Continual Flame Legality Question

[KahlessNestor]

So I have a cleric, which has the Continual Flame spell. I was thinking of creating a small trinket for party members with the spell, maybe an amulet or broach they can wear, or even just a stone they can drop on the ground. I assume I would have to take 1 Downtime Day to do this (as well as the gold cost).

So the question is, is this legal? Would I have to take them back at the end of the session? What if I had them provide the item (like their weapon) or maybe the cost?

Is this considered a "magic item"?

I wanted to ask before I do it or offer it.

 

[kalani]

Technically it isn't a magic item, just an extended spell effect. If cast at 2nd level, the continual flames will be dispelled if they come within the radius of a darkness spell. Likewise, the effects can also be dispelled by dispel magic. Magic items are not affected by these spells.

When casting this spell, I recommend noting the cost of material components on your logsheet. Even then, expect table variation as to whether the DM will allow you to use these from session to session. In respect to giving them to another player to keep permanently, this too is a situation the rules do not cover. As such, expect considerable table variation.

 

[KahlessNestor]

Okay, thanks. I expect where I play they will be pretty lenient about that.

I don't recall, is it more expensive to cast at higher level or not? I'm basically planning on just taking Downtime day to do this before we start the next adventure, so blowing my highest slots on it is no big deal.

 

[kalani]

Only requires a higher level spell slot. A L3 continual flame is immune to the effect of darkness (but not dispel magic).

 

[KahlessNestor]

Great!

 

[Pauper]

I'd handle it slightly differently, as AL doesn't allow characters to exchange wealth, and the Continual Flame spell has an expensive material component (the 50gp ruby) that, to my mind, would constitute wealth. If you handed these items out in advance, you'd need to collect them after the adventure to avoid giving wealth to the other party members.

However, AL allows PCs to cast spells that benefit party members during an adventure even if those spells have expensive material components (the ur-example is Raise Dead), so if you cast Continual Flame on an object that the character already possesses, there's no issue. Be sure they note that you cast the spell for them on their character log so that that player's other DMs are aware of the spell's effect and where it came from.

--
Pauper

 

[kalani]

Alternatively, you could have the player provide the material component for their continual flame. The character would need to purchase the component prior to the start of the adventure under most circumstances (with the exception of if the adventure takes the party to a market). This avoids the issue of exchanging wealth (as the recipient of the CF spell paid the cost of the component). I agree with pauper however; the item that it is cast on would need to be collected after the adventure, unless it was something owned by the PC itself.

 

[Pauper]

Alternatively, you could have the player provide the material component for their continual flame.

I agree, this would also work, since the character is effectively spending gold for her own benefit.

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Pauper

 

[KahlessNestor]

Okay, that's fair. I'm good either way, collecting or casting. I just want to make sure it's done on downtime outside of adventure time so I don't blow my spell slots for the adventure.

 

[kalani]

Unfortunately, you cannot cast this using downtime. These spells must be cast during the adventure, as there is no spellcasting downtime activity (outside of a narrow list of spells available as spellcasting services). With that being said, if you want to preserve your spell slots, I would recommend casting your continual flame spells during a period of extended travel to the adventure location (many expeditions occur some distance away from the city and incorporate a period of travel which is frequently, but not always glossed over).