(OOC) The Dog Days of Doom

[Snarf Zagyg]

It totally does give you proficiency, which is why I mentioned it.

Well, it is an investigation check which Caer will likely fail spectacularly, but I'll take it!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

So, to me, that's them using the Magic Action every round for an hour. Edit: especially considering the material component is burning incense. I'm not sure how you can burn incense in a single 6-second action.

If so, that's some terrible use of wording on their part. For the most part, 2024 did a decent job of clearing up wordings on things for QoL purposes, but every once in a while (and twice for Stealth!) there's something silly like this.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Well, for a one-shot, I'm not going to be too strict. The issue here is the time factor. I think I might rule a compromise.

To me, it's one or the other: 1 action or 1 hour and we could argue for both sides to find a consensus but for the purpose of this adventure, I think I will call it a "ritual" and say he can do it in 10 minutes without needing to expend the full hour.

Does that seem fair? It adds 10 minutes to the clock but doesn't put you back too far. Maybe @Steve Gorak would have been more sparing with using Max as a 'tank' if he'd known I'd rule 1 hour, so it seems unfair to rule that way.

Edit: I totally am up for group consensus on this matter, though.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm not sure how you can burn incense in a single 6-second action.

FIREBALL!!!!!!!

 

[Kobold Stew]

If so, that's some terrible use of wording on their part. For the most part, 2024 did a decent job of clearing up wordings on things for QoL purposes, but every once in a while (and twice for Stealth!) there's something silly like this.

Well, for a one-shot, I'm not going to be too strict. The issue here is the time factor. I think I might rule a compromise.

To me, it's one or the other: 1 action or 1 hour and we could argue for both sides to find a consensus but for the purpose of this adventure, I think I will call it a "ritual" and say he can do it in 10 minutes without needing to expend the full hour.

I hope it's okay if I offer my thoughts, just because I feel the question is interesting and I like thinking about rules.

I'd read it the way Fitz and Steve had, that PotC allows you to cast the spell as a single action, and that is the exception to the general rule of the spell's casting time. If that's not the case, then I am not sure what the words "as a Magic action" in the description of the pact accomplish --- they become just filler, and the sentence means the same thing with or without them.

I see the argument of naturalism using the spell components, and I agree that that makes what is actually happening artificial.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I'm fine with the 10-minute ruling. (I mean, I'm fine with whatever ruling our DM decides, but I'm saying that I think 10-minutes is a fair compromise).

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I hope it's okay if I offer my thoughts, just because I feel the question is interesting and I like thinking about rules.

I'd read it the way Fitz and Steve had, that PotC allows you to cast the spell as a single action, and that is the exception to the general rule of the spell's casting time. If that's not the case, then I am not sure what the words "as a Magic action" in the description of the pact accomplish --- they become just filler, and the sentence means the same thing with or without them.

I see the argument of naturalism using the spell components, and I agree that that makes what is actually happening artificial.

Yeah. Is 10gp supposed to be the limiting factor? At high level, I don’t think money is an issue. I gave lots of money for spell components but that was a risk/reward thing and the components were the reward so I don’t want to diminish that.

The argument for the language is simply ‘the type’ of action it is for casting the spell for free. But, fair enough just saying “you can cast this spell without expending a spell slot” would accomplish the same thing because you can, then, just refer to the spell itself.

I’m not set on a decision yet, though, and am open to advice.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Ooh! I love rules questions!* I just saw this, so I'm going to go back and see what it's all about and what I can ascertain.

*Except, apparently, opportunity attacks, because I'm an idiot.