The Unbound Satarre is known for a racial ability called Unraveling Touch. Here is what it does:
"You can use your action to attempt to tear at the reality that keeps a being together. Choose a creature that you can see within 30 feet. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature that fails the saving throw must use its action each turn to repeat the saving throw as it attempts to keep itself in one piece. On a successful save, the effect ends on the target. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest. (This trait replaces the base Satarre’s Carrier of Rot trait.)"
I really am fascinated with this racial ability, for one question. What does it mean to “keep oneself in one piece”? It’s not defined mechanically — but narratively, it paints a vivid picture of a creature whose very reality is torn apart. And because it forces the use of an action to make the save, if the target is unconscious, stunned, or otherwise unable to act, it can’t make the saving throw, meaning the effect could persist indefinitely. Combined with spells like Sleep or conditions that block actions, Unraveling Touch becomes a terrifying soft-lock. Whether your DM interprets it as a magical paralysis, metaphysical decay, or something darker, the ability opens the door for creative storytelling and clever tactical play. The Unbound Satarre aren’t just cool lizard-looking guys; they’re a glitch in the world, and they might drag their enemies into that brokenness with them.
But what do you guys think/interpret the racial ability? Is it as powerful as it sounds, or do you think it's just a simple mental block that a creature must snap out of with the help of a 3rd party? Just curious since its never specified and I cant really find any people talking about it.
I have no idea what book this comes from and without the full text (and related features) it is somewhat hard to tell.
But looking at what you posted the "as it attempts to keep itself in one piece." has no real meaning in itself, it's just flavor. The effect is needing to use its action every round to make a save and yes if you manage to deprive the creature of its Action then it will keep being affected by it. Of course the creature can still use any movement, Bonus Action or Reactions that it have available to it.
The species is from "Kobold Press's Book of Ebon Tides". It appears to be a species native to the Shadowfell/Plane of Shadows. Whether it is balanced or not .. who knows, it is 3rd party material. However, I'd agree with Thezzaruz that the text is just descriptive flavor text. The ability can not cause harm to a creature .. all it does is require the creature to use up its action every turn to make a save .. on a success or failure nothing bad happens except the creature having to use up its action on the next.
I'd also add that your statement "if the target is unconscious, stunned, or otherwise unable to act, it can’t make the saving throw" is completely a house rule. In 5e, none of these situations prevent the creature from making a saving throw. The stunned condition at worst automatically fails strength and dex saves - similarly paralysed and petrified also only result in automatic failure of strength and dex saves - they still get to make all their saves though.
If you use a house rule to make something more powerful than intended ... that is on you :)
I see, that's good to know. I was just curious since I haven't seen much people talk about the ability and was wondering what it even meant. If it is purely flavor then that is a bit disappointing but a creature still needing to use up their action to make a con save could be alright in early game. I feel it should've specified the effect in the module however I just wanted people to talk about it since I think the Satarre species looked and lorewise sounded really cool
From what I've seen the Book of Ebon Tides has some interesting ideas that are extremely janky mechanically. This would seem to be one of them
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
I see, that's good to know. I was just curious since I haven't seen much people talk about the ability and was wondering what it even meant. If it is purely flavor then that is a bit disappointing but a creature still needing to use up their action to make a con save could be alright in early game. I feel it should've specified the effect in the module however I just wanted people to talk about it since I think the Satarre species looked and lorewise sounded really cool
What more do you want? That they specify that flavour is flavour? Or what it "looks" like in-game? That's something that 5E rules rarely (if ever) does.
The sentence starts with "A creature that fails the saving throw must use its action each turn to repeat the saving throw" and that explains all the mechanics of the effect.
It was more in the sense that it doesn't state the underlying effect except for flavor text, which I just wanted to know other people's interpretations of it. I'm not saying it should do more or less, and I know mechanically that an action must be used to make the save to do anything else. The effect of failing to do it is not specified, so I was curious about what others interpret it as, and noticed no one talked about the Book of Ebon Tides module regarding this racial ability.
It was more in the sense that it doesn't state the underlying effect except for flavor text, which I just wanted to know other people's interpretations of it. I'm not saying it should do more or less, and I know mechanically that an action must be used to make the save to do anything else. The effect of failing to do it is not specified, so I was curious about what others interpret it as, and noticed no one talked about the Book of Ebon Tides module regarding this racial ability.
Sure it is, is you don't roll the save then you can succeed on the save and thus the effect continues.
As a Magic action, you can expend one use of this class’s Channel Divinity to overwhelm foes with awe. As you present your Holy Symbol or weapon, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one creature) that you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Frightened condition for 1 minute or until it takes any damage. While Frightened in this way, a target can do only one of the following on its turns: move, take an action, or take a Bonus Action.
It has a short flavour description of what you do and then a clear mechanical portion that specifies its in-game effect and how you get rid of it. The "overwhelm foes with awe" text really is no more clear or specified than the "attempts to keep itself in one piece" text. But it doesn't need to be, it is flavour so narrate it how you like. The mechanical effects for both features are clearly defined.
But what do you guys think/interpret the racial ability? Is it as powerful as it sounds, or do you think it's just a simple mental block that a creature must snap out of with the help of a 3rd party? Just curious since its never specified and I cant really find any people talking about it.
I interpret Unraveling Touch as a weird self-shattering effect where the target unravel when the reality that keep it together is teared down, as often seen in movie scene involving time-travel or teleport, which i can't remember at the moment.
It uses up its Action every turn, but it otherwise can move and use a Bonus Action or Reaction as normal.
But what do you guys think/interpret the racial ability? Is it as powerful as it sounds, or do you think it's just a simple mental block that a creature must snap out of with the help of a 3rd party? Just curious since its never specified and I cant really find any people talking about it.
I interpret Unraveling Touch as a weird self-shattering effect where the target unravel when the reality that keep it together is teared down, as often seen in movie scene involving time-travel or teleport, which i can't remember at the moment.
It uses up its Action every turn, but it otherwise can move and use a Bonus Action or Reaction as normal.
TBH, in my head it would look more like the target has some form of OCD
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
But what do you guys think/interpret the racial ability? Is it as powerful as it sounds, or do you think it's just a simple mental block that a creature must snap out of with the help of a 3rd party? Just curious since its never specified and I cant really find any people talking about it.
I interpret Unraveling Touch as a weird self-shattering effect where the target unravel when the reality that keep it together is teared down, as often seen in movie scene involving time-travel or teleport, which i can't remember at the moment.
It uses up its Action every turn, but it otherwise can move and use a Bonus Action or Reaction as normal.
TBH, in my head it would look more like the target has some form of OCD
It was my initial thoughts but its a Constitution saving throw to endure rather than Wisdom to resist mental.
The species is from "Kobold Press's Book of Ebon Tides". It appears to be a species native to the Shadowfell/Plane of Shadows. Whether it is balanced or not .. who knows, it is 3rd party material. However, I'd agree with Thezzaruz that the text is just descriptive flavor text. The ability can not cause harm to a creature .. all it does is require the creature to use up its action every turn to make a save .. on a success or failure nothing bad happens except the creature having to use up its action on the next.
I'd also add that your statement "if the target is unconscious, stunned, or otherwise unable to act, it can’t make the saving throw" is completely a house rule. In 5e, none of these situations prevent the creature from making a saving throw. The stunned condition at worst automatically fails strength and dex saves - similarly paralysed and petrified also only result in automatic failure of strength and dex saves - they still get to make all their saves though.
If you use a house rule to make something more powerful than intended ... that is on you :)
I don't think this is entirely correct as any condition that leaves you Incapacitated doesn't allow you to take any action, bonus action or reaction and the description states you have to use your action to make the save.
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The Unbound Satarre is known for a racial ability called Unraveling Touch. Here is what it does:
"You can use your action to attempt to tear at the reality that keeps a being together. Choose a creature that you can see within 30 feet. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature that fails the saving throw must use its action each turn to repeat the saving throw as it attempts to keep itself in one piece. On a successful save, the effect ends on the target. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest. (This trait replaces the base Satarre’s Carrier of Rot trait.)"
I really am fascinated with this racial ability, for one question. What does it mean to “keep oneself in one piece”? It’s not defined mechanically — but narratively, it paints a vivid picture of a creature whose very reality is torn apart. And because it forces the use of an action to make the save, if the target is unconscious, stunned, or otherwise unable to act, it can’t make the saving throw, meaning the effect could persist indefinitely. Combined with spells like Sleep or conditions that block actions, Unraveling Touch becomes a terrifying soft-lock. Whether your DM interprets it as a magical paralysis, metaphysical decay, or something darker, the ability opens the door for creative storytelling and clever tactical play. The Unbound Satarre aren’t just cool lizard-looking guys; they’re a glitch in the world, and they might drag their enemies into that brokenness with them.
But what do you guys think/interpret the racial ability? Is it as powerful as it sounds, or do you think it's just a simple mental block that a creature must snap out of with the help of a 3rd party? Just curious since its never specified and I cant really find any people talking about it.
I have no idea what book this comes from and without the full text (and related features) it is somewhat hard to tell.
But looking at what you posted the "as it attempts to keep itself in one piece." has no real meaning in itself, it's just flavor. The effect is needing to use its action every round to make a save and yes if you manage to deprive the creature of its Action then it will keep being affected by it. Of course the creature can still use any movement, Bonus Action or Reactions that it have available to it.
The species is from "Kobold Press's Book of Ebon Tides". It appears to be a species native to the Shadowfell/Plane of Shadows. Whether it is balanced or not .. who knows, it is 3rd party material. However, I'd agree with Thezzaruz that the text is just descriptive flavor text. The ability can not cause harm to a creature .. all it does is require the creature to use up its action every turn to make a save .. on a success or failure nothing bad happens except the creature having to use up its action on the next.
I'd also add that your statement "if the target is unconscious, stunned, or otherwise unable to act, it can’t make the saving throw" is completely a house rule. In 5e, none of these situations prevent the creature from making a saving throw. The stunned condition at worst automatically fails strength and dex saves - similarly paralysed and petrified also only result in automatic failure of strength and dex saves - they still get to make all their saves though.
If you use a house rule to make something more powerful than intended ... that is on you :)
I see, that's good to know. I was just curious since I haven't seen much people talk about the ability and was wondering what it even meant. If it is purely flavor then that is a bit disappointing but a creature still needing to use up their action to make a con save could be alright in early game. I feel it should've specified the effect in the module however I just wanted people to talk about it since I think the Satarre species looked and lorewise sounded really cool
From what I've seen the Book of Ebon Tides has some interesting ideas that are extremely janky mechanically. This would seem to be one of them
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
What more do you want? That they specify that flavour is flavour? Or what it "looks" like in-game? That's something that 5E rules rarely (if ever) does.
The sentence starts with "A creature that fails the saving throw must use its action each turn to repeat the saving throw" and that explains all the mechanics of the effect.
It was more in the sense that it doesn't state the underlying effect except for flavor text, which I just wanted to know other people's interpretations of it. I'm not saying it should do more or less, and I know mechanically that an action must be used to make the save to do anything else. The effect of failing to do it is not specified, so I was curious about what others interpret it as, and noticed no one talked about the Book of Ebon Tides module regarding this racial ability.
Sure it is, is you don't roll the save then you can succeed on the save and thus the effect continues.
You can compare this feature with the Abjure Foes Paladin class feature as they are somewhat similar.
It has a short flavour description of what you do and then a clear mechanical portion that specifies its in-game effect and how you get rid of it. The "overwhelm foes with awe" text really is no more clear or specified than the "attempts to keep itself in one piece" text. But it doesn't need to be, it is flavour so narrate it how you like. The mechanical effects for both features are clearly defined.
I interpret Unraveling Touch as a weird self-shattering effect where the target unravel when the reality that keep it together is teared down, as often seen in movie scene involving time-travel or teleport, which i can't remember at the moment.
It uses up its Action every turn, but it otherwise can move and use a Bonus Action or Reaction as normal.
TBH, in my head it would look more like the target has some form of OCD
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
It was my initial thoughts but its a Constitution saving throw to endure rather than Wisdom to resist mental.
I don't think this is entirely correct as any condition that leaves you Incapacitated doesn't allow you to take any action, bonus action or reaction and the description states you have to use your action to make the save.