Magic Jar and Familiar

[Thanee]

Can you still talk to your familiar via empathic link, while you are inside the magic jar, looking for victims?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

I can't see any reason why your link would be severed. I would say you wouldn't be able to pinpoint the exact location where your familiar is, though.

 

[Tar-Edhel]

I wouldn't see why not. The empathic is more with the soul of the Wizard than with his body, IMNSHO (not so humble.. never was, never will be )

 

[Thanee]

But you do realize, just how much more powerful this spell gets, when you have an 'outside view'?

Well, I can't really see anything that would prohibit this either.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Tar-Edhel]

I do realise it and I love it that way!

I think that'll be my missing 5th level spell. I can see so much fun coming with that one, too much to pass by!

Happy gaming!

A.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Good to see that this question came up. I have a slightly different question on Magic Jar and Summon Monster... .
What happens if a mage summons a monster and successfully occupies it with Magic Jar ? Where would the mage appear when the summon spell ends? Or would his mind being forced back into his body?

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

Since Sum Monster doesn't work across planes, I'd would rule that onec the spell ends, the monster "dies" ... which would mean you get shunted back into the Magic Jar.

 

[Tom Cashel]

My reply to the original question would be "no." Here's the important bit from the spell's listing in the SRD:

While in the magic jar, the character can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level (on the same plane). The character does need line of effect from the jar to the creatures. The character, however, cannot determine the exact creature types or positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, the character can sense a difference of four or more HD and can determine whether a life force is positive or negative energy. (Undead creatures are powered by negative energy. Only sentient undead creatures have, or are, souls.)

It doesn't say anything about "unless it's your familiar" in the highlighted sentence. The spell is pretty clear about what you can do while inside the receptacle. Assuming that familiars are a special loophole is a mistake.

Also, note that "the character does need line of effect from the jar to the creatures." i.e. You can't magic jar opponents through walls, doors, etc. like you could in 2nd Ed.

Tom "Get A Grip" Cashel

 

[Dark Dragon]

Since Sum Monster doesn't work across planes, I'd would rule that onec the spell ends, the monster "dies" ... which would mean you get shunted back into the Magic Jar.

Ok, but what happens if the monster is from the same plane as the mage? Seems to be some guess work for the DM

 

[Tom Cashel]

Again, the spell gives no provision for safety valves like being "shunted" back into the receptacle. It is very clear about what happens if you're foolish enough to be in that summoned monster when it "disappears" back to where it came from.

If the spell ends while the character is in a host, the character returns to the character's body (or dies, if it is out of range of the character's current position), and the soul in the magic jar returns to its body (or dies if it is out of range).

The spell only says that you can attack (possess) creatures on the same plane. Once you're in the body, it works "as polymorph other."

So I would say that if you choose to stay in the summoned monster (and it would be an easy thing to shift back into the receptacle), then you "disappear" when the summoning spell ends. If you can't get back to within range of your receptacle before the magic jar ends, you die, per the spell. Keep in mind that the caster probably has at least 8 hrs. to figure out a way to do this...

Nobody said it wasn't a dangerous proposition, severing your own soul from its body.