Casting a spell inside an Antimagic zone

[dead]

In the PHB & DMG 3.0, Antimagic is described as "supressing" magic. In other words, you can have a magical effect opperating, move through an antimagic area -- where it is suppressed -- then move out -- where it winks back on again (provided its duration hasn't expired).

So . . . my question is: Can you cast a spell or activate a magic item while you are INSIDE an antimagic zone. This would mean, if the spell/item has a duration (like an Invisibility spell or potion of Invisibility), you could cast the spell (or activate the item) and then leave the antimagic area, whereupon the magic would take effect as soon as you cross the threshold.

My instintive answer to this question is: No. You can't cast a spell inside an antimagic zone. Why? Because magic cannot "ignite" within such a zone. It can "exist" in a suppressed state in such a zone, but only if it was already in existance to begin with.

What's everybody elses opinion? Has 3.5 added to the description of antimagic? Or maybe I'm just missing something in the antimagic description.

Thanks.

 

[shilsen]

That's the way I'd rule too. But I seem to recall a recent document (not the FAQ - I checked), perhaps on the WotC site, which said that one can cast a spell in an antimagic field and it takes effect once one leaves the field, assuming the duration is long enough. I don't agree.

 

[dcollins]

It is in fact in the 3.0 FAQ, p. 53:

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

No. An antimagic field suppresses magic used within,
brought into, or cast into its area, but it does not dispel it (see
the second paragraph of the spell description).

I also think this is freakin' ridiculous.

 

[Plane Sailing]

The bizarre thing about that ruling is that it allows a wizard to sit within his antimagic field and magically bombard everything outside it (the fireballs wink into existence as they leave the field) like a super-duper globe of invulnerability - if the ruling is taken to its logical conclusion.

FWIW I would say that if you activated an in-place item like putting on a ring or drinking a potion then the magic would start (and start counting duration if necessary) but you wouldn't benefit from any effect until you left the area. I wouldn't allow spells to be cast at all.

 

[Dthamilaye]

No, AMF cuts the Line of Effect. That way a mage can not cast spell out of it as he does not have Line of Effect to anywhere.

On the other hand, if the spell is touch or personal or self, he can cast the spell as no Line of Effect is needed. Activating some magic items probably would work too. Though, I think the duration of all spells run even while in an AMF.

 

[Plane Sailing]

No, AMF cuts the Line of Effect. That way a mage can not cast spell out of it as he does not have Line of Effect to anywhere.

Excellent point. The original idea set my rant-o-meter off too quickly. I'll have to get it serviced.

Cheers

 

[dead]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! It helps a lot.

I will tell you all why this question came up in my campaign . . .

A sly black dragon had its wings cut off long ago and wants a PC to cast regenerate on it. Now, this dragon doesn't trust the PC (he is suppecting a double cross) so what he was going to do was: go to a "dead magic" area within the city (ie. an antimagic zone) and get the PC to cast the spell WITHIN this zone. This would mean the PC could not magically attack the dragon but also not disallow the casting of the regenerate spell. So when the sneaky dragon leaves the antimagic area, his wings will regenerate!

This was my plan, anyway. But I've decided it somehow seems like "cheating".

 

[shilsen]

It is in fact in the 3.0 FAQ, p. 53

Thanks. I checked the 3.5 FAQ and forgot to check the 3.0 one.

 

[Humanophile]

The black dragon trick wouldn't work. The duration on Regenerate (on all curative spells, really) is instant. So the spell doesn't "hang around" until it can take effect, it comes and goes in an instant, and since it can't do anything in that instant, it just fizzles.

Now, in theory a delayed spell with an instant duration could be cast inside an AMF, but you only have a few rounds to get out in that case, so that trick really has almost no practical use.

 

[Dthamilaye]

Yeah, thats why any touch attacks (like Harm) in AMF are really not so tough, as they are instant spells and during that instant, nothing happens in AMF.

This prevents things like cleric with permanent AMF going around and Harming things to dead.

Of course, I have never gotten really good answer, what happens when some creature is only partly inside AMF... That could give lots of answers. What magical enchantments work when a giant hits the AMF surrounded mage with a sword etc .