Sustainable Spells

[Relic]

The Wizard class feature Orb of Imposition allows a wizard to either take a penalty on an effect that requires a saving throw or to extend the duration of an effect created by an at-will wizard spell that would otherwise end at the end of your current turn. You extend the effect to end at the end of your next turn. Page 278 of the Player's Handbook states "An effect that has 'sustain standard,' a 'sustain move,' or a 'sustain minor' duration lasts as long as you sustain it.

The group's Wizard PC used Ray of Frost on Irontooth (target is damaged and is slowed until the end of your next turn) and elected to sustain the spell. She spent a minor action each turn to sustain the spell for the length of the entire encounter (12+ rounds). My interpretation of the Orb of Imposition class feature and the duration rules are that she could only have the slow effect from Ray of Frost last one additional turn (i.e. until the end of her next turn) and would not have been able to sustain it since the spell description does not include "sustain standard," "sustain move," or "sustain minor" in its description.

What is your interpretation of the Orb of Imposition and the duration rules?

 

[Tale]

It should have been sustained only until the end of the next turn. It says once per encounter as a free action. It does not turn it into sustain minor.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I don't have the books handy to check the exact wording, but the impression which I got was that Orb of Imposition could be used to extend the duration of a spell for an extra round - it doesn't make it into a "sustain:minor" or anything like that.

So the frost ray would have lasted for one additional round and that is it.

I think you are correct and the wizards player was wrong.

 

[ObsidianCrane]

Yup its only get him for an extra round. The real strength of the Orb is hitting them with that - Wis on their saves for your "Save Ends" effects. The extra round on Ray of Frost etc is not the most usefull thing.