Summoned Spellcasters

[svwilson]

According to page 173 of the PH, “When the spell that summoned a creature ends, and the creature disappears, all the spells it had cast expire.” Since it uses the term “expire” rather than “the spell ends” or “disappers”, I assume that the spell’s duration simply ends, but that an instantaneous spell (such as cure light wounds) is not reversed.

Would a permanent spell (such as permanent image or arcane mark) remain in effect? Or does the “expiration” cancel spells which are permanent until cancelled by an outside force? (For instance, a curse cast by a summoned fiend can’t be dispelled, but can be removed by wish, miracle, or…until the spell that summoned the fiend has expired?)

I want to use Summon Monster IV to get a lantern archon who can cast continual flame every round.

 

[Keith]

Expire is an interesting word to use. The magic description describes the end of a spell as: “When the time is up, the magic goes away and the spell ends.” Not very evocative, exactly. At any rate, I do think they are using expire to refer to this same result, myself. I think the effect of a summoned creature leaving is that all spells they have cast which are still functioning (so, not instantaneous duration ones) are dispelled, effectively (although it does not say that), rather than permitted to run the normal duration. Permanent spells are vulnerable to dispelling, so I think in this case they would also “expire”. The rules certainly don’t seem really clear on it, though, I agree with you.

 

[jgsugden]

Permanent spells should expire when the duration ends for balance reasons. Although the language may not be entirely precise, it seems clear that they wanted only instantaneous spells to remain 'in effect'. Had they intended for both instantaneous and permanent spells to remain, they'd likely have mentioned both as an exception to the rule.