BlivetWidget
Explorer
I'm waffling on some interpretations regarding the Order of Scribes wizard subclass in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and would really appreciate some second opinions. Most of the features seem pretty straightforward in their application, but as usual I think there are some edge case spells with more than one reasonable interpretation. So let's take the following lines from the level 6 feature "Manifest Mind":
Anyway, thoughts welcome, and thanks for your time!
You can conjure forth the mind of your Awakened Spellbook. As a bonus action while the book is on your person, you can cause the mind to manifest as a Tiny spectral object, hovering in an unoccupied space of your choice within 60 feet of you. The spectral mind is intangible and doesn't occupy its space, and it sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. It looks like a ghostly tome, a cascade of text, or a scholar from the past (your choice).
Whenever you cast a wizard spell on your turn, you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind's space, instead of your own, using its senses. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
- Touch spells: to me it seems reasonably clear that touch spells should work normally as cast through the manifest mind. I've seen some arguments against it floating around (pun not intended), but "you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind's space" seems pretty clear to me. Also there are incorporeal creatures that can touch things, no problem.
- Light spell: to me it seems reasonably clear that since the manifest mind is an object, it is a valid target for a spell like Light, if you want it to be a brighter floating lantern.
- Misty Step: it took a couple of re-reads, but to me it seems reasonably clear that Misty Step should work as cast through the manifest mind regardless of distance, allowing 330 ft of teleportation. Again, "you can cast it as if you were in the spectral mind's space" is the key there with the spell's wording, ""you teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that you can see." So, if it acts like you're 300 ft away in the manifest mind's space, voila.
- Mage Hand / Unseen Servant: here it's not so clear to me at all. Let's stick with Mage Hand for purposes of simplicity, though both spells have similar language to "The hand vanishes if it is ever more than 30 feet away from you." Obviously everything works as expected within the normal range restrictions (say, through a keyhole, then send it behind a bookshelf). But what if the manifest mind is 100 ft away? You can obviously conjure the Mage Hand through the manifest mind, but does it vanish before you can spend an action to have it do anything? Is this Mage Hand tethered to your physical location, or is it tethered to the manifest mind's location since you cast it as if you were in that space?
Anyway, thoughts welcome, and thanks for your time!