D&D 5E Spell Preparation: Leaving Slots Open

[Mistwell]

Actually, I think the more pertinent question vis-a-vis what you quoted me on, is can you "prepare" less than your allowed. If I can prepare 6, can I prepare 5 actual spells and 1 unprepared spell.

If, as I said, spells remain prepared from the prior day if you do not change them, then by definition you always your spells prepared. The rule is about when you can change your prepared spells.

The discussion of "when" goes to the point that well, I "prepared" my spells today, and if I prepared a "null" spell I can't prepare again until after a long rest.

How do you prepare a null spell? If you had something prepared the prior day, it's still prepared. I don't know of any rule that let's you un-prepare a spell and replace it with nothing - you can only change it to a different spell.

 

[jrowland]

How do you prepare a null spell? If you had something prepared the prior day, it's still prepared. I don't know of any rule that let's you un-prepare a spell and replace it with nothing - you can only change it to a different spell.

Level 1 character creation...I have zero prepared spells, until I prepare them. Or I simply choose to prepare 5 instead of 6. There is no "null" spell, thats a metagame construct for discussion. In play, you simply prepare less spells than your allowed.

 

[jrowland]

How do you prepare a null spell? If you had something prepared the prior day, it's still prepared. I don't know of any rule that let's you un-prepare a spell and replace it with nothing - you can only change it to a different spell.

No, actually, you don't change out spells, you prepare a different "prepared" list.

 

[Mistwell]

Level 1 character creation...I have zero prepared spells, until I prepare them. Or I simply choose to prepare 5 instead of 6. There is no "null" spell, thats a metagame construct for discussion. In play, you simply prepare less spells than your allowed.

Well I'd argue preparing spells for the first day is part of character creation, and in the very least at some time prior to that level 1 you prepared spells (to be able to become a level 1 spellcaster). But even if it isn't, that's a one-time thing. The moment you EVER prepare spells, you have prepared spells of some kind for the rest of your career. So, realistically speaking, how can you have no spell prepared?

 

[Mistwell]

No, actually, you don't change out spells, you prepare a different "prepared" list.

How does that alter this issue in any meaningful way?

 

[jrowland]

How does that alter this issue in any meaningful way?

Because the issue is:

Can you prepare a list of 6 spells (of 6 possible) one day
and then
Prepare another list of 5 spells (of 6 possible) another day

There is no swapping of spells, there is no "null" spell. You simply prepare a smaller list.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Because the issue is:

Can you prepare a list of 6 spells (of 6 possible) one day
and then
Prepare another list of 5 spells (of 6 possible) another day

There is no swapping of spells, there is no "null" spell. You simply prepare a smaller list.

If you choose to do it that way (which is a valid interpretation), that means you'll have to spend the entire time to prepare all your spells (which can add up when you're high level) just to change one 1st level spell. Also, either Mike or Jeremy expressed either intent or preference for preparation time to only be based on actual spells changed. You could interpret that as meaning that you are still preparing each spell on the list, but that it doesn't take any appreciable time to prepare ones you had prepared the day before, although it makes more sense to me to interpret it that you are just leaving those spells alone and only spending time preparing the spells you are actually changing.

The distinction is whether you make changes to the list, or whether you swap out the list for a different list. The rules aren't all that clear, so either seems like an acceptable take.

 

[Uchawi]

Ruling? Nope. But, to use the same sort of logic... I've never seen an NPC caster stat block that had "blank slots". If having "blank slots" was a possible assumption, I would guess that some NPC somewhere would have had at least one 'blank slot' in their list with a note about something like "He has 1 3rd level slot left that he will prepare something appropriate later on in the day if he needs too"... or anything even remotely close to that.

I don't think a NPC comparison is a good example, because 5E is also based on making monsters or NPCs simple, and therefore you will never see open spell slots.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I still think the fact that the Playtest documents used precisely identical "when" and "a number of spells equal to" language, while having "you can prepare some spells later in the day" language later on, proves that the "when"/"equal" language (AND "you can change" language!) does not inherently mean you cannot prepare later in the day. If it did, that would mean the original documents were overtly self-contradictory for a very substantial portion of the Playtest's run, which seems odd considering all the "prepared" casters used the exact same text (despite some, like the Druid, getting added later). I really have no more interest in arguing the point, though, so if that isn't persuasive to you, that's fine by me.

 

[Mistwell]

Because the issue is:

Can you prepare a list of 6 spells (of 6 possible) one day
and then
Prepare another list of 5 spells (of 6 possible) another day

There is no swapping of spells, there is no "null" spell. You simply prepare a smaller list.

You can prepare a smaller list, but you still have the 6th spell be one from the prior day. Unless you can find a rule that lets you "unprepare" a spell (I can't), or fill a spell preparation with nothing (I can find nothing), then any excess remains filled with the spell from the day before.