Status Conditions: Difference between revisions

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Spells or abilities which cure the strong status condition also cure the moderate and weak sub-conditions of that condition's array. Creatures immune to a strong condition are generally afflicted with the moderate condition of its array instead. Some abilities, such as the paladin's immunity to fear protect against multiple conditions.
Spells or abilities which cure the strong status condition also cure the moderate and weak sub-conditions of that condition's array. Creatures immune to a strong condition are generally afflicted with the moderate condition of its array instead. Some abilities, such as the paladin's immunity to fear protect against multiple conditions.
=== Strong Status Conditions ===
=== Table: Status Array ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left"
! width="150" | Status Condition || width="300" | Status Array || width="400" | Effect
|-
! [[Ability damage]]
| [[Ability damage]] ==> [[Bleed]] ==> [[Sickened]] || One or more ability is reduced, leading to other negative effects.
|-
! [[Confused]]
| [[Confused]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] || Target treats everyone as an enemy and may attack allies or himself.
|-
! [[Cowering]]
| [[Cowering]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] || Target can take no actions other than wetting pants.
|-
! [[Dazed]]
| [[Dazed]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Dazzled]] || Target can take no actions. Usually ends automatically after 1 round.
|-
! [[Fascinated]]
| [[Fascinated]] ==> [[Blind]] ==> [[Deafened]] || Target stares off into space and takes no actions.
|-
! [[Frightened]]
| [[Frightened]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] || Target runs away at full speed taking no other actions.
|-
! [[Helpless]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Fatigued]] || Target can take no actions and is subject to coup-de-grace attacks.
|-
! [[Helpless]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] || Target can take no actions and is subject to coup-de-grace attacks.
|-
! [[Level Drain]]
| [[Level Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] || Target's level is reduced, leading to numerous other penalties.
|-
! [[Nauseated]]
| [[Nauseated]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Sickened]] || Target can take no actions other than depositing recent meals onto the floor.
|-
! [[Panicked]]
| [[Panicked]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Shaken]] || Target drops any held objects and runs away at full speed.
|-
! [[Paralyzed]]
| [[Paralyzed]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Slowed]] || Target is frozen in place and can take no actions.
|-
! [[Petrified]]
| [[Petrified]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Deafened]] || Target is turned to stone and becomes more attractive to birds.
|-
! [[Phased]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Incorporeal]] ==> [[Concealed]] || Attackers have a 50% miss chance, and the creature takes only 50% damage.
|-
! [[Phased]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Invisible]] ==> [[Concealed]] || Attackers have a 50% miss chance, and the creature takes only 50% damage.
|-
! [[Pinned]]
| [[Pinned]] ==> [[Grappled]] ==> [[Slowed]] || Target can only make escape checks.
|-
! [[Stunned]]
| [[Stunned]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Dazzled]] || Target can take no actions and drops any held objects.
|}
=== Moderate Status Conditions ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left"
! width="150" | Status Condition || width="300" | Status Array || width="400" | Effect
|-
! [[Bleed]]
| [[Ability damage]] ==> [[Bleed]] ==> [[Sickened]] ||
|-
! [[Blind]]
| [[Fascinated]] ==> [[Blind]] ==> [[Deafened]] ||
|-
! [[Energy Drain]]
| [[Level Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] ||
|-
! [[Entangled]]
| [[Paralyzed]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Slowed]] ||
|-
! [[Entangled]]
| [[Petrified]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Deafened]] ||
|-
! [[Exhausted]]
| [[Nauseated]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Sickened]] ||
|-
! [[Exhausted]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Fatigued]] ||
|-
! [[Grappled]]
| [[Pinned]] ==> [[Grappled]] ==> [[Slowed]] ||
|-
! [[Incorporeal]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Incorporeal]] ==> [[Concealed]] ||
|-
! [[Invisible]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Invisible]] ==> [[Concealed]] ||
|-
! [[Prone]]
| [[Confused]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] ||
|-
! [[Prone]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] ||
|-
! [[Rattled]]
| [[Panicked]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|-
! [[Rattled]]
| [[Stunned]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Dazzled]] ||
|-
! [[Staggered]]
| [[Cowering]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|-
! [[Staggered]]
| [[Dazed]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Dazzled]] ||
|-
! [[Staggered]]
| [[Frightened]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|}
=== Weak Status Conditions ===
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:left"
! width="150" | Status Condition || width="300" | Status Array || width="400" | Effect
|-
! [[Concealed]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Incorporeal]] ==> [[Concealed]] ||
|-
! [[Concealed]]
| [[Phased]] ==> [[Invisible]] ==> [[Concealed]] ||
|-
! [[Dazzled]]
| [[Dazed]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Dazzled]] ||
|-
! [[Dazzled]]
| [[Stunned]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Dazzled]] ||
|-
! [[Deafened]]
| [[Fascinated]] ==> [[Blind]] ==> [[Deafened]] ||
|-
! [[Deafened]]
| [[Petrified]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Deafened]] ||
|-
! [[Energy Drain]]
| [[Level Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] ==> [[Energy Drain]] ||
|-
! [[Fatigued]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Fatigued]] ||
|-
! [[Flat-Footed]]
| [[Helpless]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] ||
|-
! [[Flat-Footed]]
| [[Confused]] ==> [[Prone]] ==> [[Flat-Footed]] ||
|-
! [[Shaken]]
| [[Cowering]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|-
! [[Shaken]]
| [[Frightened]] ==> [[Staggered]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|-
! [[Shaken]]
| [[Panicked]] ==> [[Rattled]] ==> [[Shaken]] ||
|-
! [[Sickened]]
| [[Ability damage]] ==> [[Bleed]] ==> [[Sickened]] ||
|-
! [[Sickened]]
| [[Nauseated]] ==> [[Exhausted]] ==> [[Sickened]] ||
|-
! [[Slowed]]
| [[Paralyzed]] ==> [[Entangled]] ==> [[Slowed]] ||
|-
! [[Slowed]]
| [[Pinned]] ==> [[Grappled]] ==> [[Slowed]] ||
|}

Revision as of 19:53, 29 October 2013

Go back to Reese's Campaign page.

Go back to Monster Stat Comparison page.


Status Conditions

In DnD and Pathfinder, status conditions date all the way back to the mighty Gygax. But old EGG was kind of a jerk, to be honest. (Seriously? A Sphere of Annihilation trap in the FIRST ROOM?! Dick move, man.)

So we are addressing status conditions, with an eye to the overriding point of all gaming: Having Fun.

Frankly, missing an entire combat or gaming session because you rolled a '1' at the wrong time sucks. Bad luck is part of gaming, but bad luck that ruins your fun should not ever have a place at any gaming table that doesn't involve money.


The Status Array

The first thing we did was examine all the status conditions in Pathfinder and categorize them as Strong, Medium, or Weak.

A Strong status condition is a hard control: If you are hit with one of these, you are out of the game. These are things like petrification, stun, and nauseated. You generally lose all your actions and for particularly onerous conditions, you run away screaming like a little girl. Fear sucks.

A Medium status condition is a partial hard control: If you are hit with one of these, you are pretty severely degraded. Things like entangled, grappled, and prone fall here. You generally have a negative modifier to any actions you can take, and you usually lose some portion of your actions.

A Weak status condition is a soft control: They are debuffs to your rolls which make you worse at being an adventurer. Annoying, but not nearly as crippling as a Medium or a Strong status. But be careful, getting several Weak statuses stacked up on you will, indeed, ruin your ability to be effective. Although it can be kinda cool to see a dude keep on operating under a pile of troubles.


In the Status Array, we listed out all the Strong, Medium, and Weak conditions and associated them in ranks of severity. Namely, all Strong conditions now have a 'lesser' version which is a Medium condition, and then a 'least' version which is a Weak condition. In order to make this 'work' we had to add in a few new conditions, such as slowed and phased.


New Conditions

The Status Array has several new status conditions in it. These have been play-tested and are equivalent to the existing conditions.


At-Risk

This allows the DM to, as an optional rule, declare that all monsters and spells which inflict a Strong condition upon a failed save to now inflict the associated Medium condition instead. This removes most cases of 'instant suck' from the game. To maintain balance, Strong conditions also place the victim in an At-Risk state. To resolve At-Risk, use the following progression.

When a condition is applied, if it is a Strong condition, instead bump it down to the associated moderate condition in the Status Array and allow a save at the listed DC. If this is successful, resolve as normal. If this save is failed, the character is affected by the Moderate condition and is At-Risk. An At-Risk character must roll a second save at the end of their NEXT turn against the original DC of the status. If this second save is successful, the Moderate condition changes to the associated Weak condition. If this second save is failed, the Strong condition is applied as normal. The Weak condition gained from At-Risk always lasts one round, ending at the end of the characters next turn.

Similar conditions from any number of sources do not stack, as per the normal rules. It is possible (if your DM hates you) to have multiple At-Risk rolls to make, as long as they are from different rows of the Status Array. All these rolls and effects are resolved separately at whatever DC applies to each one. Note that if two different Strong conditions have the same Medium effect, you are only under the single medium effect but you are still At-Risk for BOTH Strong conditions. Even though under only one Medium effect, you must resolve both At-Risk rolls and suffer the effects of both, which may or may not lead to the same condition again.

Only Strong conditions can place a character At-Risk. A medium or a weak condition which is applied directly from a monster is not affected by these rules, they are only triggered by 'save or suck' Strong conditions.

Spells or abilities which cure the strong status condition also cure the moderate and weak sub-conditions of that condition's array. Creatures immune to a strong condition are generally afflicted with the moderate condition of its array instead. Some abilities, such as the paladin's immunity to fear protect against multiple conditions.


Strong Status Conditions

Table: Status Array

Status Condition Status Array Effect
Ability damage Ability damage ==> Bleed ==> Sickened One or more ability is reduced, leading to other negative effects.
Confused Confused ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed Target treats everyone as an enemy and may attack allies or himself.
Cowering Cowering ==> Staggered ==> Shaken Target can take no actions other than wetting pants.
Dazed Dazed ==> Staggered ==> Dazzled Target can take no actions. Usually ends automatically after 1 round.
Fascinated Fascinated ==> Blind ==> Deafened Target stares off into space and takes no actions.
Frightened Frightened ==> Staggered ==> Shaken Target runs away at full speed taking no other actions.
Helpless Helpless ==> Exhausted ==> Fatigued Target can take no actions and is subject to coup-de-grace attacks.
Helpless Helpless ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed Target can take no actions and is subject to coup-de-grace attacks.
Level Drain Level Drain ==> Energy Drain ==> Energy Drain Target's level is reduced, leading to numerous other penalties.
Nauseated Nauseated ==> Exhausted ==> Sickened Target can take no actions other than depositing recent meals onto the floor.
Panicked Panicked ==> Rattled ==> Shaken Target drops any held objects and runs away at full speed.
Paralyzed Paralyzed ==> Entangled ==> Slowed Target is frozen in place and can take no actions.
Petrified Petrified ==> Entangled ==> Deafened Target is turned to stone and becomes more attractive to birds.
Phased Phased ==> Incorporeal ==> Concealed Attackers have a 50% miss chance, and the creature takes only 50% damage.
Phased Phased ==> Invisible ==> Concealed Attackers have a 50% miss chance, and the creature takes only 50% damage.
Pinned Pinned ==> Grappled ==> Slowed Target can only make escape checks.
Stunned Stunned ==> Rattled ==> Dazzled Target can take no actions and drops any held objects.


Moderate Status Conditions

Status Condition Status Array Effect
Bleed Ability damage ==> Bleed ==> Sickened
Blind Fascinated ==> Blind ==> Deafened
Energy Drain Level Drain ==> Energy Drain ==> Energy Drain
Entangled Paralyzed ==> Entangled ==> Slowed
Entangled Petrified ==> Entangled ==> Deafened
Exhausted Nauseated ==> Exhausted ==> Sickened
Exhausted Helpless ==> Exhausted ==> Fatigued
Grappled Pinned ==> Grappled ==> Slowed
Incorporeal Phased ==> Incorporeal ==> Concealed
Invisible Phased ==> Invisible ==> Concealed
Prone Confused ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed
Prone Helpless ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed
Rattled Panicked ==> Rattled ==> Shaken
Rattled Stunned ==> Rattled ==> Dazzled
Staggered Cowering ==> Staggered ==> Shaken
Staggered Dazed ==> Staggered ==> Dazzled
Staggered Frightened ==> Staggered ==> Shaken


Weak Status Conditions

Status Condition Status Array Effect
Concealed Phased ==> Incorporeal ==> Concealed
Concealed Phased ==> Invisible ==> Concealed
Dazzled Dazed ==> Staggered ==> Dazzled
Dazzled Stunned ==> Rattled ==> Dazzled
Deafened Fascinated ==> Blind ==> Deafened
Deafened Petrified ==> Entangled ==> Deafened
Energy Drain Level Drain ==> Energy Drain ==> Energy Drain
Fatigued Helpless ==> Exhausted ==> Fatigued
Flat-Footed Helpless ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed
Flat-Footed Confused ==> Prone ==> Flat-Footed
Shaken Cowering ==> Staggered ==> Shaken
Shaken Frightened ==> Staggered ==> Shaken
Shaken Panicked ==> Rattled ==> Shaken
Sickened Ability damage ==> Bleed ==> Sickened
Sickened Nauseated ==> Exhausted ==> Sickened
Slowed Paralyzed ==> Entangled ==> Slowed
Slowed Pinned ==> Grappled ==> Slowed