What can/does Freedom of movement do?

[Micon]

I am trying to figure out exactly what the spell Freedom of movements parameters are, as far as what effects if 'counters'. My initial guess is, if you are under a magical spells effect that's *primary* purpose is to hinder movement, it negates that. That part seems to be a no-brainer, from the spell listing. My difficulty comes from all the non-listed effects.

If you are under the effect of a non-magical instance that hinders your movement, are you able to move faster? Direct effects like shackled legs, etc? Indirect effects like trying to track or climb or something that specifically says it slows your movement. Im inclined to say it doesnt work on any of those non-magical effects (if it werent for the dang underwater bit...)

Secondly, and more importantly, what about magical effects that as a secondary effect, slow you? Take stinking cloud - it imparts the 'condition modifyer' nausiated on you. Being nausiated will effectively halve your movement, since you can only take a single action each round. More importantly, (for my current campaign) is the condition "stunned". If you are stunned, you can take no actions - it seems to work a lot like held, but isnt exactly that (you arent helpless actually, just not able to act due to your brain being stunned). In practice, it seems like you would treat it like held - that is, you could move no problem. In theory tho, if I treat it like I want (the primary effect is you are stunned into inaction, and as a *secondary* result, you cant move), freedom of movement would not work.

Anyone have any guidence for a troubled DM who is in the process of pummeling his players with mindflayers?

Thanks!

 

[Zulkir Jax]

Taken from the PHB page 207

"This spell enables you or the creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as hold person, paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web spells."

Basically... you attack and move normal if an opposing spellcaster tries to imbue you with those or other movement impeding magics.

"The spell also allows a character to move and attack normally while underwater, even with cutting weapons, such as axes or swords and with bludgeoning weapons such as flails, hammers, and macesprovided that the weaponis wielded in the hand rather than hurled. The freedom of movement spell does not, however, allow water breathing."

That right there is self-explanatory. Weapons can be used as described above, when under the spell, just don't forget you do not have water breathing.

HTH

 

[Darius]

I think you are missing the problem here. Think of all the effects that "magically impede movement" (or heck, not magical). What does it work against, and what doesnt it? Force cage springs to mind quickly - and by the wording of FoM, you should be able to walk right out of the cage. By implication, you can now walk thru a wall of stone that was created to impede your movement. It just gets messier and messier. If anyone can point me to an FAQ or something, that would be great!

(sorry, posting from a computer that auto-logged me on a different account, this is the same original poster - Micon)

 

[Zulkir Jax]

Well then I guess that's a spell that needs clarification. It is a bit vague and I'm only going on what I have in front of me right now. I would assume that something as great as a Force Cage would in fact, impede the movement, though I can't be quite sure and I wouldn't know of any FAQ to prove or disprove otherwise.

 

[Berk]

"This spell enables you or the creature you touch to move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement, such as hold person, paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web spells."

Even under the influence of magic that USUALLY impedes movement. Just use better judgement here. A force cage or wall of force doesn't impede your movement what so ever, just stops you from going through a certain point, you can still go around it if possible. FoM only works on spells that have a direct affect on movement, such as hold person, paralysis, solid fog, slow, and web. It doesn't work on spells that have an indirect affect of limitedly impeding ones movement such as force cage or wall of force. Hell, going by what I've heard people say on this thread so far FoM would let you pass through a prismatic wall or sphere without ill effects because it impedes your movement. Actually the spell is quite clear as written.

 

[Micon]

First off, Zulkir Jax - sorry. I re-read my reply, and it did sound like I was hammering your reply - that was not my intent, and it came across as rude. Its more my frustration as a troubled DM

Berk, ya, I like that interpritation - how would you think about the mindflayer "stun" effect tho. Re-reading hold person, the effect of the spell says "you can take no physical actions". Stunned, says "you can take no actions". They are both will saves, so they seem reeeeeallll similar I just want to be ready for my players when they ask!

-Micon

 

[THEBIGLOU]

what about Brain Lock

We were arguing if would work on brain lock because the way brain lock is written. (For those who don't know: 2nd level Psi power)

It does a little more than impede movement, but it still does impede movement....

What do you think?

 

[smetzger]

The rules are really vague here. I see two potential rulings here.

1) FoM only helps you against ongoing magical effects and underwater. So no Wall of Force (cause that is instantaneous), but good against magical effect which directly impedes movement.

2) Its good against anything that would impede your movement. So although you could be grappled, you couldn't be pinned and you would automatically succeed in escaping a graple. Also, manacles and ropes would slip off of you. You could squeeze through jail bars etc.

 

[smetzger]

Re: what about Brain Lock

We were arguing if would work on brain lock because the way brain lock is written. (For those who don't know: 2nd level Psi power)

It does a little more than impede movement, but it still does impede movement....

What do you think?

If you had FoM up and then were Brain Locked your body would still have the ability to move. However, your mind would not be able to tell your body to move.

 

[Berk]

Berk, ya, I like that interpritation - how would you think about the mindflayer "stun" effect tho. Re-reading hold person, the effect of the spell says "you can take no physical actions". Stunned, says "you can take no actions". They are both will saves, so they seem reeeeeallll similar I just want to be ready for my players when they ask!

Ask yourself this, if I animated a rope with an animate objects spell and then had it wrap around your legs would freedom of movement work? Of course not, it's just a secondary affect of what the spell did. All the spells that are listed under FoM's description directly impede movement. Stunning is a type of statis effect. Impeding movement is just a secondary affect of the effect. If you say it's fine for FoM to let someone that is stunned move around then you should let FoM let someone that is affected by a sleep spell move around and so forth. They can't list every possible spell or power in FoM's description that it would work against. The ones stated are a guideline to follow and all of them impede movement as a primary affect.