Sinjin the Rogue
First Post
A friend of mine are having a disagreement. He wants to use the metamagic feat "Heighten Spell" in order to cast Polymorph other as a 5th level spell. He is a sorcerer. According to the Player's Handbook and the SRD:
"Some spellcasters choose spells as they cast them. They can choose when they cast their spells whether to use metamagic feats to improve them. As with other spellcasters, the improved spell uses up a higher-level spell slot. If its normal casting time is 1 action, casting a metamagic spell is a full-round action for a spellcaster that chooses spells as they cast them."
Looking at this, it is my opinion that, since the casting time is now a full round action for a heightened spell, the spell effect would not take place until the start of the Sorcerer's next turn, because, again according to the Player's Handbook:
"A spell that takes 1 full round to cast is a full-round action. It comes into effect just before the beginning of the character's turn in the round after the character began casting the spell. The character then acts normally after the spell is completed."
The way I see it, a spell that takes a full round action is the same thing as a spell with a casting time of onr round.
My friend disagrees. He contends that a spell with a casting time of one round is not necessarily the same thing as a spell that requires a full round action to cast. His reasoning is that in the PHB Glossary, the definition of a full round action is:
"Full-Round actions consume all of a character's effort during a round. The only movement possible in conjunction with a full round action is a five foot step, which can occur before, during or after the action."
Thus, if a character can take a 5 foot step after the full round action, then it seems that a full round action can be completed on the same turn.
However, there are no spells in the PHB that have a casting time of a "full round action". Casting times are generally 1 action, 1 round or longer. All spells that require a round to cast require a full round action.
Anyone know of errata or sage advice on this one/
"Some spellcasters choose spells as they cast them. They can choose when they cast their spells whether to use metamagic feats to improve them. As with other spellcasters, the improved spell uses up a higher-level spell slot. If its normal casting time is 1 action, casting a metamagic spell is a full-round action for a spellcaster that chooses spells as they cast them."
Looking at this, it is my opinion that, since the casting time is now a full round action for a heightened spell, the spell effect would not take place until the start of the Sorcerer's next turn, because, again according to the Player's Handbook:
"A spell that takes 1 full round to cast is a full-round action. It comes into effect just before the beginning of the character's turn in the round after the character began casting the spell. The character then acts normally after the spell is completed."
The way I see it, a spell that takes a full round action is the same thing as a spell with a casting time of onr round.
My friend disagrees. He contends that a spell with a casting time of one round is not necessarily the same thing as a spell that requires a full round action to cast. His reasoning is that in the PHB Glossary, the definition of a full round action is:
"Full-Round actions consume all of a character's effort during a round. The only movement possible in conjunction with a full round action is a five foot step, which can occur before, during or after the action."
Thus, if a character can take a 5 foot step after the full round action, then it seems that a full round action can be completed on the same turn.
However, there are no spells in the PHB that have a casting time of a "full round action". Casting times are generally 1 action, 1 round or longer. All spells that require a round to cast require a full round action.
Anyone know of errata or sage advice on this one/