What effects can Iron Heart Surge eliminate?

[Arabesu]

Iron Heart Surge is a third level maneuver from the Book of Nine Swords (BoNS). It allows a warblade of the Iron Heart discipline to end a spell, effect, or condition that is currently "affecting" the warblade and lasts 1 or more rounds. This requires a standard action and provides a small bonus to the next round's attacks as well.

My questions are:

Which effects can be negated by this: shaken, frightened, and slow obviously, but what about being held, paralyzed, stunned, or dazed? Normally maneuvers require movement, so unless this is a special case, I'm guessing "no" to the last four.

I'm having trouble with the 1 or more rounds part too. Does this mean effects that only specify a duration in units of rounds are targetable, or could this also negate effects counted in units of minutes since technically X minutes are X*10 rounds?

Can this be used by to end a compulsion or confusion effect? What about when panicked?

Lastely, there is no check as far as I can tell. This seems to suggest that it can end effects far better than dispel magic or break enchantment since they require caster level checks. Is there a spell level limit to what this can end?

Thanks. I'm trying to decide between this maneuver and Moment of Perfect Mind for my Warblade with an extremely low will save. I'll probably take both as known maneuvers, but only have enough readied manuevers to be able to use one at any give time.

Arabesu

 

[Patlin]

One of its basic limitations is that it can't fix anything that prevents you from performing actions, since it requires an action to use and it's self targetted. As an example, it can't remove stun. Same problem with most compulsion effects, since they often preempt your ability to choose your action... though if you are confused and roll "act normally for 1 round" it's a great action to pick!

There isn't a spell level limit. I'd need my book in front of me to answer in more detail than this.

 

[Kurotowa]

Indeed, it's easier to say when it doesn't apply then try to list all the things it does remove.

Using Iron Heart Surge requires a deliberate standard action. So dazed, stunned, and nauseated are out, because they don't allow a standard action to be taken. To initiate a maneuver you have to be able to move (p38), which means paralysis also prevents its use. Charm and Dominate are out because they remove the volition required. And since IHS only removes a single selected effect you can't use IHS and free yourself "accidentally." Fear effects are trickier with how much volition remains. I'd rule that panicked doesn't allow other actions, frightened and forced to fight would be acceptable, and shaken is just fine. I'd also consider ability damage/drain to not fall under the "spell, effect, or condition" heading.

That's everything that springs to mind, the rest is fair game. Poison and disease (though it won't undo damage already done), penalties of every sort, troublesome curses and enchantments. Just watch out for multiple effects, and consider keeping Moment of Perfect Mind ready against mind control.

 

[Arabesu]

Yeah except that you can only have 4 maneuvers readied at 7th level if I recall. Readying both means that the PC can't have much of anything else cool.

So it seems like: Poison, disease, blindness, deafness, ability drain, curses etc are all fair game. I went through the condition section of the SRD and sorted them into what I think are removable and non-removable conditions. Since most of these effects are long term (i.e. with durations longer than the 5 min it takes to switch readied maneuvers), it makes more sense to have IHS known but not readied with Perfect mind readied as Kurotowa suggests.

Probably removeable?

Blinded, Checked, Confused/Insane(eventaully, once 11-20 rolled), Dazzled, Deafened, Diseased, Energy Drained, Entangled, Exhausted, Fatigued, Frightened, Grappling (??), Incorporeal, Invisible, Poisoned, Prone(??), Shaken, Sickened, Staggered (for one round, then reverts to staggered if still at 0???).

Not removeable?

Ability drained, Blown Away (no duration? instanteous?), Cowering, Dazed, Dead, Disabled, Dying, Fascinated, Flat-footed, Helpless, Knocked Down (no duration?), Nauseated, Panicked, Paralyzed, Petrified, Pinned, Stable, Stunned, Turned, Unconscious.

Some of these are obvious, but I tried to get everything from the SRD for completeness. Grappling and prone also seem like odd conditions that probably don't apply to IHS, but I can't find a reason why it wouldn't except for common sense, but know specific rule per say. It seems like some of the conditions should return at the end of the round or whenever they are checked, for example staggered. In that case it would be useless.

I've started a list of spells also, but this may take more time.

Arabesu