Forcecage for Sorcerers (3.0)

[dcollins]

In my 3.0 PHB I see that forcecage has a 1,500 gp material component "to prepare the spell" (not at the time of casting). Anyone know how this is supposed interact with sorcerers who take the spell?

 

[Caliban]

In my 3.0 PHB I see that forcecage has a 1,500 gp material component "to prepare the spell" (not at the time of casting). Anyone know how this is supposed interact with sorcerers who take the spell?

For them it pretty much has to be used at the time of casting. Otherwise they can't use the spell at all.

 

[dcollins]

I guess that's possible, but it violates the language that "the spell needs no material component at the time of casting".

 

[Herpes Cineplex]

True. I suppose you could let them throw the ruby dust whenever they feel like it, and just say they're out the 1500gp if they don't cast Forcecage that same day. Personally, I doubt you'd find many people willing to actually do that, considering that throwing the dust at the time of casting is a significant advantage for sorcerors. Wizards are out the cash just for memorizing the spell, and if they don't cast Forcecage that day they just wasted the components; at least sorcerors under this system know that the money they spent on the component was actually used.


But then, I'd also question the idea of a sorceror using one of his limited known-spell slots on something that costs him 1500gp every time he casts it. I mean, if your Cool Thing is that you can do lots and lots of spontaneous casting, picking things with ridiculous material component limitations or other built-in restrictions seems a little counterproductive.

--
anyway, a rule on spell preparation hardly seems to apply to casters who don't prepare spells
ryan

 

[paranoid]

There's a feat called Arcane Preparation, in Tome & Blood. It lets Sorcs prepare spells just like a wizard does. But somehow I doubt the designers of Forcecage had that feat in mind...
Probably that's why they errata'd the spell in 3.5 to have a normal material component.

 

[KerlanRayne]

Wizards are out the cash just for memorizing the spell, and if they don't cast Forcecage that day they just wasted the components

Wizard's don't lose their remaining spells at the end of the day. The next day they only fill in the slots used from the day before.

KerlanRayne

 

[Herpes Cineplex]

Good point. Though that's still a 7th-level spell slot that they have to dedicate to Forcecage until they cast it, or accept that they've just thrown away 1500gp.

Not having to prepare Forcecage in advance and therefore not committing to spending that kind of money until you're actually casting the spell is still better, I think.

--
and seems like a very appropriate advantage for spontaneous casters like sorcerors

 

[Caliban]

I guess that's possible, but it violates the language that "the spell needs no material component at the time of casting".

Then they can't cast it. Happy?

 

[dcollins]

As usual, the point is that I was looking for a citation of an official errata/FAQ/Sage/designer comment to clear up this contradiction.

 

[UltimaGabe]

As usual, the point is that I was looking for a citation of an official errata/FAQ/Sage/designer comment to clear up this contradiction.

I think you'll be looking for a while- that is, until you look at 3.5. The spell has already been revised, and so that's really the only place you should be looking is at the revision- that is, the 3.5 Player's Handbook or SRD. If you're expecting the designers to say, "We already revised this spell, but we're gonna clear up any confusion for people still using the un-revised edition, even though that's why we did the revision in the first place," then you'll be a bit disappointed in the response.