Word of Recall

[War Golem]

When a cleric casts Word of Recall, is the place to which the cleric will be transported designated at the time the spell is cast, or at some time prior to "casting" the spell? And does the cleric have to be at the actual sanctuary to designate it such?

Which of these 2 scenarios is more appropriate?

Scenario 1:
Cleric is in a dungeon and needs to get out fast. She casts Word of Recall, designates (right then, as part of casting the spell) her chambers in her home temple as her sanctuary, and the spell takes her there.

Scenario 2:
Cleric is in her chambers in her home temple. She casts Word of Recall and designates (right then, as part of casting the spell) the room she is in as her sanctuary. At any time later, she is in a dungeon and needs to get out fast, at which point she utters her "Word of Recall" and is transported to her sanctuary.

Here is the spell as per the SRD:

Word of Recall
Transmutation [Teleportation]
Level: Clr 6, Drd 8
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Unlimited
Target: The character and objects and willing creatures totaling up to 50 lb./level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: No or Yes (harmless, object)
Word of recall teleports the character instantly back to the character's sanctuary when the word is uttered. The character must designate the sanctuary when the character prepares the spell, and it must be a very familiar place. The actual point of arrival is a designated area no larger than 10 feet by 10 feet. The character can be transported any distance within a plane but cannot travel between planes. The character can transport, in addition to him or herself, objects and creatures weighing up to 50 pounds per caster level. Thus, a 15th-level cleric could transport his person and objects or creatures weighing an additional 750 pounds. Exceeding this limit causes the spell to fail.
An unwilling creature can’t be teleported by word of recall. Likewise, a creature’s Will save (or SR) prevents items in its possession from being teleported. Unattended, nonmagical objects receive no saving throw.


Thanks.

 

[Tiberius]

When a cleric casts Word of Recall, is the place to which the cleric will be transported designated at the time the spell is cast, or at some time prior to "casting" the spell? And does the cleric have to be at the actual sanctuary to designate it such?

According to the quoted SRD, the proper choice would be Scenario 3: Cleric designates target sanctuary at time of preparation.

The key phrase, IMO, is this:

The character must designate the sanctuary when the character prepares the spell, and it must be a very familiar place.

So she would have to declare her destination when she prepares it.

-Tiberius

 

[War Golem]

Re: Re: Word of Recall

According to the quoted SRD, the proper choice would be Scenario 3: Cleric designates target sanctuary at time of preparation.

So she would have to declare her destination when she prepares it.

Hi Tiberius,

I thought that's what I was trying to convey with scenario 2. I'm not sure how what you've proffered as S3 is different from my original S2.

Thanks for your input.

-War Golem

 

[Artoomis]

Just in case you might be confused, "preparing" is when you pray for your spells.

An interesting side effect is that if one creates a scroll with a word of recall in it, the place of sanctuary would already be selected. This could be really interesting.

 

[drnuncheon]

Re: Re: Re: Word of Recall

Hi Tiberius,

I thought that's what I was trying to convey with scenario 2. I'm not sure how what you've proffered as S3 is different from my original S2.

Thanks for your input.

-War Golem

I see a couple of differences.

1) The cleric need not be in the sanctuary when she prepares her spell. She can prepare the spell in the dungeon and designate her very familiar room in the temple even if she isn't there.

2) The cleric does not cast the spell in the sanctuary. She casts it in the dungeon and it takes her to the sanctuary. This means that, for instance, you can't cast WoR to 'set it up' and then sleep and then prepare a different 6th level spell - if you want WoR you need to have it prepared at the time of need.

J

 

[Tiberius]

Re: Re: Re: Word of Recall

Hi Tiberius,

I thought that's what I was trying to convey with scenario 2. I'm not sure how what you've proffered as S3 is different from my original S2.

Thanks for your input.

-War Golem

Looking over the original post, it was probably just a slight difference in terminology. Your scenario 2 had her casting the spell in her sanctuary, then using it later on to return there. Since preparing a spell is, according to the rules, casting it and leaving it "hung", the two situations are pretty much the same. I just associate "casting" with finishing the spell and "preparing" with casting the initial stages of the spell.

-Tiberius

 

[coyote6]

An interesting side effect is that if one creates a scroll with a word of recall in it, the place of sanctuary would already be selected. This could be really interesting.

Yes. Especially if one uses a scroll of word of recall that one didn't prepare. Most especially if it's a scroll you got off the dead body of an enemy cleric.

 

[War Golem]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Word of Recall

Looking over the original post, it was probably just a slight difference in terminology. Your scenario 2 had her casting the spell in her sanctuary, then using it later on to return there. Since preparing a spell is, according to the rules, casting it and leaving it "hung", the two situations are pretty much the same. I just associate "casting" with finishing the spell and "preparing" with casting the initial stages of the spell.

-Tiberius

I'm inclined to agree that we just weren't clicking on terminology, but were on the same page with the concepts.

2) The cleric does not cast the spell in the sanctuary. She casts it in the dungeon and it takes her to the sanctuary. This means that, for instance, you can't cast WoR to 'set it up' and then sleep and then prepare a different 6th level spell - if you want WoR you need to have it prepared at the time of need.

I agree. I think the spell should work so that you have to be at and designate the sanctuary at the time of praying/preparing, but to be able to cast it at some indefinite period later, that 6th level slot cannot be filled with another spell. If it is, the WoR is lost.

-War Golem

 

[Artoomis]

Yes. Especially if one uses a scroll of word of recall that one didn't prepare. Most especially if it's a scroll you got off the dead body of an enemy cleric.

That's what I was thinking. A heck of a way to conduct a raid into enemy territory, isn't it?

 

[Artoomis]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Word of Recall

I agree. I think the spell should work so that you have to be at and designate the sanctuary at the time of praying/preparing, but to be able to cast it at some indefinite period later, that 6th level slot cannot be filled with another spell. If it is, the WoR is lost.

-War Golem

Perhaps that might be a good way to work it, but that's not the way it works by the rules, which I think was the question. By the rules, you simply designate the sanctuary when you pray for your spells for the day (or, later, when you spend 15 minutes to preapre a spell slot left "open").