slow vs. boots of speed

[Mort]

I don’t have easy access to the books at the moment but I know this question will come up tonight.

Adjudicating haste vs. slow is fairly simple; haste cancels slow, slow cancels haste – not a big problem.

It’s not that easy with boots of speed and similar items however. Boots of speed grant a haste effect for up to 10 rounds per day – all at once individually or in chunks. In effect, this is like ten 1 round haste spells used however you like.

So does casting slow on someone hasted with boots of speed:
1. Only negate that one round of haste?
2. does it negate all uses for the day?
3. Does it mean the boots user cannot activate haste for the duration of the slow?
4. Does the boots user only act normally while his haste effect is on and is then slowed for the duration of the slow spell (or when the boots are otherwise not active)? This seems the best answer.
5. Something else I’m missing?

Similarly if slow is cast while the haste is not active and the boots user activates haste, does he burn 1 round or all of them (this can lead to incongruous results, what if I only have 1 round of haste left for the day does activating that one round negate the slow effect).

 

[Berk]

the answer is quite simple to me. It would blow all of the rounds of haste from the boots to use it to counter slow. boots of speed have a caster level of 10. That's where you get the 10 rounds from, being able to not have to use the 10 rounds consecutively is just a boon from them being a magic item. Even if there are less then 10 rounds left in the boots activating them will counter a slow spell and suck away all the remaining rounds of haste left, even if only 1 round is left when they are used like this. This is most likely a house rule since I don't think there are any rulings on it. It is just how I would picture it being done. Since activating the boots activates the haste, the slow is countered and all of the rounds of haste are lost since it was a haste cast by a 10th level caster. The fact that the 10 rounds don't have to be used consecutively doesn't mean a thing.

 

[Mort]

Your answer is certainly viable, but I'm not so sure that the 10 rounds not having to be consecutive "means nothing."
After all, the boots are not a "once a day item" where you haste for 10 rounds a day and that's that - saying there is only one haste spell is like saying a slow would drain all the charges from a wand of haste (not quite an accurate comparison but you get the idea).

the answer is quite simple to me. It would blow all of the rounds of haste from the boots to use it to counter slow. boots of speed have a caster level of 10. That's where you get the 10 rounds from, being able to not have to use the 10 rounds consecutively is just a boon from them being a magic item. Even if there are less then 10 rounds left in the boots activating them will counter a slow spell and suck away all the remaining rounds of haste left, even if only 1 round is left when they are used like this. This is most likely a house rule since I don't think there are any rulings on it. It is just how I would picture it being done. Since activating the boots activates the haste, the slow is countered and all of the rounds of haste are lost since it was a haste cast by a 10th level caster. The fact that the 10 rounds don't have to be used consecutively doesn't mean a thing.

 

[Artoomis]

Slow should cancel the Haste effects from the boots. this much seems certain.

The boots are different form the spell in that you get 10 rounds to use wheever you want, subject to the fact that you need to spend an action to activate the boots.

Thus, SLOW will cancel your current haste effect, you may then use up an action to re-activate the boots.

Pretty reasonable.

 

[kreynolds]

Pretty reasonable.

Got my vote.

 

[Berk]

Your answer is certainly viable, but I'm not so sure that the 10 rounds not having to be consecutive "means nothing."
After all, the boots are not a "once a day item" where you haste for 10 rounds a day and that's that - saying there is only one haste spell is like saying a slow would drain all the charges from a wand of haste (not quite an accurate comparison but you get the idea).

true, I gotta stop replying on the boards before I'm completely awake, can't think straight half the time.

Slow should cancel the Haste effects from the boots. this much seems certain.

The boots are different form the spell in that you get 10 rounds to use wheever you want, subject to the fact that you need to spend an action to activate the boots.

Thus, SLOW will cancel your current haste effect, you may then use up an action to re-activate the boots.

Pretty reasonable.

yep, pretty reasonable, got my vote also for that now that I spent some time to argue with myself over it.

 

[dkilgo]

My vote is, Aye!

 

[Ziggy]

Slow should cancel the Haste effects from the boots. this much seems certain.

The boots are different form the spell in that you get 10 rounds to use wheever you want, subject to the fact that you need to spend an action to activate the boots.

Thus, SLOW will cancel your current haste effect, you may then use up an action to re-activate the boots.

Pretty reasonable.

We play it this way as well (has happened twice in our campaign)

.Ziggy

 

[dkilgo]

My vote is still, AYE!

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would rule that it cancelled all the remaining haste magic in the boots for the day, otherwise a cheap means of gaining "haste" becomes virtually immune to the main counter to it.

Cheers