I don't like the idea of sitting on it. That makes it, as has been stated, even more useful than the levitate spell. Unfortunately, the grammatical structure of the spell description does not seem to rule out riding it. What wizard wouldn't carry a few scrolls around, given this interpretation? Now you can create a little plane of force at any time that you can do whatever you want with. It's like a mini-wall of force. Why not use it as an invisible obstruction in a narrow hallway? Does it have to be horizontal? Could you move it into enemies to push or distract them? Use it to block arrows? Can you direct it in front of the swooping dragon? Can you make it permenant? It all gets very confusing.
edit: Can it be directed higher-lower than 3' off the ground if you "direct it otherwise?"
I think I am in favor of the limited interpretation. It follows you. You can tell it to stay put while you load it. Then it keeps following you. It's designed to carry your stuff, and any more "creative use" simply causes the spell to fail.
I allow spellcasters to ride their own disc, but I define "ground" as any surface capable of supporting the spellcaster himself. Thus a pit-trap would still be triggered if you tried to ride the disk over it, and you would follow the surface of the ground, not the surface of a liquid, thus being unable to coast across rivers and such (although it still works for shallow marshes and swamps).
Given the utility of flying and flotation spells, I favor limitation: it follows the caster. But that doesn't mean the familiar chariot doesn't work. That is just too amusing to disallow.
Given the utility of flying and flotation spells, I favor limitation: it follows the caster. But that doesn't mean the familiar chariot doesn't work. That is just too amusing to disallow.
Actually, I don't think the "familiar chariot" is strictly legal. Share Spells doesn't allow you to "key" a spell to the familiar; it allows you to cast a spell with a Range of Personal on the familiar, or to have a spell you cast on yourself affect him too.
TFD has an Effect, not a Target, so it can't be Shared.
Actually, I don't think the "familiar chariot" is strictly legal. Share Spells doesn't allow you to "key" a spell to the familiar; it allows you to cast a spell with a Range of Personal on the familiar, or to have a spell you cast on yourself affect him too.
TFD has an Effect, not a Target, so it can't be Shared.
Which would be a problem if levitate was remotely balanced for it's level, OR served the same purpose. As it is, there are plenty of spells which can be used in the same situation as levitate, most of which have additional utility, superior capabilites or are lower level.
Take feather fall for instance - it's a free action to cast, a lower level, has a much higher load limit but it has a lessened duration, and only moves subjects downwards.
Given the utility of flying and flotation spells, I favor limitation: it follows the caster. But that doesn't mean the familiar chariot doesn't work. That is just too amusing to disallow.
so ... lemme see if i get this right, LokiDR thinks that creative spell use should be discouraged? seriously though, the spell description says nothing that prevents sitting on it. (quotes taken from the 3.5 SRD):
You create a ... plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. ...
a lot of people seem to take task with the word follow in this sentence. the word has several meanings and is not limited to simply "trailing behind" but also includes "complying with instruction". nothing here that forbids it ...
... The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. ...
it'll always stay level at a specific height, and will accompany you. so as long as the caster is "with" the disk, or more specifically, he accompanies it, then there's no breach of limitation here either. (if the halfling sits on the shoulders of the half-orc as he runs around town, i'm pretty sure he's accompanying his buddy ... as a friend of mine was prone to do in a game i played in recently.) ...
... If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. ...
this is probably the most debatable aspect of the rules. however, surely it is apparent that a 5 foot interval is its "default setting", and as the spell description states, you can change this "default setting" if you so choose. ...
... The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.
here the conditions that end the spell are clearly stated. and sitting atop it is clearly not among them. it seems that as long as you do not exceed the limitations of the spell, then it works.
now, i understand that there is a 1st edition precedent, but i think it is important to view the spell without the 1e baggage. as of 3.5e, based on the specifics of the spell, i don't see anything that forbids sitting on it.
(personally, i like Caliban's idea that it still triggers pressure plates and the like. that would presume that the spell exerts a certain amount of pressure on the ground, likely modified by what it's holding.)
(i'm adding the entire text of the spell below to make it easier for others to make their own points and reference the text.)
~NegZ
Floating Disk
Evocation [Force] Level: Sor/Wiz 1 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Effect: 3-ft.-diameter disk of force Duration: 1 hour/level Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No
You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It can hold 100 pounds of weight per caster level. (If used to transport a liquid, its capacity is 2 gallons.) The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.
Material Component: A drop of mercury.
a lot of people seem to take task with the word follow in this sentence. the word has several meanings and is not limited to simply "trailing behind" but also includes "complying with instruction". nothing here that forbids it ...
The word follow has several meanings. The phrase 'follow you about' has fewer. It is intended to mean that the disk will stay behind you and travel around with you. Any other interpretation goes beyond the realm of 'creative spell use' and into the realm of 'rules lawyering'.
Heck, one looking at this phrase could decide that the disk will not allow you to sit on it ... that it will instead move to prevent you from getting on it, because if you get on it, it will not be following you anymore.
Regardless, using the disk as a personal flotation device is *clearly* not the intended use of the spell.
There will always be cracks in the rules that can be exploited. Doing so throws the game out of balance and makes the game less fun. Just play the game as it was intended and you'll increase the pleasure for everyone.
The word follow has several meanings. The phrase 'follow you about' has fewer. It is intended to mean that the disk will stay behind you and travel around with you. Any other interpretation goes beyond the realm of 'creative spell use' and into the realm of 'rules lawyering'. ...
(DISCLAIMER:
spoiler tags included to shield the easily offended, the hidden text in no way changes the statements made, but may be construed as offensive.)
i'm sorry in advance jgsugden but,
you're coming of as spouting self-righteous nonsense.
what you've said basically amounts to: "my interpretation of the words is the only correct one. anything else is not only wrong, but can't be fun."
you first say what the designer "meant", then tell me that if i have a different interpretation, i'm a rules lawyer. now, if you have some special "behind the scenes" knowledge or the spell designer is a friend of yours, then you'll get a heart-felt apology from me. otherwise, your interpretation is no more correct than mine.
"... one looking at this phrase could decide that the disk will not allow you to sit on it..."
you're quite right, one could interpret it that way. but an interpretation is just that: an inference. you cannot logically build your point on inference, while condemning other points which do the same, and expect your point to retain any credibility.
while i'm prepared to concede that using the spell as "a personal flotation device" is not your idea of the intent of the spell, but it certainly seems that it is to me, and unless you can show me that i'm wrong by using fact and not allusion, then your statement has no power. at least no more than mine.
further, if nothing more as said on the issue, than that first line ("that follows you about") then i'd be even more inclined to agree with you. but the rest of the description applies to the issue as well. and if you ignore it, then certainly, your argument seems more valid. but there is more to the issue.
finally, i find it rather presumptuous that you deign to tell me what makes my game fun or that you would try to invoke the "balance" card over something like this. maybe it's a lack of imagination on my part, that prevents me from seeing how having a spellcaster ride a plane of force that he created (and can direct within certain spelled out guidelines) can be unbalancing. but who knows.
seriously though, the spell description says nothing that prevents sitting on it. (quotes taken from the 3.5 SRD):
