Tenser's Floating Disk

[KarinsDad]

screw tradition. Yes.

You could rule that, but that is a house rule.

This is not really about tradition. It is about the capabilities of the spell as written.

The spell follows the caster. Period.

 

[Oates]

I had a player in 2E who used shadow steed as a disk shaped mount and use TFD as an animal shaped equipment carrier (spider...crazy drow lover players!!!!)

 

[TheGogmagog]

Make a scroll of TFD, I'll UMD and cast it and tow you around

Just don't ever make a double move, or you will leave him on his butt prone.

 

[KRT]

... at which point, the universe explodes.

more likely the disk shears off his legs.

 

[Sammael]

No. RAW doesn't allow it, and it's not even a reasonable house rule, as it makes the spell WAY too powerful.

 

[Joker]

No. RAW doesn't allow it, and it's not even a reasonable house rule, as it makes the spell WAY too powerful.

Perhaps I'm missing something but why it is such an unreasonable houserule? To me it seems attackers would get bonusses on attacks against a sitting caster.

 

[Fieari]

I'm curious as to why you say the RAW doesn't allow it. Can you back that up with quotes? I can see the reasonable interpretation of reading the RAW, alone, without looking at precident or "intent" or anything non-RAW like that, that you can direct the disc to come close enough for you to sit on, sit on it, then direct it to go where you like.

I personally allow this, and have had no problems with it.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I'm curious as to why you say the RAW doesn't allow it. Can you back that up with quotes?

Easily.

It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you.

The disk accompanies you. If you don't move, the disk doesn't move. You may change the distance at which the disk follows you - "if not otherwise directed" - but unless you move, the disk does not.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The disk accompanies you. If you don't move, the disk doesn't move. You may change the distance at which the disk follows you - "if not otherwise directed" - but unless you move, the disk does not.

If the disk is three feet behind me, and I direct it to follow me at a distance of six feet but I do not move, does the disk move back three feet to create the required gap? Or does it remain in place until I move more than six feet away?

In other words, is the directed distance like a pole separating us, or a rope? The rope can only 'pull' the disk along, and allows slack. The pole can pull or push, and the distance is fixed.

If I'm walking north, with the disk following at a distance of three feet to the south, and then I turn around and face south, does the disk move to a position three feet north of me? If not, what happens when I start walking south? How far do I have to move before the disk will start moving again?

-Hyp.

 

[ARandomGod]

My answer is: You can if you believe you can. But then I'm a signer (Planescape reference)

This question comes up for debate now and then. I don't see anything broken about allowing it, and I can come up with justification to allow it... and I can see some people's justification for not allowing it.

In the end, when something like this crops up, I like to look at it and say "how can I say yes". I like to encourage my players to be able to do things. If there's a way to allow a thing without having it be "overpowered", then I try to allow it. Fortunately, for this spell, I don't even see how/why you'd need any counterbalancing negatives added on.

I disagree.

Yes, you can sit on it. No, you can't get it to move once you've done so.

"Otherwise directed" refers to the distance at which it follows you. Therefore, if you aren't moving, the disc cannot "accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round."

It's a long-standing tradition in D&D that you can't ride your own Tenser's Floating Disc. Create a new spell, higher in level, that will let you do what you want (probably 2nd).

It's a long standing tradition for Patryn, of course. I've personally never seen (or perhaps never noticed) this tradition and I'm imagining neither have you.

If you ask it to "follow" one foot in front of you, and you don't move, but you're on it, well... it will have to go forward at it's max speed, won't it?

If you get someone who won't allow you to have it "follow" in front, then get a mirror and sit backwards. That's a little silly, but then not allowing it in the first place is a little silly.

KarinsDad says it's a houserule, but as Hyp stated, by RAW it will work.

Sammeal says this makes the spell uberpowerful. I wonder why. Do tell! I love hearing thoughts from a devious mind.