Cleric Purify Food and Water Vs Seawater question

[Senko]

The parties currently on an extended ocean trip and starting to worry about supplies. Anyway the cleric in the party has been arguing that the spell purify food and water should make the seawater surrounding them drinkable since the salt is a "contaminant" from their point of view since too much makes it bad for them.

I don't think that's reasonable since seawater is in its natural state and that argument leads to a slippery slope where you can start justifying removing any non "healthy" element by casting the spell which would be overpowered for its level. Still I said I'd ask others and see what they think so I am.

Do you think purify food and drink should be useable to make seawater fresh by removing the bad salt content or should it only work on external elements e.g. sewage, blood, stagnant water etc?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

This spell makes spoiled, rotten, poisonous, or otherwise contaminated food and water pure and suitable for eating and drinking. This spell does not prevent subsequent natural decay or spoilage. Unholy water and similar food and drink of significance is spoiled by purify food and drink, but the spell has no effect on creatures of any type nor upon magic potions.

I think the key clause is "food and water pure and suitable for eating and drinking," which is from the perspective of the original spell's creator, not any particular subsequent caster. That "purity" includes removing the curse of unholy water, which could otherwise be drinkable. So to me, "purity" can only mean it makes water of any kind into plain, unsalted water.

IOW, a cleric of a seaborn race like a triton, locathah or sahaugin casting this spell would still get unsalted water.

 

[Jack Simth]

The parties currently on an extended ocean trip and starting to worry about supplies. Anyway the cleric in the party has been arguing that the spell purify food and water should make the seawater surrounding them drinkable since the salt is a "contaminant" from their point of view since too much makes it bad for them.

I don't think that's reasonable since seawater is in its natural state and that argument leads to a slippery slope where you can start justifying removing any non "healthy" element by casting the spell which would be overpowered for its level. Still I said I'd ask others and see what they think so I am.

Do you think purify food and drink should be useable to make seawater fresh by removing the bad salt content or should it only work on external elements e.g. sewage, blood, stagnant water etc?

Well, it's designed for getting rid of poisons, diseases, and stuff like that. But really.... what's the big deal? He could just be casting Create Water. It's the same level, even. And, you know, getting water to drink isn't exactly a broken use of a spell. Is it particularly plot-breaking for some reason?

 

[Alexander123]

Senko poison is also in its natural element. So if you were going to decide that only things which were not in their "natural element" could be purified then you might as well get rid of the spell since everything which is unhealthy is "in its natural element".

Of course this spell is not overpowered, of all spells!

 

[Senko]

I just feel that there's a difference between turning seawater into fresh and removing say the town's outflow from water taken from a stream since the flavour text is . . . "This spell makes spoiled, rotten, poisonous, or otherwise contaminated food and water pure and suitable for eating and drinking." I don't think seawater in its natural state IS contaminated because of its higher salt content but that's just me I guess. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear its a unaminous support of their opinion.

 

[Alexander123]

Senko, if you don't think saltwater is considered poisonous and harmful, try drinking a gallon or more and see what happens.

 

[Senko]

Oh I know its harmful I just don't like the idea of someone using purify food and drink on it any more than I would want them using it on a plant that produces cyanide (at least one such exists) because its not a contaminant its part of the state that its meant to exist in.

 

[Alexander123]

You may not like it, but it's the rules. It is a contaminant in fact, a natural contaminant but still a contaminant.

 

[Senko]

Hmmm so theoretically since its by the rules I could cast it on a person since humans ARE something like 80% water and the rest is just contaminants then?

 

[Alexander123]

Yes, but no one would design a spell to "purify" a human being because it was 80% water, but a sailor at sea would design an all-purpose spell to purify food and water including saltwater. That is not the intent of the spell. RAI. They shouldn't have to mention saltwater, you should have enough commonsense to understand that saltwater is included. Purify means fit for drinking, but to make a spell called "make food and water fit for drinking" would be too long of a title, so they titled it purify food and water.