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Can you use Blood Money to create valuable material components for a spell with a longer casting time than 1 round?
Is a material component expended at the start of the casting, "being used" while the spell is being cast and then expended at the end of the casting, or is it simply expended at the end of the casting?
A situation:
Walter the wizard casts Permanency to permanently recieve the benefit of Arcane Sight. Walter has 7500GPs worth of diamond dust on him, and Permanency has a casting time of 2 rounds. Ewan the elf comes along and wishes to interrupt Walter, because Ewan is a jerk.
Ewan readies an action to shoot Walter if Walter begins casting spells. Walter begins casting Permanency and Ewan shoots him, forcing Walter to make a concentration check, or lose the spell.
Case 1:
Walter fails his concentration check, and thus his attempt at casting Permanency fails. Is his 7500GPs worth of diamond dust lost?
Case 2:
Walter succeeds his concentration check, but on the next round, Ewan shoots him again, he fails his concentration check before the spell is finished. Is his 7500GPs worth of diamond dust lost?
Case 3:
Walter succeeds his concentration check on both turns and manages to cast the spell.
If the diamond dust is expended immediately upon casting, then it would make sense for Walter to lose his components if he is interrupted in round 1. If that is the case however, would that not also mean that Blood Money can be used to create material components for virtually any spell, provided the caster has the STR to sacrifice?
-Nearyn
Can you use Blood Money to create valuable material components for a spell with a longer casting time than 1 round?
Blood Money: "When you cast another spell in that same round, your blood transforms into one material component of your choice..."
Is a material component expended at the start of the casting, "being used" while the spell is being cast and then expended at the end of the casting, or is it simply expended at the end of the casting?
Material (M): "A material component consists of one or more physical substances or objects that are annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process."
Walter fails his concentration check, and thus his attempt at casting Permanency fails. Is his 7500GPs worth of diamond dust lost?
Injury: "If you fail the check, you lose the spell without effect."
Since there was no effect, I would say there are no spell energies to annihilate the diamond dust. Basically you lose the slot, but not the stuff.
If the diamond dust is expended immediately upon casting, then it would make sense for Walter to lose his components if he is interrupted in round 1. If that is the case however, would that not also mean that Blood Money can be used to create material components for virtually any spell, provided the caster has the STR to sacrifice?
Even if it uses the component immediately, you still didn't cast another spell in that same round, you merely began casting another spell in that same round. (IMO)
Interesting points Grick. I agree, but I'll still provide a counterpoint.
"When you cast another spell in that same round, your blood transforms into one material component of your choice..."
If I begin casting weather control, which has a casting time of 10 minutes, surely I am considered to be "casting a spell" for that time. So I make the argument that I -am- casting a spell in that same round, however I finish casting it 99 rounds later.
Also surely "annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process", could be read as meaning that while you are weaving eldricht energies and speaking words of power, the material components are destroyed by the spell energies, and whether or not you actually manage to cast the spell or not, is a different matter entirely.
Parry and Riposte.
Not sure if this was answered elsewhere... But I'd love to see some sort of official conclusion.
As it stands, Not allowing the use of Blood Money for spells with a casting time greater than 1 round will effectively reduce its utility to:
(using the SRD to list spells paizo-published spells)
- 5 / 24 Witch spells with expensive material components
( Divination, Trueseeing, Instant Summons, Vision, Trap the Soul )
- Nearly half all Wizard/Sorcerer spells with expensive material components
( Arcane Lock, Magic Mouth, Phantom Trap, Nondetection, Stoneskin, False vision, Circle of Death, Animate Dead, Programmed Image, undeath to death, Wall of Iron, Forcecage, Instant Summons, Limited Wish, True Seeing, Project Image, Vision, Protection from Spells, Temporary Stasis, Trap the Soul, and Wish [given over 50 strength] )
Arguably, keeping "Blood money" restricted to spells with limited casting times is not truly that debilitating for a wizard. A witch, however, finds a lot less utility in it.
However, a witch can access a few spells (like Restoration and Animate dead ) with the appropriate archetype or patron selection. Likewise, other classes can find ways to gain this simple transmutation spell.
...When it's already available for spells like Limited Wish and True Seeing, I'm not seeing much argument for its lack of use.
However, What's the official ruling?
As Nearyn and Grick stated, its description can easily be interpreted to support either argument:
- Interpreted one way, the material components disappear after 1 round because they haven't been used in a Completed casting.
- Interpreted another, they are either consumed or "in use" for the casting of a spell, and thus they don't disappear at all. Similarly, if one begins casting a spell with expensive material components and they're interrupted, are those components not lost? Thus, aren't material components feasibly considered expended the moment one starts casting a spell?
Blood money seems like one of those things that a GM would houserule to function one way or the other, despite what the "official ruling" is. But it's still nice to know. ( like those pesky take-10-on-knowledge-checks)
Never read blood money before, certainly makes ring of inner fortitude a worthwhile investment, as it doesnt make you immune to strength damage, just lessens it.
It won't stop the actual 1d6 damage, which I would personally argue is needed and unavoidable in order to actually spill the blood... but it'd make a neat investment indeed.
The answer to your question will be different depending on who you ask. It is best to ask your GM before using it as each may interpret it differently. I know that is a cop-out answer but it's about as good as you can get. There is some insight from creative director James Jacobs on this spell though:
>>Ask *James Jacobs* ALL your Questions Here!<<
Now... on to this post's question:When you cast blood money, you do so with a swift action. You create the needed components, and must then IMMEDIATELY (in the same round) cast the spell you want to use those components with. You don't need to finish casting the spell in the same round, though; once you start casting the spell, the components (and the prepared spell itself) are committed and used.
Posted in the off-topic forum so take it for what it is. There have already been discussions about using blood money to create components for Raise Dead (Through a scroll for a cleric or having a Witch do it). A more common ruling I see is that you have to finish casting in the same round so you can't cast free raise dead, but you can use limited wish to do it since it takes 1 Standard Action to cast.
...That'd make the spell open to things like Restoration, Raise dead, and virtually anything else from symbols to Greater Create Undead.
I'd love that. Truly.
But my GM argues that it'd be simply unbalanced, if that were the case.
Flavor wise, it's beautiful. Using one's own essence to restore the wellbeing of another, or writing a Symbol of Death in your own blood, or even the making of a Witchfire or Wraith with your inherent taint...
But aye. That's James Jacob's take; ... sadly, it doesn't make it the RAW.
Jame Jacobs has actually ruled BOTH ways on the matter in different places.