Enhanced Stats and Spells
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Silverglass
Registered User
I think that the correct answer lies in between the two main positions here.
Yes there are certain things that cause the loss of prepared spells but the fact that mention is made of certain cases is a strong implication that these are specifics and will be explicitly stated when they apply. Ability drain does not mention prepared spells so this does not automatically mean that ability drain causes prepared spell loss in the RAW.
To learn, prepare or cast a spell a caster must meet the minimum stat requirement. That is clearly stated and these are terms with game meanings. So ability drain definitely affects a Wizards ability to learn, prepare and cast spells. But again there is no clarification as to whether this affects spells already prepared and not cast.
The quoted text " Once a wizard prepares a spell, it remains in her mind as a nearly cast spell until she uses the prescribed components to complete and trigger it or until she abandons it. Certain other events, such as the effects of magic items or special attacks from monsters, can wipe a prepared spell from a character’s mind." does indeed seem to indicate that the effects of spells cannnot wipe prepared spells from the characters mind.
So ability drain from spells does certainly remove the ability to cast the spells and also the ability to prepare spells into lost bonus spells slots, this is clearly stated. This does seem to strongly imply that a Wizard who suffers ability drain from a spell loses all access to bonus spell slots but any prepared spell in one of these slots does remain there and would become available if the ability drain is reversed for the simple fact that it does not state that the loss occurs and the section under spell preparation does not allow for the effects of spells to cause the loss of prepared spells.
This does not mean that such a Wizard would ever be able to cast more spells than their current ability score would normally dictate because it controls the spells per day that the Wizard can cast. If you can cast 3 3rd level spells per day and 1 bonus 3rd level spell per day then having INT drained to 14 means that the Wizard drops to the ability to cast 3 3rd level spells per day. The extra spell slot per day just sits there and cannot be accessed until the ability drain is reversed.
This has a parallel in energy drain. A 15th level Wizard with 3 level 8 spell slots who is energy drained to 14th level loses 1 prepared 8th level spell. They still have 2 prepared 8th level spells in mind but cannot cast them because "You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question." But if the Wizard gets a restoration cast on them they immediately regain the ability to cast those 2 8th level spells that were sitting inaccessible in their mind. So the concept of prepared spells being "held" in the mind of someone who cannot prepare or cast them certainly does exist.
The Ring of Wizardry issue is a non-starter because it affects the wearer's[]/b spells per day, this is the number of spells you can cast in a day so if you remove the ring this number of spells you can cast of that level drops and as the effects of magic items do cause the loss of prepared spells these extra spells are immediately wiped from the ex-wearers mind.
Yes there are certain things that cause the loss of prepared spells but the fact that mention is made of certain cases is a strong implication that these are specifics and will be explicitly stated when they apply. Ability drain does not mention prepared spells so this does not automatically mean that ability drain causes prepared spell loss in the RAW.
To learn, prepare or cast a spell a caster must meet the minimum stat requirement. That is clearly stated and these are terms with game meanings. So ability drain definitely affects a Wizards ability to learn, prepare and cast spells. But again there is no clarification as to whether this affects spells already prepared and not cast.
The quoted text " Once a wizard prepares a spell, it remains in her mind as a nearly cast spell until she uses the prescribed components to complete and trigger it or until she abandons it. Certain other events, such as the effects of magic items or special attacks from monsters, can wipe a prepared spell from a character’s mind." does indeed seem to indicate that the effects of spells cannnot wipe prepared spells from the characters mind.
So ability drain from spells does certainly remove the ability to cast the spells and also the ability to prepare spells into lost bonus spells slots, this is clearly stated. This does seem to strongly imply that a Wizard who suffers ability drain from a spell loses all access to bonus spell slots but any prepared spell in one of these slots does remain there and would become available if the ability drain is reversed for the simple fact that it does not state that the loss occurs and the section under spell preparation does not allow for the effects of spells to cause the loss of prepared spells.
This does not mean that such a Wizard would ever be able to cast more spells than their current ability score would normally dictate because it controls the spells per day that the Wizard can cast. If you can cast 3 3rd level spells per day and 1 bonus 3rd level spell per day then having INT drained to 14 means that the Wizard drops to the ability to cast 3 3rd level spells per day. The extra spell slot per day just sits there and cannot be accessed until the ability drain is reversed.
This has a parallel in energy drain. A 15th level Wizard with 3 level 8 spell slots who is energy drained to 14th level loses 1 prepared 8th level spell. They still have 2 prepared 8th level spells in mind but cannot cast them because "You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question." But if the Wizard gets a restoration cast on them they immediately regain the ability to cast those 2 8th level spells that were sitting inaccessible in their mind. So the concept of prepared spells being "held" in the mind of someone who cannot prepare or cast them certainly does exist.
The Ring of Wizardry issue is a non-starter because it affects the wearer's[]/b spells per day, this is the number of spells you can cast in a day so if you remove the ring this number of spells you can cast of that level drops and as the effects of magic items do cause the loss of prepared spells these extra spells are immediately wiped from the ex-wearers mind.
drnuncheon
Explorer
Interesting, but if what you claim is true, the spells energy drain and enervation would not be able to wipe prepared spells from the character's mind - yet by the text of those spells, they do. That would indicate to me that the list provided of methods to wipe spells from a caster's mind is not exhaustive, but merely examples.Silverglass said:
J
Of course, because they go out of their way to mention it, then it must be that only sources that 'specifically state it' actually do so. Definately a precident there, things that kill slots say so. Especially since they are so careful to say what loses slots, what makes you unable to cast higher level spells, etc.
As you said though, lather, rinse, repeat. Nothing new in either of our posts.
As you said though, lather, rinse, repeat. Nothing new in either of our posts.
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