Tenser's floating Disk

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Presuming you can move the disc at all.

But I agree, it is a good idea; that's not the issue. It's whether it can be done according to the spell description. I say no, but I'd probably allow it anyways just b/c it would look cool.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Tenser's Floating Disk, Greater

Dragon 323, September '04 features an improved version of the spell which the caster can ride. That's not the only perk, but it's the main one, imo, and this is a 4th level spell.

On these grounds alone, I would argue that the PHB floating disk doesn't allow the caster to ride the effect.

Sorry, looks like if you want an impromtu magic carpet, you've gotta subscribe.

 

[Caliban]

Dragon 323, September '04 features an improved version of the spell which the caster can ride. That's not the only perk, but it's the main one, imo, and this is a 4th level spell.

On these grounds alone, I would argue that the PHB floating disk doesn't allow the caster to ride the effect.

Sorry, looks like if you want an impromtu magic carpet, you've gotta subscribe.

*shrug* Dragon magazine isn't grounds for anything as far as I'm converned.

 

[Caliban]

So you can "otherwise direct it" to come closer than the default of 5 feet. The spell still states that the disc "accompanies you". Riding on the disc would be you accompanying it, not the other way around.

That's just the default behavior of the disc, unless you direct it otherwise. If you don't direct it otherwise, it accompanies you. If you do direct it otherwise, you can accompany it.

 

[Jalkain]

Snipped, since I'm just repeating what others have said anyway.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Yes, accompanies you. Not transports you. If you're riding in a car, you're not providing any of the motion - you're just along for the ride. For a disc to accompany, you must at least be providing some form of movement - which you're not if you're riding the disc. I guess you could push along the ground with one foot like a skateboard, but I don't think that's what you want the spell to do.

Besides which, I think that Dragon magazine makes this all a moot point. It has much greater credibility than what any of us say on EN World, regardless of whether you choose to recognize it or not.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

Could some one post the text of that spell becaue I'm thinking something like this. If the only real benefit the DM spell has is that you can ride on it when presumedly you couldn't before and they made it a 4th levels spell. I think all hopes of DM being credible are lost on this issue. If they had made it 2nd level I could of bought this as credible but 4th, please you'd have to be beat brain dead by a sack of bricks to consider actually casting this waste of speace of a spell.

Overall though I can't think of a balnce reason not to allow it. Wow it allows a spellcaster to be lazy. And the wording can be read to say either it accompanies you at 5' interval but you can adjust that interval, or it can be read to say it accompanies you unless you direct it otherwise. The 1st interpretation doesn't allow riding the 2nd does. I see no reason not to allow the 2nd at worst balance wise it gives a slight advantage to some skills or allows you to traverse dangerous terain a bit easier, at best it allows you to travel in a cool and magical way making you seem more like a wizard.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

From the SRD:

You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It can hold 100 pounds of weight per caster level. (If used to transport a liquid, its capacity is 2 gallons.) The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.

With a duration of 1 hour/level, allowing a wizard to ride it means that an 8th-lvl+ wizard isn't going to ever have to worry about terrain, floor traps, glyphs, etc. So yeah, I think it's overpowered for a 1st-lvl spell (if you allow the caster to ride it, which I wouldn't).

I dunno about the magazine version of the spell, but for 4th-lvl I suspect it allows you to move more than 3 feet off the ground or at a higher speed.

 

[Caliban]

Yes, accompanies you. Not transports you. If you're riding in a car, you're not providing any of the motion - you're just along for the ride. For a disc to accompany, you must at least be providing some form of movement - which you're not if you're riding the disc. I guess you could push along the ground with one foot like a skateboard, but I don't think that's what you want the spell to do.

Besides which, I think that Dragon magazine makes this all a moot point. It has much greater credibility than what any of us say on EN World, regardless of whether you choose to recognize it or not.

I'm not saying this to be offensive, or to belittle your point of view.

Dragon Magazine does not have any more credibility than anyone else here on EN World. None of the articles are reviewed by WOTC R&D. They are reviewed by the editors of the magazine, which is no longer directly affiliated with WOTC.

All the articles in the magazine is optional rules submitted by the players. That would be people like you and me, and everyone else here at EN World. However, the articles do not received the kind of intensive review that the people here at EN world would give it. Simply because of there are less people at the magazine that here at EN World.

The only part of the magazine which can be considered to have weight is whatever part of Sage Advice makes it into the FAQ. (And the FAQ has it's own set of issues and contradictions.)

I use stuff from Dragon Magazine all the time, but I recognize it for what it is: House Rules that have not yet been playtested on a large scale.

I don't consider the spells and feats from the magazine to be the yardstick for comparing core spells or feats.

And as I said before, the default behavior of the spell is that the disc accompanies you. But, the spell gives you the option of directing the disc to do something else. Nothing game breaking, nothing to powerful.

 

[Caliban]

With a duration of 1 hour/level, allowing a wizard to ride it means that an 8th-lvl+ wizard isn't going to ever have to worry about terrain, floor traps, glyphs, etc. So yeah, I think it's overpowered for a 1st-lvl spell (if you allow the caster to ride it, which I wouldn't).

I dunno about the magazine version of the spell, but for 4th-lvl I suspect it allows you to move more than 3 feet off the ground or at a higher speed.

I don't see how the disk protects you from pit traps or glyphs. If the floor drops away, the disc falls. It let's you go one move at your normal speed each round, no more.