share spells with Animal Companion-question

[Lord_SZadek]

Hi guyz...
So, in Player's Handbook 1 the description says:

• At the druid’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion. The animal companion must be within 5 feet of her at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.
• Additionally, the druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A druid and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).

so my question here is: if i cast a spell like "Enlarge Person" which has target Humanoid Creatures only will my companion, which is animal, be affected? doesn't this seem like abuse of rules since you can actually cast spells on a non-valid target?

thanks in andvance

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I would say yes, though a regular Druid would never have access to your example spell, Enlarge Person. For a Wizard/Druid/Arcane Heirophant, though, that'd probably be a pretty good trick.

 

[frankthedm]

I would say yes, though a regular Druid would never have access to your example spell, Enlarge Person. For a Wizard/Druid/Arcane Heirophant, though, that'd probably be a pretty good trick.

Yep, a Potion would automatically effect the druid so the crippling share spells liability* would kick in unfortunately. I'm unsure if a druid with cross class UMD could try this with a scroll [spell completion] or possibly a wand [spell trigger].

* it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yep, a Potion would automatically effect the druid so the crippling share spells liability* would kick in unfortunately. I'm unsure if a druid with cross class UMD could try this with a scroll [spell completion] or possibly a wand [spell trigger]

Does that work? I always thought it had to be a spell in order ot share it, it could not be from a wand or scroll.

* it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.

That's why if you plan to make much use at all out of Share Spells, you should pick up the Companion Spellboond feat to extend the range to 30 ft. And an Arcane Heirophant gets to combine his familiar and animal companion into one entity, and would thus likely qualify for Enspell Familiar feat, which is about the same as Companion Spellbond, except for a Familiar and it extends the range to one mile, IIRC.

EDIT: Yup, one mile. Wow.

 

[Lord_SZadek]

my point is that an enlarge person would affect druid even after wild shape since u keep Humanoid type... and if you can share it with your animal companion with this trick (even though its animal type) then it makes a really solid buff for low levels.

@ frankthedm i am planning to get Spellbond Companion from Player's Handbook 2 so range won't be an issue xD

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Yes. Except it's not on the Druid spell list, so you probably need to multiclass to cast it.

 

[Dandu]

Or drink a potion. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Or drink a potion. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect.

How do you figure?

Wands and scrolls I cna sort of see, since they're spell trigger and spell completion items, and you need to either be an appropriate spellcaster or fake it in order to use them. But potions? The whole point of them is that you don't have to be a caster at all to use them, there's nothing remotely like casting involved in using one. And I've never heard that a potion drinker is the effective caster. The drinker has no control over ANY aspect of the spell contained -- not target, not effective CL, not duration... -- all he has control over is when to drink it.

 

[Dandu]

How do you figure?

Wands and scrolls I cna sort of see, since they're spell trigger and spell completion items, and you need to either be an appropriate spellcaster or fake it in order to use them. But potions? The whole point of them is that you don't have to be a caster at all to use them, there's nothing remotely like casting involved in using one. And I've never heard that a potion drinker is the effective caster. The drinker has no control over ANY aspect of the spell contained -- not target, not effective CL, not duration... -- all he has control over is when to drink it.

Potions and Oils

The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Wow...that's a dumb line of text. What effect is the drinker controlling? The on/off switch (ie, drinking it)? SOOOOOO impressive...

Alright, this may be yet another case of RAW legal, but no way in hell would I allow it in my game. It's becoming disheartening how often that seems to occur with the RAW...