Complicated components still take only 1 standard action?

[Quasqueton]

How come spells that require complicated components still only take one action to cast?

Protection from evil and magic circle against evil is 1 standard action; components: V, S, M (trace a 3-foot diameter circle on the floor with powdered silver) should the magic circle version be a 10' diameter circle?

Consecrate and desecrate is 1 standard action; components: V, S, M (sprinkle holy/unholy water and silver dust around the area [20' radius])

Animate dead is 1 standard action; components: V, S, M (place a gem in the mouth or eye socket of *each* corpse)

There may be others.

I just noticed this recently, and it struck me as odd. Not a big thing, but just odd. Although the animate dead oddity could be a big thing -- a high-level cleric can animate a lot of skeletons in that one standard action (dropping a gem in a dozen mouths).

Quasqueton

 

[Infiniti2000]

Because the "complicated" component is flavor only. Consider the odder part, IMO, such that you don't have to move out of your square to cast e.g. protection from evil on someone else. That is, you don't provoke any movement-based attacks of opportunity, etc. It's a touch spell. In fact, you can cast it and then move up to someone and touch them.

 

[Nail]

Good catch....

 

[TheGogmagog]

Magic Circle against Evil
Abjuration [Good]
Level: Clr 3, Good 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation from touched creature
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No; see text
All creatures within the area gain the effects of a protection from evil spell, and no nongood summoned creatures can enter the area either. You must overcome a creature’s spell resistance in order to keep it at bay (as in the third function of protection from evil), but the deflection and resistance bonuses and the protection from mental control apply regardless of enemies’ spell resistance.
This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A magic circle against evil can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a nongood called creature (such as those called by the lesser planar binding, planar binding, and greater planar binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the magic circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal protection from evil spell for that creature only.
A magic circle leaves much to be desired as a trap. If the circle of powdered silver laid down in the process of spellcasting is broken, the effect immediately ends. The trapped creature can do nothing that disturbs the circle, directly or indirectly, but other creatures can. If the called creature has spell resistance, it can test the trap once a day. If you fail to overcome its spell resistance, the creature breaks free, destroying the circle. A creature capable of any form of dimensional travel (astral projection, blink, dimension door, etherealness, gate, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar abilities) can simply leave the circle through that means. You can prevent the creature’s extradimensional escape by casting a dimensional anchor spell on it, but you must cast the spell before the creature acts. If you are successful, the anchor effect lasts as long as the magic circle does. The creature cannot reach across the magic circle, but its ranged attacks (ranged weapons, spells, magical abilities, and the like) can. The creature can attack any target it can reach with its ranged attacks except for the circle itself.
You can add a special diagram (a two-dimensional bounded figure with no gaps along its circumference, augmented with various magical sigils) to make the magic circle more secure. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is ineffective. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20.
A successful diagram allows you to cast a dimensional anchor spell on the magic circle during the round before casting any summoning spell. The anchor holds any called creatures in the magic circle for 24 hours per caster level. A creature cannot use its spell resistance against a magic circle prepared with a diagram, and none of its abilities or attacks can cross the diagram. If the creature tries a Charisma check to break free of the trap (see the lesser planar binding spell), the DC increases by 5. The creature is immediately released if anything disturbs the diagram—even a straw laid across it. However, the creature itself cannot disturb the diagram either directly or indirectly, as noted above.
This spell is not cumulative with protection from evil and vice versa.
Arcane Material Component: A little powdered silver with which you trace a 3-footdiameter circle on the floor (or ground) around the creature to be warded.

Hmm, I always understood that it was the alternate version that had the material component and required the drawing of silver into the circle. Unfortunatly, I don't see a reason why I would have thought that. I keep re-reading the spell, and I get the impression that drawing the circle is only for the containment version. It's a screwy writeup since the duration is 24hours/level for the inward version, but there is no mention of that in the spell block.

Regardless it does specify it takes 10 minutes to prepare the circle, and spellcraft dc 20 check.

I would infer that it's the same for the others, placing onyx into the mouth would be an action unto itself, not part of the casting.

You might be able to sprikle the holy water in a 20' radius with whirlwind attack and one of those rods the Catholic priests use. Whirlwind uses a full attack action so it would still take two rounds (not to mention more feats than a cleric would see in 20 levels).

 

[Infiniti2000]

I would infer that it's the same for the others, placing onyx into the mouth would be an action unto itself, not part of the casting.

I strongly recommend that you reconsider such a nerfing of the spells very seriously. The biggest problem with this nerfing is that you are making rules on flavor and greatly penalizing the flavor. It's much easier and quite frankly better for the game to gloss over how long it takes to actually enscribe the circle or put the gems in the mouths and allow the caster to keep the flavor. Otherwise, everyone will drop the flavor and leave it out as part of the spell because clearly the rules don't support your nerf.

 

[Teemu]

You could also argue that the somatic and verbal components of spells such as animate dead are very brief, thus the casting takes only one standard action despite the unusually complicated material component usage.

 

[frankthedm]

The manipulation of components is a free action. The DM is encouraged to set limits on free actions. If a player preps a spell that looks like it would be difficult to cast, they should be asking the DM at that time, not wait until it is casting time and then bitch and moan when thier enlarged Concecrate failed because they failed to cast it properly.

Many of those spells are VERY strong, more than strong enough that an unprepared caster has to cast them closer than is combat optimised.

 

[TheGogmagog]

I strongly recommend that you reconsider such a nerfing of the spells very seriously. The biggest problem with this nerfing is that you are making rules on flavor and greatly penalizing the flavor. It's much easier and quite frankly better for the game to gloss over how long it takes to actually enscribe the circle or put the gems in the mouths and allow the caster to keep the flavor. Otherwise, everyone will drop the flavor and leave it out as part of the spell because clearly the rules don't support your nerf.

I disagree with your stance that it is flavor. It's in the SRD so it's not fluff text. I even found one solid example that disproves your stance that it is flavor. The block says 1 round casting and the full description states 10 minutes to scribe the circle (at least for the second version). I think I recall a comment limiting the 'manipulation of material components is a free action' down to managable items. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[TheGogmagog]

To cast a spell with a material (M), focus (F), or divine focus (DF) component, you have to have the proper materials, as described by the spell. Unless these materials are elaborate preparing these materials is a free action. For material components and focuses whose costs are not listed, you can assume that you have them if you have your spell component pouch.

There you have it, the rules do support my nerf!
I was starting to think I was full of it.

 

[FEADIN]

For the PFE and the MAGIC CIRCLE I see the cleric throwing dust an holy water around while he words the spell, the power of magic spread the components alright.
For ANIMATE DEAD you can say the same but it's a bit strange to see flying onyx around the battlefield....I would rule that the cleric had to put onyx in the mouth before, unless there is only one corpse in his reach, once done the CTIME is one standard action to animate all the corpses.