Scry spell visual area of target?

[Obrin]

Does anyone have an idea of the visual area around the scry target that the scryer can see?

I have been told a few DM specific rules:
- 5' Radius around target
- as claivoyance
- can see nothing except subject and what the subject touches

Any ideas?

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

Well, the Clairvoyance spell specifies that you can see in a 10' radius, unless its magically dark (or the spell is blocked, of course), but if your DM specifies some other rules (like the ones you mention, 5' max, see only what scryed individual touches), i don't know what to tell you in addition to that. Perhaps you'd like to clear up your question?

Maitre D

 

[Obrin]

The main problem with Scry is that the description is too sketchy...

The question really becomes the following- Is scry simply clairaudience/clairvoyance on target=person, rather than target=place?

This would imply that the 4th level Scry subsumes all of the powers of the 3rd level CA/CV... which is reasonable, this is just not specified in the spell description.


I'm DMing in the current campaign (I just asked the opinion of three other DMs I know and received three different answers, (listed in the initial post)... go figure) and am trying to make a decent ruling by tommorrows game.

 

[dcollins]

I rule that the scryer sees the area around the target. (a) it matches what one thinks of in fantasy when someone uses a crystal ball, magic mirror, etc., and (b) I don't really see the use of the spell otherwise.

You see everything you'd naturally see if you were looking at the target normally.

 

[Obrin]

---You see everything you'd naturally see if you were looking at the target normally--- dcollins

I agree with the first point. But about the second...

From what vantage point? Typically its depicted in fantasy as somewhat, though not directly, above the target creature... but how do you set this up in a game effect, for instance, if players want to avoid the scry area but leave the subject there (for instance to plot against the scryer, communicate with each other and the scried via written text (which, since outside of the AOE, the scrier couldn't see))

 

[dcollins]

From what vantage point? Typically its depicted in fantasy as somewhat, though not directly, above the target creature...

Yes, that's how I play it.

... but how do you set this up in a game effect, for instance, if players want to avoid the scry area but leave the subject there...

Then they can do that, if they find out about it, and want to leave the subject "on camera" as they try to work something out from another room. My players have never done that -- they usually hit the sensor with a dispel magic if they detect it. Usually it's whoever would be best at the plotting who's the subject, anyway.