What happens to spells when Dead/Unconsc.?

[Kaledor]

A wizard successfullly casts a spell that last 5 minutes on a fellow party member.
Then the wizard takes enough damage that he drops unconscious.

What happens to the spell?
We had two players that thought the spell should end. Looking through the PHB didn't seem to answer it, so the DM justifiably ruled that without a textbook rule specifically saying the spell ends then the duration runs it course. This would also have been my ruling, but I can see where the other players were coming from -- it fit with their *ideas on "real world" magic*. So I figured I'd post it to my fellows at ENWorld who are often far more savvy...

Did we miss a rule someplace?
(BTW, it's not a duration concentration, which clearly would end the spell.)


Does it change if the wizard dies?
(Now, we found the rule that if the wizard dies and is then somehow brought back, all his prepared spells are gone, but that really didn't matter to the situation at hand.)

 

[javcs]

Nope, otherwise, you know all those heirloom/plot device magic items you have? They wouldn't work anymore.


Once a spell is cast, it doesn't matter what happens to the caster unless the spell has a duration of concentrationm, or the spell grants the caster some form of control or influence over the target (no more control/influence can be exercised through that casting if the caster dies, unless he's brought back before the duration runs out).

 

[Kaledor]

Nope, otherwise, you know all those heirloom/plot device magic items you have? They wouldn't work anymore.

hahaha.
That was nearly the exact line that another player used
See, three of us agree with that reasoning, but like I said, there were two that were really convinced all spells end when the mage dies (very movie-like: kill the mage and all goes back to normal...). So, I agreed to post the question and see what others thought.
I guess they were hoping that someone on ENWorld would find a rule someplace.

Thanks!

 

[Anthraxus]

By the RAW, spells continue after the caster's death, unless the duration contains "concentration". There is nowhere that says "When the caster dies, spell durations cease.", so by the rules, they continue.

If you want to houserule spells that are dismissable(D) -or spells with any other duration- end when the caster dies, you could do it.

 

[frankthedm]

Durations never end when the caster / monster dies. This isn't hollywood, a vampire dominates you, you stay dominated for almost two weeks. If it gets destroyed, you'll be following that last comand it gave for the entire time. Dispel Magic won't help either on supernatural abilities (Su).

Hell, killing the caster will often make a charm spell worse. If your working buddies{Party] kill your best friend in the world{Charmer], more blood will be spilled.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Durations never end when the caster / monster dies.

One potential exception - if the monster is Summoned, then spells it has cast expire when the Summon spell ends. I think a strict reading of the Summoning subschool does separate the duration of the Summoning spell from the death of the monster - so killing the monster won't end the spells it has cast, but they'll expire in a few rounds when the Summoning spell does. But I can easily see a DM ruling that the monster 'going away' when it is killed causing its spells to expire just as if the Summoning spell had ended.

-Hyp.

 

[Christian]

... it fit with their *ideas on "real world" magic*.

Well, there's their first mistake ... Wizards would really suck in my games if I ran by that. "I cast magic missile." "You wave your hands and ... nothing happens! Because there's no such thing as real magic spells! Sucker!!"

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, there's their first mistake ... Wizards would really suck in my games if I ran by that. "I cast magic missile." "You wave your hands and ... nothing happens! Because there's no such thing as real magic spells! Sucker!!"

Alternatively:

"I cast Magic Missile. 11 damage."
"And you take 33."
"... what?"
"Rule of Three, I'm afraid..."

-Hyp.

 

[frankthedm]

One potential exception - if the monster is Summoned, then spells it has cast expire when the Summon spell ends. I think a strict reading of the Summoning subschool does separate the duration of the Summoning spell from the death of the monster - so killing the monster won't end the spells it has cast, but they'll expire in a few rounds when the Summoning spell does. But I can easily see a DM ruling that the monster 'going away' when it is killed causing its spells to expire just as if the Summoning spell had ended.

-Hyp.

Ok, ok, Durations almost never end when the caster / monster dies.

 

[WhatGravitas]

...it fit with their *ideas on "real world" magic*. So I figured I'd post it to my fellows at ENWorld who are often far more savvy...

Or they've played Neverwinter Nights, where you *always* target the caster to get rid of his summoned things... *shrugs*