiat, I am assuming the Travel power to be exactly equivalent to the spell.) I think I know how I want to treat it in regard to natural and nonmagical effects, but I would appreciate some input on how it interacts with other spells.

FoM lets you "move and attack normally, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement." Clearly that trumps the effects named in the spell description, plus ones that slow or impede movement in similar ways, like entangle and wind wall. But beyond those, what other effects does it beat?

Can the affected creature walk through a wall of force?
Can he escape a forcecage or Otiluke's resilient sphere?
Is he hedged out by repulsion, antilife shell, or (for summoned creatures) magic circle?
Must he make Balance checks in a greased area?
Is he halted by a Bigby's interposing hand?
If wearing metal armor, is he repulsed by repel metal?
Can he charge or run while affected by touch of fatigue?
Does he take damage for passing through a wall of thorns?

 

[frankthedm]

. (By fiat, I am assuming the Travel power to be exactly equivalent to the spell.)

Huge mistake..

Can the affected creature walk through a wall of force?
No
Can he escape a forcecage?
No
Is he hedged out by (for summoned creatures) magic circle?
Yes
Can he charge or run while affected by touch of fatigue?
No
Does he take damage for passing through a wall of thorns?
Yes

 

[irdeggman]

Huge mistake..

Can the affected creature walk through a wall of force?
No
Can he escape a forcecage?
No
Is he hedged out by (for summoned creatures) magic circle?
Yes
Can he charge or run while affected by touch of fatigue?
No
Does he take damage for passing through a wall of thorns?
Yes

Frankthedm is correct

"you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you affected by the spell freedom of movement."

So if the spell won't help you then neither will the domain ability.

Note that this can easily be rendered useless since it lasts for 1 rd/cleric level (total for day) and is activated automatically as soon as it applies. So if the character is in difficult terrain - it automatically comes up (and rapidly burns out its duration).

you also don't get to activate it when you want it comes up automatically - so a wall or force cage do not restrict your movement anymore than does being in a walled room does.

Can you move? - yes
Is there a penalty when moving? - no

 

[Bagpuss]

Note that this can easily be rendered useless since it lasts for 1 rd/cleric level (total for day) and is activated automatically as soon as it applies. So if the character is in difficult terrain - it automatically comes up (and rapidly burns out its duration).

Nope because moving slow in difficult terrain IS moving normally. So Freedom of Movement doesn't help there at all. Difficult terrain does not trigger the Travel Domain effect.

 

[Patlin]

"you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you affected by the spell freedom of movement."

Freedom of Movement works against a number of things that are not "magical effects" such as grappling. The travel domain power only works on magical effects, and against those works in the same manner as freedom of movement.

 

[mvincent]

Freedom of Movement works against a number of things that are not "magical effects" such as grappling. The travel domain power only works on magical effects, and against those works in the same manner as freedom of movement.

I agree, but it's subject to some interpretation though.

 

[Diirk]

I agree, but it's subject to some interpretation though.

If by interpretation you mean knowing how to read, I agree.

"you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you affected by the spell freedom of movement."

a. Freedom of movement helps against magic impeding effects and some non magic ones (eg grapple)
b. You don't have freedom of movement.
c. For the purposes of magic effects that impede movement, you act as if you had freedom of movement.

Seems pretty clear to me...

 

[mvincent]

If by interpretation you mean knowing how to read, I agree.

You seem to be rude (for no reason), and denied intuitive insight into possible alternate RAI.

 

[Slaved]

denied intuitive insight into possible alternate RAI.

How do you get around the word magical?

 

[mvincent]

How do you get around the word magical?

You genuinely don't know? Well, there have been long threads discussing it (I can provide links to them if you wish to know more, rather than hijacking this thread). But (assuming you wish to know)... essentially:
1) The writer simply may not have intended to preclude non-magical effects (and the passage was simply poorly written to cause that implication).
2) The passage may have simply been a descriptor rather than a limiter. i.e. "you can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement as if you were affected by the spell freedom of movement." could technically be parsed with "regardless of magical effects" being superfluous.
3) A similar example might be where the jump skill description says "Long Jump: A long jump is a horizontal jump, made across a gap like a chasm or stream. ". While we could conclude that this implies that one could not long jump over something that is not a gap, we could (and probably should here) instead interpret the last part of that sentence to be a descriptor rather than a limiter.

Like I said earlier: I agree with your conclusion, but am aware of how others may interpret it differently. I view such knowledge/understanding to be important when discussing the rules (and wish others valued it as much).