Michael Morris
First Post
I haven't entirely figured out how to organize this or where to put it up on the website. I'll cover the topics in the order they occur in Chapter 10 of the PHB.
Casting Time
Ready Action: Occasionally you will see the entry "Ready Action" as the casting time of a spell (q.v. counterspell) A spell that has a ready action casting time requires you to first ready an action for the spell (see Readying an action in the combat chapter). If you haven't got the spell readied, you cannot cast it.
Saving Throw
Accept: Some spells have the entry "Accept." Such a spell only takes hold if the target creature(s) make no attempt to thwart the spell. If they take any effort to thwart the spell it simply doesn't work - their saving throw is considered automatically made against the spell.
Duration
Fading: Some spells have the entry "Fading" followed by a time increment (usually rounds). A fading spell has it's duration divided among all its targets. If there is only one target the spell will last one time increment per level of the caster. For example, paralax wave puts a hold effect on multiple creatures, but the more creatures you hold, the less effective the spell becomes. It's duration is "fading - rounds" If cast by an 8th level caster it can hold one creature for 8 rounds, 2 creatures for 4 rounds, 3 or 4 creatures for 2 rounds, or up to 8 creatures for 1 round. Round fractions down.
(D): Dissmissable spells end when their caster dies or becomes unconscious.
Components
Song: The caster must expend a bardic song use along with the spell slot of the spell to use the spell.
Divine: The caster must expend a turn undead or repel undead use along with the spell slot of the spell to use the spell.
Combining Magical Effects
Stacking Effects: As a default, spells grant a bonus with the same name as the spell. There are two exceptions. Fires, some spells name their bonus (i.e. bless gives a "morale" bonus, protection from evil gives a "resistance" bonus, etc.). Where this occurs the name the spell gives it's bonus is the one that applies. Second, all spells in a chain (their descriptions will refer to another spell for more information) give the same type of bonus.
Divine Magical Writings:
Divine casters must find a prayer book containing any spell not in the PHB that they intend to use. Further, if the spell is not written by a priest of their own faith, they must research the spell from scratch even if they understand the effect.
Schools of Magic: Additional Subschools
Abjuration
Ward: A magical barrier is created in an area, around a creature or upon a creature. Wards that cover an area that form a barrier that creatures cannot pass cannot be used bo push those creatures away. If you force the barrier against such a creature you will feel a discernable pressure. If you continue to apply the pressure the spell will be broken. Wards that do not cover a stated area (such as protection from evil) cannot be broken in this manner.
Dispel: The spell breaks up another spell or banishes a creature summoned or called by magic. dispel magic (in the dispel mode) and banishment are key examples.
Counter: The spell breaks up another spell in midcasting. Dispel magic (in the counter mode) is a counter spell. Other examples are counterspell, dissipate and quash.
Divination
Enhancement: The subject's senses are enhanced - allowing them to sense things in the environment that they normally would not. True Seeing is the penultimate example, however detect poison and see invisibility are also examples. This subschool does not include spells that confer the ability to see at a distance to the caster.
Scrying: Those spells are scrying magics. From the humble displace perspective to clairaudience / clairvoyance and beyond, these spells allow the caster to spy on others. Some of them require ranks in the scrying skill to properly employ. Contact Other Plane is also a scrying spell since it allows the caster to communicate across a vast distance.
Temporial: These divinations allow the caster to see across the folds of time - either briefly into the future with true strike or across many centuries as is the case with some uses of divination.
Enchantment
Enchantment already has the subschools of charm and compulsion. One more subschool is added here.
Metamagic: These spells can aid or hinder a creatures ability to use spells. Two examples are in the PHB - Rary's Mnuemonic Enhancer and Mordenkainen's Lucribation. Each of these spells need to be removed from the school of transmutation and moved to the school of enchantment to join their fellow metamagic spells such as Chaldulsul's Drain, Stupor and more.
Evocation
There are two subschools of evocation - Evoke or Invoke. All evoke spells are arcane - all invoke spells are divine. Hence it would not be necessry to detail which subschool a spell belongs to except for the magi prestige class - who can use both types of magic within their own color. Magi must secure an extra-planar patron before employing any invoke spell, such as Call Upon Faith, or spiritual weapon.
Necromancy
Spirit: Spirit spells manipulate souls and ghosts. magic jar and soul trap are examples.
Physical: Physical necromancies affect the body. Whether the body is living or dead is irrelavant to the subschool - though it might be relavant to the spell.
Transmutation
Transportive: The spell changes the location of the subject (q.v. teleport, dimension door).
Temporial: The spell alters the speed of time for the subject. (q.v. haste, time stop)
Physical: A physical property or state is changed in the target. (q.v. polymorph effects)
Enhancement: The object is enhanced. Unless otherwise noted, all enhancement subschool spells grant an enhancement bonus. (q.v. magic weapon, keen edge)
As usual, questions and comments are welcome.
Casting Time
Ready Action: Occasionally you will see the entry "Ready Action" as the casting time of a spell (q.v. counterspell) A spell that has a ready action casting time requires you to first ready an action for the spell (see Readying an action in the combat chapter). If you haven't got the spell readied, you cannot cast it.
Saving Throw
Accept: Some spells have the entry "Accept." Such a spell only takes hold if the target creature(s) make no attempt to thwart the spell. If they take any effort to thwart the spell it simply doesn't work - their saving throw is considered automatically made against the spell.
Duration
Fading: Some spells have the entry "Fading" followed by a time increment (usually rounds). A fading spell has it's duration divided among all its targets. If there is only one target the spell will last one time increment per level of the caster. For example, paralax wave puts a hold effect on multiple creatures, but the more creatures you hold, the less effective the spell becomes. It's duration is "fading - rounds" If cast by an 8th level caster it can hold one creature for 8 rounds, 2 creatures for 4 rounds, 3 or 4 creatures for 2 rounds, or up to 8 creatures for 1 round. Round fractions down.
(D): Dissmissable spells end when their caster dies or becomes unconscious.
Components
Song: The caster must expend a bardic song use along with the spell slot of the spell to use the spell.
Divine: The caster must expend a turn undead or repel undead use along with the spell slot of the spell to use the spell.
Combining Magical Effects
Stacking Effects: As a default, spells grant a bonus with the same name as the spell. There are two exceptions. Fires, some spells name their bonus (i.e. bless gives a "morale" bonus, protection from evil gives a "resistance" bonus, etc.). Where this occurs the name the spell gives it's bonus is the one that applies. Second, all spells in a chain (their descriptions will refer to another spell for more information) give the same type of bonus.
Divine Magical Writings:
Divine casters must find a prayer book containing any spell not in the PHB that they intend to use. Further, if the spell is not written by a priest of their own faith, they must research the spell from scratch even if they understand the effect.
Schools of Magic: Additional Subschools
Abjuration
Ward: A magical barrier is created in an area, around a creature or upon a creature. Wards that cover an area that form a barrier that creatures cannot pass cannot be used bo push those creatures away. If you force the barrier against such a creature you will feel a discernable pressure. If you continue to apply the pressure the spell will be broken. Wards that do not cover a stated area (such as protection from evil) cannot be broken in this manner.
Dispel: The spell breaks up another spell or banishes a creature summoned or called by magic. dispel magic (in the dispel mode) and banishment are key examples.
Counter: The spell breaks up another spell in midcasting. Dispel magic (in the counter mode) is a counter spell. Other examples are counterspell, dissipate and quash.
Divination
Enhancement: The subject's senses are enhanced - allowing them to sense things in the environment that they normally would not. True Seeing is the penultimate example, however detect poison and see invisibility are also examples. This subschool does not include spells that confer the ability to see at a distance to the caster.
Scrying: Those spells are scrying magics. From the humble displace perspective to clairaudience / clairvoyance and beyond, these spells allow the caster to spy on others. Some of them require ranks in the scrying skill to properly employ. Contact Other Plane is also a scrying spell since it allows the caster to communicate across a vast distance.
Temporial: These divinations allow the caster to see across the folds of time - either briefly into the future with true strike or across many centuries as is the case with some uses of divination.
Enchantment
Enchantment already has the subschools of charm and compulsion. One more subschool is added here.
Metamagic: These spells can aid or hinder a creatures ability to use spells. Two examples are in the PHB - Rary's Mnuemonic Enhancer and Mordenkainen's Lucribation. Each of these spells need to be removed from the school of transmutation and moved to the school of enchantment to join their fellow metamagic spells such as Chaldulsul's Drain, Stupor and more.
Evocation
There are two subschools of evocation - Evoke or Invoke. All evoke spells are arcane - all invoke spells are divine. Hence it would not be necessry to detail which subschool a spell belongs to except for the magi prestige class - who can use both types of magic within their own color. Magi must secure an extra-planar patron before employing any invoke spell, such as Call Upon Faith, or spiritual weapon.
Necromancy
Spirit: Spirit spells manipulate souls and ghosts. magic jar and soul trap are examples.
Physical: Physical necromancies affect the body. Whether the body is living or dead is irrelavant to the subschool - though it might be relavant to the spell.
Transmutation
Transportive: The spell changes the location of the subject (q.v. teleport, dimension door).
Temporial: The spell alters the speed of time for the subject. (q.v. haste, time stop)
Physical: A physical property or state is changed in the target. (q.v. polymorph effects)
Enhancement: The object is enhanced. Unless otherwise noted, all enhancement subschool spells grant an enhancement bonus. (q.v. magic weapon, keen edge)
As usual, questions and comments are welcome.
