Warlock - Entropic Warding Invocation

[Dimwhit]

Anyone know what the duration would be for this invocation? It seems to be the only invocation that isn't an 'instantaneous' effect yet does not list a duration. Any ideas? Am I missing something obvious?

 

[UltimaGabe]

I always assumed the duration was 24 hours. (I suppose this wasn't necessarily stated, thinking back, but I don't think it's too hard of an assumption to make.) In other words, unless the Warlock is asleep or something more than 24 hours since the last time he acticated all of his Invocations, I assumed it was always active.

 

[3d6]

Well, entropic shield has a duration of 1 min./level, and pass without trace has a duration of 1 hour/level, and there's nothing in the invocation description overriding those durations, so I would say that the entropic shield effect lasts for 1 min./level and the pass without trace effect lasts for 1 hour/level.

 

[Kurotowa]

A very good question, right up there with "Does Warlock's Call take 10 minutes or 1 standard action to activate?"

Many Invocations say things like "use Dimension Door as a spell-like ability" or "deliver a targeted Greater Dispel Magic" or "use Summon Swarm as the spell" or similar wording. In these cases it is correct to assume that they use all the details of the spell, unless stated otherwise (such as Spiderwalk adding a 24 hour duration). Entropic Warding is not one of those Invocations. Instead it uses the same "as the spell [blank]" that Warlock's Call does.

IMO, the "as the spell" wording means that the Invocation rules set the standard and the effect is the same as the spell. This means that Warlock's Call takes a standard action to activate, and since it seems the most common Entropic Ward lasts for 24 hours. But this is my judgement and not something definate in the RAW. So consult your DM.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

The problem is, there's no precedent for single spell effects having multiple durations for their parts. You're not casting entropic shield and pass without trace. You're casting one spell-like ability that duplicates the effects of both spells. It either has a duration of 1 min/level or 1 hour/level or something else, but it probably doesn't have both, just due to the way that duration works. I think that either they meant to specify that invocations with no listed duration have some specific duration, or they meant to specify that multiple effects from a single invocation may have multiple durations. Unfortunately they did neither.

 

[Dimwhit]

The problem is, there's no precedent for single spell effects having multiple durations for their parts. You're not casting entropic shield and pass without trace. You're casting one spell-like ability that duplicates the effects of both spells. It either has a duration of 1 min/level or 1 hour/level or something else, but it probably doesn't have both, just due to the way that duration works. I think that either they meant to specify that invocations with no listed duration have some specific duration, or they meant to specify that multiple effects from a single invocation may have multiple durations. Unfortunately they did neither.

That's exactly my problem with it. It's not specific either way. But I agree that you can't have two separate durations for a single spell-like ability.

I'm inclined to believe it lasts for 24 hours. All invocations are dismissable, and they can be cast at will, so I suppose duration is irrelevant. I guess this is why most of them list 24 hours as the duration. But why this one doesn't is beyond me.

 

[wuyanei]

As a personal range, use-at-will ability, there is no practical difference between '24 hr duration and 'I cast the invocation every 7 rounds'. Unless you 'really' want to get the warlock while he sleeps, I'd suggest simply letting the invocation last for 24 hours.