Spell Oddities

[Plane Sailing]

I thought it funny the other day when I was reading one of the vulnerabilities of Earth Elementals

A move earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.

Not particularly useful very often, I imagine, since Move Earth has a 10 minute casting time!

The same spell is apparently also great against clay golems

A move earth spell drives the golem back 120 feet and deals 3d12 points of damage to it.

Once again there is that pesky problem of getting it to stand still long enough...

Are there other spells where the casting time (or some other factor) has been changed so that they are no longer any good for a particular task?

cheers

 

[Darklone]

Sleep ? Lesser Restoration works for raging barbarians...

Enlarge Person? Last time we wanted to use it, the barbarians charge killed all enemies... AND he was out of range.

 

[James McMurray]

Getting the golem to stand still that long shouldn't be a problem. Just don't do any of the actions that trigger a response and it'll stand there like a statue.

 

[kelson]

lesser restoration has a 3 round cast time. not to useful when shadows are saping all of your party's strength, and your concentration isnt up to the evil cleric's attacks interupting you... yeah that game sucked...

 

[Nail]

I'll "third" the 3 round casting time for Lesser Restoration. Wow does that suck......but that's not really an "oddity" so much as a complaint.

 

[TheGogmagog]

Ack, didn't realize the casting times for lesser restoration and move earth were so long. I usually assume it's a standard action. Break enchantment has a long casting time also, but it's still usefull for long duration and permanent effects.

Major Image can create the thermal elements of a bonfire but shed no light. At least acording to the 3E PHB, the Illusion school description stated "Figments cannot illuminate darkness". According to this recent discussion

I haven't seen hold person cast since it started to allow a save every round. Not exactly worthless, but close.

 

[Caliban]

I thought it funny the other day when I was reading one of the vulnerabilities of Earth Elementals



Not particularly useful very often, I imagine, since Move Earth has a 10 minute casting time!

And since elementals are immune to being "stunned".

 

[Twowolves]

In 1st/2nd ed, Cure Disease was the surefire way to kill green slime....

.... except Cure Disease had a 10 minute casting time, and green slime will eat through your armor and YOU in less than 30 seconds!

 

[TYPO5478]

Lesser Restoration works for raging barbarians...

Not to derail the thread, but what are you talking about here?

For the rest of the thread, I think things like scrolls and wands would work better for these situations. If you need to cast break enchantment or lesser restoration during a combat, a scroll is the only way to go. Goodbye ridiculously long casting times!

 

[TheGogmagog]

Not to derail the thread, but what are you talking about here?

For the rest of the thread, I think things like scrolls and wands would work better for these situations. If you need to cast break enchantment or lesser restoration during a combat, a scroll is the only way to go. Goodbye ridiculously long casting times!

You might need to check up on your Scroll-Fu. Scrolls take a standard action OR the normal casting time to activate. I'm thinking wands are the same (will check if someone doesn't correct me first). [edit] ok SRD is letting me down, it says standard action for both, but I'm certain the scrolls take at least as long as the spell does. Anyone know where the contradictory rule is located?

Restoration is good for removing the FATIGUE from the barbarian AFTER he rages. I think that's what he meant. Though what he says sounds like it dispells rage.