Spell Turning and multiple targets

[Nareau]

Let's say I've got Spell Turning cast on me, and it's good for 7 spell levels.

Abjuration
Level: Luck 7, Magic 7, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Until expended or 10 min./level

Spells and spell-like effects targeted on you are turned back upon the original caster. The abjuration turns only spells that have you as a target. Effect and area spells are not affected. Spell turning also fails to stop touch range spells.

From seven to ten (1d4+6) spell levels are affected by the turning. The exact number is rolled secretly.

When you are targeted by a spell of higher level than the amount of spell turning you have left, that spell is partially turned. The subtract the amount of spell turning left from the spell level of the incoming spell, then divide the result by the spell level of the incoming spell to see what fraction of the effect gets through. For damaging spells, you and the caster each take a fraction of the damage. For nondamaging spells, each of you has a proportional chance to be affected.

If you and a spellcasting attacker are both warded by spell turning effects in operation, a resonating field is created.

Roll randomly to determine the result.
d% 	Effect
01-70 	Spell drains away without effect.
71-80 	Spell affects both of you equally at full effect.
81-97 	Both turning effects are rendered nonfunctional for 1d4 minutes.
98-100 	Both of you go through a rift into another plane.
Arcane Material Component

A small silver mirror.

Let's say a 17th level wizard casts Magic Missile. He sends one missile streaming towards me, and the other four at my buddy Greg.
1) What happens?
2) What if we all have Spell Turning up, and he shoots a single missile at each of us?
3) What if we all have Spell Turning up, and he cast Weird and targeted all of us?

Nareau

 

[Artoomis]

I'd say look at each part of the spell independently.

 

[Solarious]

Weird is an AoE spell that is centered on the corners of squares: you're out of luck there, I believe. I would think Magic Missile is reflected though.

 

[Pyrex]

1) One missile is reflected back at the wizard, consuming one spell-level from your Spell Turning

2) All five missiles are reflected back at the wizard, consuming one spell-level from both of your Spell Turning effects.

3) The Weird targeted at each of you is 7/9'ths reflected; and each of you both have a 2/9ths chance of being affected as Weird doesn't inflict damage.

3.5) So what happens to the Wizard who now has 2* 7/9ths Weirds reflected back at him? For the sake of simplicity I'd add all the fractions together (14/9ths) then truncate (9/9ths) as spells with multiple targets can't affect the same target twice. Wizard now gets to save vs his own Weird

 

[Pyrex]

Weird is an AoE spell that is centered on the corners of squares: you're out of luck there, I believe. I would think Magic Missile is reflected though.

Weird is not an Area spell. It affects multiple Targets who have to be close to each other. Thus, Weird can absolutely be turned.

 

[Nareau]

3) The Weird targeted at each of you is 7/9'ths reflected; and each of you both have a 2/9ths chance of being affected as Weird doesn't inflict damage.

3.5) So what happens to the Wizard who now has 2* 7/9ths Weirds reflected back at him? For the sake of simplicity I'd add all the fractions together (14/9ths) then truncate (9/9ths) as spells with multiple targets can't affect the same target twice. Wizard now gets to save vs his own Weird

I think I would give him a 7/9ths (78%) chance to be affected by two Weird spells.

So in theory, he could have many, many instances of his own spell reflected upon himself. That's...well...weird. Sounds like Mass Heal (against his foes) might be a great way for high-level clerics to open a battle, to help clear out those pesky Spell Turnings.

If you're under a Spell Turning, and try to cast something on yourself, does that create a "resonating field"?

Nareau

 

[Pyrex]

By the RAW, yes. Although that's pretty silly and I think most people would instinctively rule that you are unaffected by your own Spell Turning without even really thinking about it.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Let's say a 17th level wizard casts Magic Missile. He sends one missile streaming towards me, and the other four at my buddy Greg.
1) What happens?

Strictly, the spell that has you as a target is reflected back at the caster. The spell that has you as a target is Magic Missile, and includes all five missiles.

If the caster also has Spell Turning, there's a chance that both of you will take the full effect of the spell - so you may get hit by all five missiles (along with the caster), even though four were initially aimed at Greg. Greg is safe.

2) What if we all have Spell Turning up, and he shoots a single missile at each of us?

Each of you have a spell that has you as a target. Strictly, I think each of you should lose a level of turning, and all five missiles are reflected back at the caster. Should he have spell turning active as well, though, it gets very odd; consequently, I'd be inclined as a DM to determine one person randomly to have their Spell Turning intercept the Magic Missile 'first' and turn all five missiles, so only a single person loses a level of turning, and only that person might be involved in a resonance effect.

3) What if we all have Spell Turning up, and he cast Weird and targeted all of us?

Same issues as 2, only more so.

Strictly, all of you should bear 2/9 of the spell, and the caster should bear 7/9 of the spell, and you all lose all 7 levels of Spell Turning.

In practice, I suspect I'd make two random determinations; one person to bear 7/9 of the turning, and a second to bear the other 2/9, thus protecting all five from the spell entirely. In this case, rather than subjecting the caster to a single full-power Weird, I'd subject him to the two fractional returns separately, because the resonance effects should be determined separately if the caster has Turning active.

-Hyp.