Chain Spell feat questions

[Iron_Chef]

T&B p.39 has the Chain Spell feat, and it says you can chain a spell that has a target of one specific creature. Can I assume this to mean spells with a range of personal can thus be chained? So then I could cast chained true strike on all my buddies within 30 ft.? Or mass shield?

This feat negates the need for many higher level spells by emulating them at either the same level or earlier: Mass Haste, Mass Fly, Mass Invisibility, Massmorph, Mass Suggestion, Etc.

Is it just me or is Chain Spell the most versatile and powerful metamagic feat ever?

A great way to get around not having evocation if you can cast chained melf's acid arrow (up to 1 target/level within 30 ft.), chained bolt of conjuring (BoEM, 10d4 + summon monster I on up to 1 target/level within 30 ft.), plus there's always chained false strike (-20 to hit, KKPG).

 

[green slime]

I fail to see how a spell with the range "personal" can affect any one else:

From the SRD
Personal: The spell affects only the character.

Now if there were multiple yous running around...

For Mass Fly, it has range "Touch", and in my Tome of Blood it mentions:

From T&B
You can chain any spell that specifies a single target and has a range greater than touch.

.

Personal ranged spells do not have a range exceeding touch either.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Thanks for clearing that up (I really wanted "Mass Displacement", sob), but it's still a pretty awesome feat.

...Now, to get multiple me's running around, I could create a bunch of simulacrums of myself, then chain personal spells on me, myself and I (my simulacrums)? Couldn't I just create a horde of a dozen or more simulacrums of myself, then use chain spell to buff them with personal range spells and crush my enemies but good?

 

[AuraSeer]

Now, to get multiple me's running around, I could create a bunch of simulacrums of myself, then chain personal spells on me, myself and I (my simulacrums)? Couldn't I just create a horde of a dozen or more simulacrums of myself, then use chain spell to buff them with personal range spells and crush my enemies but good?

Agent Smith much?

Cool as that effect would be, it does not work. Chain Spell works on spells with "range greater than touch." Personal range is not greater than touch.

Then there's the obvious problem that a simulacrum is not you. It's a separate creature-- a magical creation that happens to look and talk like you. Ditto for project image and similar effects. Whatever you do to copy yourself, you're still only making a copy.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

wow you didn't even slide into the tough questions about ray spells.

 

[Iron_Chef]

HOW DO CHAINED RAYS WORK?

 

[Iron_Chef]

Just to double check, a chained spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than normal, so a chained suggestion is considered a 6th level spell in all respects (duration, saves, range, etc.)??? The 3rd level spell slot it would normally occupy (unchained) is still open (ununsed), right?

I've never used metamagic feats before in three years of playing 3e, LOL. Always thought they were worthless except at high levels, which I'm now (finally) approaching.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

answer if you think the terms mean something chained rays don't work.

If you look at spells(the small stat block part you know the components, V,s,M section)like sugestion you'll note they have a line that says target. Rays have a line that says effect: ray or some such.

Some say the line in chain spell refes to the specific spell term of target which appears in the stat block of some spells.

Others(noteable me) point out in the same book(T&B) the same term is used for the feat split ray, which obviosuly effects rays. So it seems unlikely that the intent of these feats is to use the term target, but instead the general meaning of the words single target.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Just to double check, a chained spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than normal, so a chained suggestion is considered a 6th level spell in all respects (duration, saves, range, etc.)??? The 3rd level spell slot it would normally occupy (unchained) is still open (ununsed), right?

I've never used metamagic feats before in three years of playing 3e, LOL. Always thought they were worthless except at high levels, which I'm now (finally) approaching.

No its considered a 3rd level spell in all respects other than the slot that is used up. The save will be based on it being 3rd level, damage caps on 3rd level,and it wont get past a globe of invulnerability or minor globe because its still 3rd level.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Are you saying ray spells (which normally effect only one target) can be chained or not?