Antimagic shell (I know, I know ...)

[Slander]

We're finally getting to a point in our campaign where antimagic shells will be used by the PCs. Now, one of my players believes that while in an antimagic shell, you can cast a spell that would affect an area outside the shell (i.e. Flamestrike). Maybe I'm still stuck in 2E mode, but that doesn't sit well with me at all. Is he correct? And if so, how does one now go about safely locking up spell-casters? An anti-magic dungeon cell was what I used before, but if he is correct, a mage could cast Suggestion/Charm etc and simply have a guard open the cell. Insight is appreciated.



Slander

 

[TrizzlWizzl]

From "Sage Advice" Dragon #296:

Does antimagic field actually prevent the casting of a spell from within the field? That is, does the spell automatically fail, and is wasted?

No. An antimagic field suppresses magic used within, brought into, or cast into it's area but is not dispelled (see the second paragraph of the spell description).


Hope that helps somewhat...

 

[The Sigil]

Disagree...

From "Sage Advice" Dragon #296:

Does antimagic field actually prevent the casting of a spell from within the field? That is, does the spell automatically fail, and is wasted?

No. An antimagic field suppresses magic used within, brought into, or cast into it's area but is not dispelled (see the second paragraph of the spell description).


Hope that helps somewhat...

By my reading, the spell cannot be cast. My definition of "magic used within" includes "casting a spell within."

Anyway, my 5-minute definition of how AM-fields work is this...

1.) If a spell is cast and the caster or target is in an AM field, the spell automatically fails (for the purposes of area effects, the center of the area is what is checked).

2.) If an area effect is centered outside an AM field but would include the AM field in its range, the effect stops at the edge of the AM field as though it hit a wall of force.

3.) If the center of an ongoing area effect comes under the influence of an AM field, the entire effect is supressed.

4.) The durations of spells "supressed" in an AM field continue to "tick down." IOW, if I have three rounds left on a spell and step into an AM field for four rounds, the spell has already expired when I step back out. It does not "pause" the countdown - and then continue for three more rounds when I step back out .

5.) An AM field does not block a line of effect between two points that are both outside of the AM field (my so-called "quantum casting" effect). This is implicit in statement 1, by the way.

Others don't necessarily agree with this, I know, but it seems to prevent most problems and ambiguities. One thing I do know... allowing a spellcaster to sit in an AM field and call down spells on his opponents is broken.

--The Sigil

 

[Thanee]

That was my first impression, too, when I read the "magic used within" phrase.

Altho, if it really only suppresses magic (like the Globe of Invulnerability), then it should work, actually.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Artoomis]

The spell description for Antimagic field actually says:

An antimagic field suppresses any spell ... used within ... but does not dispel it. Time spent within an antimagic field counts against the suppressed spell's duration.

This seems to indicate that you can cast spell while in an Antimagic Field, but effects that lie within the Animagic Field are suppressed. Soooo.....

Cast away, my friend.

I don't think I like it working that way, but them's the rules.

 

[kreynolds]

I don't think I like it working that way, but them's the rules.

Yeah, the idea of a pack o' wizards hurling fireballs while huddled within an Antimagic Field bugs the hell outta me too.

 

[Crothian]

Yeah, the idea of a pack o' wizards hurling fireballs while huddled within an Antimagic Field bugs the hell outta me too.

This is great for NPCs. Think of all the players you can kill with this tactic.

 

[Thanee]

Looks like the ultimate protection spell against magic (at least instanteneous and short duration magic).

The only drawback is, that it suppresses all your magical boosts, too, so a combination of fighter and wizard might still be hard to deal with.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Crothian]

Looks like the ultimate protection spell against magic (at least instanteneous and short duration magic).

The only drawback is, that it suppresses all your magical boosts, too, so a combination of fighter and wizard might still be hard to deal with.

Bye
Thanee

I hate magic boosts, so that is actually a plus. You need to just have proper placement on the battlefield for this. High, on a place not easily gotten to would be the best. And as long as the anti magic field is up you can ignore the Wizard and blast the Fighter.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

If the AMF suppresses an instantaneous effect, would that not be functionally equivalent to dispelling it? For example, if I am a wizard in an AMF and I cast a haste spell on myself, the spell will work but be suppressed until I leave the AMF or the AMF ends. Then if I have any duration left with the haste spell, it functions normally for that duration. But if I cast a fireball from within the AMF, the spell is suppressed. But the duration is instantaneous, so it cannot continue after I leave the AMF. So it does not work. Is this a valid objection to allowing fireball to be used successfully within an AMF? Or a lightning bolt for that matter?