I am new to Pathfinder and still learning.
What does it mean when the sleep spell says it affects 4HD of monsters. Does it mean that it will put to sleep 2 monsters if they are both 2 HD each, or 4 monsters if they are each 1HD?
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Both of those are true statements.
It will also put to sleep one creature with 2 HD and two creatures with 1 HD.
Or one with 3 HD and one with 1 HD, etc.
To further clarify, if you cast it on a mass of creatures with a mix of 1-4 HD, the 1 HD creatures are affected first, and of those, the ones closest to the center are affected first. Once you select all the creatures that are affected (up to a total of 4 HD), only those have to roll their saves to avoid the effect.
This seems kind of weak...is there a more powerful sleep spell that can affect a larger number of creatures?
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Well, being a first level spell, it shouldn't be allowed to affect so many creatures.
There is a more powerful version:
This one affects 10HD of creatures as a 3rd level spell.
I would think the reason that these spells affect a limited number of creatures is that any creature that fails its save is effectively dead to its opponents unless awakened.
This seems kind of weak...is there a more powerful sleep spell that can affect a larger number of creatures?
This spell is a great one at the 1st and 2nd level, it's a very good one at 3rd and maybe 4th level but after that it isn't worth the space in your spell book.
The only more powerful version i can think of is the witch's slumber hex, here
I ran an adventure for 1st level characters last night. The wizard pc cast sleep 2x first time put down several goblins I think 5 second time 2 hobgoblins. I believe the casting time is one full round action. It is a great spell at low levels. Later on the wizard cast the spell at a harpy that was above the HD part of the spell. So for him it worked great 2/3rds of the time.
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I ran an adventure for 1st level characters last night. The wizard pc cast sleep 2x first time put down several goblins I think 5 second time 2 hobgoblins. I believe the casting time is one full round action. It is a great spell at low levels. Later on the wizard cast the spell at a harpy that was above the HD part of the spell. So for him it worked great 2/3rds of the time.
This is actually a very common mistake as I understand it. Sleep, as well as most Summon spells, have a casting time of 1 round. This means that you begin casting the spell in round 1 but it doesn't come into effect until the start of your next turn. This means that any time you take damage between beginning to cast and the start of your next turn, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell.
A. The saving throw is immaterial as to whether the spell "affects" a creature; it simply happens that for this spell the effect on a successful save is that nothing happens.
Edit: Though now I'm not entirely certain:
Negates: The spell has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.
you don't retcon the targets by who saved.
it say it effect lower hd first. and up to 4 hd.
so from the 3 targets in the area it 1st target at the 2x 1 HD then it has 2 more to 'aim' for. the 3 hd pc is thus unavailable as target as it would put the spell targets at 5 hd. now that you have the targets called for, make the needed saves to see if they are effected or resisted the magical slumber.
Symbol of Sleep is probably the pinnacle of the sleep spells. It has no HD limit. Deep slumber is a good upgrade to 1st level sleep spell. It would be cool if it would keep applying till it reached 4HD limit who failed their saves. Unfortunately, I don't think that is really the way it works.
The Symbol of Sleep references Symbol of Death which states "Once triggered, the symbol becomes active and glows, lasting for 10 minutes per caster level or until it has affected 150 hit points’ worth of creatures, whichever comes first." Nothing in the Symbol od Sleep spell changes this. This then is the limit to the Symbol spell.
/cevah
The Symbol of Sleep references Symbol of Death which states "Once triggered, the symbol becomes active and glows, lasting for 10 minutes per caster level or until it has affected 150 hit points’ worth of creatures, whichever comes first." Nothing in the Symbol od Sleep spell changes this. This then is the limit to the Symbol spell.
/cevah
The end of the text for Symbol of Sleep reads « Unlike symbol of death, symbol of sleep has no hit point limit; once triggered, a symbol of sleep simply remains active for 10 minutes per caster level. »
*grumble* *grumble* read failure *grumble*
/cevah
I thought so. In fact, I doubted my reading hence re-checked and re-checked again before doubting yours^^