Casting spells out of an antimagic field?

[DreamChaser]

Interpreting a vaguely written spell is hardly a house rule. Having read antimagic field again, I understand where the confusion comes from but don't think there is any offical source saying one thing or another.

Just pick an interpretation, explain it to your players, stick with it, and its done. No a house rule, just a DM judgement call.

DC

 

[andargor]

Can anyone see where, in the description of the spell or elsewhere, the rules would prohibit the casting of spells from inside the field to a target outside the field?

I've debated in this thread that you could cast from within an antimagic field, but I was wrong. The answer is in the FAQ.

Does an antimagic field suppress a spell effect at the point of origin or the area of effect? For instance, if I cast silence on myself and then cast antimagic field (assuming I have the Silent Spell feat), would the entire silence spell be suppressed (because it’s centered on me), or just the 10-foot radius surrounding me, leaving a 5-foot ring of silence around the outside of the antimagic field?

It depends on the spell. Silence is an emanation, so the whole effect is suppressed if the point from which the effect emanates is inside the antimagic field. With an area spell, only the part of the area that is within the antimagic field is suppressed. Note that the antimagic field blocks line of effect, so an area cannot extend through the antimagic field. For example, if you brought the antimagic field into a fog cloud effect, only the portion of the fog cloud that is within the antimagic field would be suppressed. On the other hand, if you cast antimagic field in a corridor 10 feet wide, the fog cloud effect could not spread past the antimagic field. Note that a spread effect will flow around an antimagic field if it has space to do so, just as it would spread around any other barrier.

There was something somewhere indicating that Conjuration (Creation) effects continue to function inside an AMF, but I can't remember where.

Andargor

 

[Plane Sailing]

Contingency(antimagic shell) to go off if you are hit by mordenkainens disjunction. Doable from 18th level upwards and could save your bacon since MD will only have about a 1 in 5 chance of bringing down the AM field.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think the "Line of Effect" argument is sufficient.

Line of Effect is under the heading of "Aiming a Spell".

Under the Antimagic Field spell, it states:

"Likewise, it prevents the functioning of any magic items or spells within its confines."

Included within that is the aiming of the spell. If the spell cannot function (i.e. magic does not work within the field), then the spell cannot be aimed. Or in other words, you can cast a spell within the Antimagic Field (nothing in the text prevents this), but the magic of the aiming of the spell will not work, hence, you cannot cast a spell outside of the field.

This argument can also be used to indicate that you cannot cast a spell on yourself within the field since you cannot target yourself.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Contingency(antimagic shell) to go off if you are hit by mordenkainens disjunction. Doable from 18th level upwards and could save your bacon since MD will only have about a 1 in 5 chance of bringing down the AM field.

Yep. Ever seen a great wyrm buffed to the maximum (along with contingency: AF) that was the target of MD cast by a wizzie in the first round of combat? And that wyrm then makes a flyby attack and snatches the wizard and tears him to pieces in an AF... Rinse, repeat for the rest of the party. I'm a vile evil DM....

Only a side question: What about an archmage and his ability to shape spells? Recently, a player in my group asked about a shaped AF in a fashion that it sourrounds the archmage but still allows him to cast spells. I had very bad feelings about it and so didn't allow it IMC.

 

[andargor]

Only a side question: What about an archmage and his ability to shape spells? Recently, a player in my group asked about a shaped AF in a fashion that it sourrounds the archmage but still allows him to cast spells. I had very bad feelings about it and so didn't allow it IMC.

Although it is not explicitly stated in the Mastery of Shaping ability, our group ruled that this can only occur upon casting. The shape of the area may not be changed once it is in effect. So, you can cast cloudkill with holes in it to protect your allies, but a round later the holes move with the cloud and your allies may be affected.

So, for AMF, I don't see it as a major problem since the archmage still needs line of effect to enemies. Granted, she can shape it in a hollow sphere and buff, but she has to bring it down permanently to cast at enemies. If that bothers you, then ban it. But personally, I think that every round the archmage spends buffing is a round where the enemies can tear the rest of the party apart, hence wasted.

IMC, anyway, a strong offense (spells that go "boom") has proved the best defense.

Andargor

 

[KarinsDad]

Granted, she can shape it in a hollow sphere and buff, but she has to bring it down permanently to cast at enemies. If that bothers you, then ban it. But personally, I think that every round the archmage spends buffing is a round where the enemies can tear the rest of the party apart, hence wasted.

Actually, this would often be a good strategy.

You should be able to fit most parties into a 10 foot radius. They cluster around the Wizard, taking on any close range enemies. The best anyone outside the radius can do is fire magic arrows (or larger missiles for larger creatures) at them (since the magic of the arrow would come back on within the hemisphere).

Kind of like an improved Globe of Invulnerability with the exception that you cannot cast out of it. Still potent spell defense which allows for healing within it, fighting within it, shooting arrows out of it, etc.

Plus, your spells inside the "globe" cannot be dispelled or countered.

 

[andargor]

Actually, this would often be a good strategy.

You should be able to fit most parties into a 10 foot radius. They cluster around the Wizard, taking on any close range enemies. The best anyone outside the radius can do is fire magic arrows (or larger missiles for larger creatures) at them (since the magic of the arrow would come back on within the hemisphere).

Kind of like an improved Globe of Invulnerability with the exception that you cannot cast out of it. Still potent spell defense which allows for healing within it, fighting within it, shooting arrows out of it, etc.

Plus, your spells inside the "globe" cannot be dispelled or countered.

My counter to that is the barred 20 ft. cube version of forcecage. Pick them off from a distance, or split up the party (divide and conquer).

Andargor

EDIT: Or use wall of force to split up the party. If you put it between selected party members and the caster, the AMF will effectively be "sliced" and not cover those members (since it's an emanation from the caster). So you can cast at those "excised" party members, and depending on the shape of the AMF, the caster may not even be able to bring it down with a disintegrate

 

[Kandor]

Thinking my search was over and I had an official source to quote, I happily went to the FAQ to find the quotes about antimagic field blocking line of effect.

Alas. I could not find anything in the FAQ about antimagic fields blocking lines of effect. Could someone please point me in the right direction?

 

[andargor]

Thinking my search was over and I had an official source to quote, I happily went to the FAQ to find the quotes about antimagic field blocking line of effect.

Alas. I could not find anything in the FAQ about antimagic fields blocking lines of effect. Could someone please point me in the right direction?

See the quote from my first post in the thread. It's in the D&D Main 3.0 FAQ, but is still valid:

This version of the D&D FAQ uses the 3.5 revision of the core rules and also contains questions covering material from a variety of books (such as Savage Species and Epic Level Handbook). If you haven’t yet adopted the revision, don’t worry—in the rare instance that the answer is different between 3rd edition and the 3.5 revision, we’ll bring it to your attention with a call out that says “Revision Alert.”

Here are more quotes from page 53 of the 3.0 Main FAQ:

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).

Does an antimagic field suppress a spell effect at the point of origin or the area of effect? For instance, if I cast silence on myself and then cast antimagic field (assuming I have the Silent Spell feat), would the entire silence spell be suppressed (because it’s centered on me), or just the 10-foot radius surrounding me, leaving a 5-foot ring of silence around the outside of the antimagic field?
It depends on the spell. Silence is an emanation, so the whole effect is suppressed if the point from which the effect emanates is inside the antimagic field. With an area spell, only the part of the area that is within the antimagic field is suppressed. Note that the antimagic field blocks line of effect, so an area cannot extend through the antimagic field. For example, if you brought the antimagic field into a fog cloud effect, only the portion of the fog cloud that is within the antimagic field would be suppressed. On the other hand, if you cast antimagic field in a corridor 10 feet wide, the fog cloud effect could not spread past the antimagic field. Note that a spread effect will flow around an antimagic field if it has space to do so, just as it would spread around any other barrier.

Does antimagic field suppress effects such as doors sealed with arcane lock, magic traps, magic secret doors, and so on?
The arcane lock spell specifically states that only destruction of the door, knock, or dispel magic can get through a door sealed with arcane lock. Antimagic field is an emanation. As such, it does not extend through or into solid barriers, such as closed doors. In your example, the antimagic field stops at the door with the arcane lock. Because the antimagic field touches the door, the arcane lock effect on the door is suppressed. (If a creature or object touches the antimagic field it is “in,” the antimagic field and any magic operating on it are suppressed.) Note that if the door in question is not a solid barrier, the antimagic field could extend through it. For example, if the door has an opening in it that is 1 foot square (see Line of Effect in Chapter 10 of the Player’s Handbook), the door does not block the antimagic field. Any magical effect operating on the door is suppressed by the antimagic field, and the antimagic field reaches beyond the door according to the normal rules for line of effect. Likewise, if the door is not a physical barrier at all, but it is a magical effect itself (perhaps a figment such as minor image), the antimagic field suppresses the magic and the “door” disappears. Most magic traps are also rendered inert by an antimagic field.

What happens when a prismatic wall, prismatic sphere, or wall of force is cast so that it intersects an antimagic field? Does the intersection count as the space being occupied, as noted in the descriptions for these spells?
Yes. These are cases in which the pre-existing spell has squatter’s rights over the space. An antimagic field blocks line of effect for any spell area or spell effect that extends into it. If you try to cast any wall effects into or through a space containing an antimagic field, the effect is disrupted just as it would be if cast into a space containing an object or creature. All three of the effects you mention, however, are impervious to antimagic field. If one of these effects is already in place, the antimagic field stops where it meets them, just as it stops where it meets a solid barrier.

Andargor