Iron Heart Surge

[Elfin]

ToB description:
Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of one or more rounds. The effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

So, my question is: can the "condition" that heals be damage you've taken?

[AslanCross]

Ah, the badly-worded IHS.

Damage doesn't have a listed duration. It's instantaneous, just as a fireball is instantaneous. IHS can only act on effects that have a listed duration.

[Ravens_cry]

ToB description:
Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of one or more rounds. The effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

So, my question is: can the "condition" that heals be damage you've taken?

Condition has a specific meaning in D&D. Condition Summery SRD

[Assassin89]

I do not think so. HP damage is not a condition.

[Aneantir]

ToB description:
Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of one or more rounds. The effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

So, my question is: can the "condition" that heals be damage you've taken?

No. Damage does not have a duration, persay, so it doesn't qualify.

Ninjas galore!

[Raum]

ToB description:
Your fighting spirit, dedication, and training allow you to overcome almost anything to defeat your enemies. When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of one or more rounds. The effect ends immediately. You also surge with confidence and vengeance against your enemies, gaining a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

So, my question is: can the "condition" that heals be damage you've taken?

Not with anyone I know GMing.

It's worth pointing out that the condition needs to have a duration to be valid. Damage is generally 'instant' but something causing a temporary HP loss with a limited duration would be a valid candidate.

[Lamech]

The real question is what qualifies as an effect? If I'm on fire does that count? If I'm burning because my surrounding are on fire does that count? What about a forcecage that is preventing me from moving forward? (I'm actually pressing into it.) The strong nuclear force?

[Elfin]

OK, thanks for the help.
And the next question is:
is Iron Heart Surge worth getting?

[KillianHawkeye]

Technically, damage would be an effect, not a condition. But yes, IHS wouldn't get rid of ordinary damage.

[RebelRogue]

The strong nuclear force?

Hardly a condition, now is it? Although suppressing it would certainly lead to impressive results with high lethality!

[Eldariel]

OK, thanks for the help.
And the next question is:
is Iron Heart Surge worth getting?

Depends on the readings your DM uses, but usually yes. Being able to negate Anti-Magic Fields, Rays of Enfeeblement/Exhaustion/etc., Slows and so on is just gold.

[Salt_Crow]

It'd at least get rid of pesky Antimagic Field, the sunlight that's dazzling your drow (or orc) character, nuclear disaster etc etc.

[Aneantir]

OK, thanks for the help.
And the next question is:
is Iron Heart Surge worth getting?

It's incredibly useful. You want to take it. Even for silly things like breaking AMFs.

[Guancyto]

It depends.

You're obligated by contract to shout out a catchphrase ("Setting me on fire? My blood burns hotter than the sun!" etc.) or something similar every time you use it. If you aren't into that sort of thing, you might want to shy away from taking it.

Otherwise, go nuts.

[Frosty]

IHS is in DIRE need of an errata from WotC.

[kjones]

For those who are suggesting using IHS to extinguish the sun, etc., we shall once again reiterate that "duration" has a specific meaning in D&D. Technically, the sun has a "duration", in that (by real world physics) it will eventually go out, but that's not what the wording of IHS means.

[Guancyto]

For those who are suggesting using IHS to extinguish the sun, etc., we shall once again reiterate that "duration" has a specific meaning in D&D. Technically, the sun has a "duration", in that (by real world physics) it will eventually go out, but that's not what the wording of IHS means.

Well yeah.

To do that, the sun would have to use IHS to end its 'burning' condition. I'm pretty sure the sun is a Druid in Colossal Elemental Form, not a Warblade.

[HamHam]

IHS is in DIRE need of an errata from WotC.

More like it's in dire need of someone common sense DMing.

[Eldariel]

More like it's in dire need of someone common sense DMing.

It has another problem too: It can't really be used against the condition you'd think it should be, just for the theatric effects (like Dominates, Charms, Stuns, etc.) 'cause they deny you the action. So it does really want some errata. But as WoTC has abandoned us, we gotta do that ourselves (like making it a purely mental action.

[Drammel]

Not an errata, but the best that we're ever going to get for the Tome of Battle, considering that the official one is so completely screwed up still.

Check under "Specific Maneuver Questions" for what Iron Heart Surge can and cannot remove.

[Salt_Crow]

For those who are suggesting using IHS to extinguish the sun, etc., we shall once again reiterate that "duration" has a specific meaning in D&D. Technically, the sun has a "duration", in that (by real world physics) it will eventually go out, but that's not what the wording of IHS means.

It's always fun to bring it up though XD

Anyways, would it be able to end things like Swallow Whole though? It's got unspecified "duration" (as in, you either break out after a few rounds or you die horribly) and... you can effectively end the creature's (read: Tarrasque's) gut!

[quick_comment]

It's always fun to bring it up though XD

Anyways, would it be able to end things like Swallow Whole though? It's got unspecified "duration" (as in, you either break out after a few rounds or you die horribly) and... you can effectively end the creature's (read: Tarrasque's) gut!

Being swallowed does not have a set duration.

[Ravens_cry]

Being swallowed does not have a set duration.

I would personally say it gives the +2 to attack rolls, though.

[holywhippet]

It'd at least get rid of pesky Antimagic Field, the sunlight that's dazzling your drow (or orc) character, nuclear disaster etc etc.

That's questionable. As someone else pointed out in a different thread the text specifically states:

When you use this maneuver, select one spell, effect, or other condition currently affecting you and with a duration of one or more rounds.

Antimagic field doesn't have a duration specified in rounds, it's 10 minutes per level. If they meant for spell like that to be affected by ironheart surge they would have said it works when the duration is one round or greater.

[quick_comment]

Antimagic field doesn't have a duration specified in rounds, it's 10 minutes per level. If they meant for spell like that to be affected by ironheart surge they would have said it works when the duration is one round or greater.

No, because duration 1 round or greater would allow the ending of permanent effects, or the sun, or whatever.

Duration measured in rounds means an effect that runs out.

[ColdSepp]

The FAQ states IHS will end AMF... While the FAQ isn't RAW, its a good place to check.

[Sinfire Titan]

I do not think so. HP damage is not a condition.

Living and the Sun, however, are. We've proven this for comedic value.

[holywhippet]

No, because duration 1 round or greater would allow the ending of permanent effects, or the sun, or whatever.

Duration measured in rounds means an effect that runs out.

The sun doesn't have a stated duration though.

[Irreverent Fool]

Thank you 3.5 for making us look at rules rather than roleplay. Now to flex my muscles so hard that I turn this AMF off.

obnoxious
sig

[Kaiyanwang]

Thank you 3.5 for making us look at rules rather than roleplay. Now to flex my muscles so hard that I turn this AMF off.

obnoxious
sig

IMHO, is a very bad interpetation. I can understand that IHS removes, say, ray of exaustion of even negtive levels because the strenght and the will of the warrior yadda yadda, but one thing is being fatigued, or even trampled by a tsunami, or pinned by a shadocaster spell, and one thing is an area effect.

You ARE ina an AMF, you are not "AMFielded". Regardless the FAQ, I'd rule does not work.