Prayer Spell Question?

[Aluvial]

I have a question about the Prayer spell...

How does it effect people/creatures when cast?

is it:

1) The orignal burst effect hits everything in a 30' radius. These creatures are now affected for the duration despite where they move, i.e., they can move out of the area and still have the spell on them...

2) The cleric orignal postion is where the spell is targeted and everything within 30' of that static position is effected for the duration... If you leave the area you are no longer effected...

3) The spell moves with the cleric that cast it and only creatures within 30' of the cleric during the duration are affected...

4) Something different...

I'm having trouble with this one...

Aluvial

 

[Christian]

1) is correct.

Subjects, Effects, and Areas: If the spell affects creatures directly, the result travels with the subjects for the spell's duration. If the spell creates an effect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might move or remain still.

(From the SRD. My PHB is a good hundred feet away, and I'm too lazy to go find it. )

 

[Aluvial]

I'm afraid that doesn't quite answer the question...


Is a Prayer an effect that moves with the target...


OR is it a duration that may or may not....


Aluvial

 

[AuraSeer]

The Prayer statblock has some strange wording in the Area line. It says, "All allies and foes within a 30-foot burst centered on the character." I think this is intended to mean your option 1.

Your options 2 and 3 are both Emanations. That's when an effect continually radiates from its origin, like a Magic Circle or a Silence spell. The use of the word Burst rules them out.

So when a cleric casts Prayer, it affects everyone within 30' of him at that instant. Those people can then move about as they like, regardless of their original position or the location of the cleric, and the effect of the Prayer will stick to each of them individually.

 

[Aluvial]

My problem with #1 is the part about it being centered on the caster.

I understand the point of the divine energy being channeled through the caster... cool. But then why doesn't it stick with him where ever he goes...

If it didn't get chanelled through the caster, then why does it have to be centered on him to start with...

And from the SRD, does this spell affect or is it an effect?

The 1st and 2nd editions of the spell were just like #2 (and the area was much bigger).

Aluvial

 

[Aluvial]

Sorry for the bump, I still need an answer to this one...

Does anyone know the correct way the Prayer spell is supposed to work?

Aluvial

 

[Christian]

I don't know what else I can say. The spell description (affecting creatures in a 30' burst centered on the caster) and the general rule about spells that affect creatures seem perfectly clear to me. All (enemy or ally) creatures in the burst radius at the time of casting are affected by the spell, and suffer/benefit from the consequences throught the duration, regardless of the movement of themselves or the caster. What's the problem?

(Are you getting confused because the spell worked differently in previous editions?? Please don't.)

 

[AuraSeer]

The original burst is centered on the caster. He casts the spell, and BAMF! a flash of divine energy emanates from him. The burst fades instantly, but anyone who was close enough to the source gains a magical effect from it.

Once the burst has come and gone, that's all. There is no lasting emanation.

If someone was more than 30' away during the casting, then they were outside the range of the energy burst, and therefore are unaffected. Even if the cleric walks up next to them with his next action, they won't suddenly gain the luck bonus, because the cleric is no longer radiating the appropriate energy.

And from the SRD, does this spell affect or is it an effect?

Huh?
The spell affects multiple characters. Its effect is to grant a luck bonus (or penalty). What is it you are asking?

 

[Aluvial]

1) is correct.

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subjects, Effects, and Areas:

If the spell AFFECTS creatures directly, the result travels with the subjects for the spell's duration.

If the spell creates an EFFECT, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might move or remain still.

(From the SRD)

I suppose I was reading two different things here. I thought that the Prayer fit somewhere between these two explanations...

It was the part that said the effect might move that got me...

Aluvial

 

[Aluvial]

Ok, here is a relevant reply from Monte's rules boards...

Aluvial, you're right, this spell's description is incorrectly worded.

From the SRD:


Quote:
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Prayer
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Clr 3, Pal 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: All allies and foes within a 30-ft.-radius burst centered on the character
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
The character and the character's allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while foes suffer a –1 penalty on such rolls.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Also from SRD:

Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Burst: As with an effect, the character selects the spell's point of origin. The spell bursts out from this point, affecting whatever it catches in its area. A burst spell has a radius that indicates how far from the point of origin the spell's effect extends.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



According to the definition of a burst, a character would get to choose the center of the burst anywhere within the range of the spell. The spell description contradicts itself. It gives a "Range" of 30 feet, and then says the burst is centered on the caster. For it to work the way I thought it did, the Range would have to be zero, and the area would be a 30' radius burst.

Considering the wording "centered on caster", I would guess the intention of the writer was for the range to be zero.

So in this case I'm thinking that I will probably house rule that it follows the caster. I just like the feel that the caster is the source of the energy for the duration, and those near him are affected....

Here's the link of the other discussion in progress...

http://pub58.ezboard.com/fokayyourturnfrm13.showMessage?topicID=3101.topic

Aluvial