Detect spells, Concentration or Duration?

Oni · Feb 27, 2003

I've noticed several of the detect spell have a duration of concentration, but are also marked is dismissable. Is this just a common editing error, because I thought any spell with a duration of concentration could be ended by simply ceasing to concentrate.

andargor · Feb 27, 2003

Strange, I had never noticed that... Looks like a cut-and-paste from a "Concentration + X rounds (D)" type of spell...

Andargor

Oni · Feb 27, 2003

I've been wondering if these are meant to have a duration of x/per level, but only function while concentrating, but do not actually end when you cease concentrating. This seems logical, but there isn't really anything to support that thought v. the fact it's a editing error.

Jeremy · Feb 27, 2003

That was my understanding of the spell. When you cast it, it's on for the duration. However you don't see evil, good, chaos, etc. unless you take an action to concentrate. You can do that for one round of the duration or the entire duration, but it doesn't affect the duration as far as I can tell.

Hypersmurf · Feb 27, 2003

That's not how it's worded, though...

Normally if you don't take a standard action each round to maintain a Concentration spell, it expires.

I've always required someone who has a Detect Magic running to take only single Move actions each round or lose the spell...

-Hyp.

Taloras · Feb 27, 2003

yes, but then how do you rule on someone who used a permanency spell to make detect magic permanent?

Hypersmurf · Feb 27, 2003

yes, but then how do you rule on someone who used a permanency spell to make detect magic permanent?

Its duration is no longer "Concentration up to etc", it's "Permanent". There's no problem.

FAQ (from memory) says that someone with a permanent Detect Magic is automatically aware of the presence of magic, but still needs to spend rounds studying to get numbers, locations, and intensity of auras.

-Hyp.