Sharing Spells and Moving

[Panask]

WotC's recent article on animal companions said this about sharing spells:

***
To share a spell, your animal companion must be within 5 feet of you and there must be an unbroken line of effect between you and the companion. If the shared spell has a duration other than instantaneous, your animal companion must remain with 5 feet of you and maintain an unbroken line of effect to you or lose the spell's benefits. Once your animal companion loses the benefits from a particular casting of a spell, it cannot regain them again.
***

which basically matches the PHB. Does this mean that if a character and his animal companion are sharing a spell such as invisibility (seems like a good choice), they really can't move very far and still both keep the spell, even if they start and end their turns within 5 ft. of each other?

For example, if the character movied 30 ft. on his turn, then he'd be more than 5 ft. away from his animal companion. Even if the animal companion moved to keep up on its turn, and ended adjacent to the character, the spell on the animal companion would already be lost.

This seems like a very strong restriction on sharing spells for spells with a non-instantaneous duration. Is this what is intended? And is it the way people actually play?

Panask
Servitar to Baldur

 

[Thanee]

It's only checked after both have acted.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Herzog]

Most of the time, we rule that the spellcaster and his/her familiar or animal companion share the same initiative.

But, even if they do not, I'd rule they are considered to have stayed withing 5' as long as they begin and end their turn within 5' of each other.

As an additional restriction, you could rule they have to follow the same path.
However, it has never come up in a game I played yet.

Herzog

 

[Vegepygmy]

But, even if they do not, I'd rule they are considered to have stayed withing 5' as long as they begin and end their turn within 5' of each other.

Agreed. Actions are resolved in turn, but actually occur more or less simultaneously.

 

[frankthedm]

The effect pops as soon as the caster is more than 5' from his compainion. One of a few was to keep the effect on the companion is riding it.

It's only checked after both have acted.

Could you provide something to back that up? If my druidic foe withdraws 50' from me when his companion is still adjacent to me and tearing my head off, intending to soak up the AoO {if i live] to get next to his master with its own 50' move it seem damn clear to me they are now more than 5' apart.

 

[frankthedm]

This seems like a very strong restriction on sharing spells for spells with a non-instantaneous duration. Is this what is intended? And is it the way people actually play?

It is a very strong ability! I doubt it would have been worded that way if that was not the intention.

 

[Elethiomel]

I would rule that to not have the effect end, the two creatures (caster and companion) need to be on adjacent initiative counts (delaying can do this) and move by the same route to the same square. The moment the second creature deviates from the path of the first creature (for example by taking an attack action) the effect ends.
That's just how I would rule as a DM, not how I interpret the RAW.

 

[chitzk0i]

If it's that big a deal to you, take the feat from the PHBII that extends it to 30ft. That is only for druids, though, and it is only avoiding the problem, so make of it what you will.

 

[Goblyn]

I would rule that to not have the effect end, the two creatures (caster and companion) need to be on adjacent initiative counts (delaying can do this) and move by the same route to the same square. The moment the second creature deviates from the path of the first creature (for example by taking an attack action) the effect ends.
That's just how I would rule as a DM, not how I interpret the RAW.

This would be my solution as well. Really, it seems obvious to do it this way.