Which duration is shorter, instantaneous or one round?

[Jadeite]

Quote:

Multiple Effect Words and Duration: If a wordspell has more than one effect word, the shortest of all the effect words’ durations is used for all of the effect words.

If a wordspell contains both a word with an instantaneous duration and a word with a duration of rounds, minutes or hours, how long would the effect last?

[Nostagar]

Jadeite wrote:

Quote:

Multiple Effect Words and Duration: If a wordspell has more than one effect word, the shortest of all the effect words’ durations is used for all of the effect words.

If a wordspell contains both a word with an instantaneous duration and a word with a duration of rounds, minutes or hours, how long would the effect last?

Considering that Instantaneous is, well, Instantaneous, anything with a longer duration is longer. How is this even in question, or is there something I'm missing?

[Jadeite]

Nostagar wrote:

Considering that Instantaneous is, well, Instantaneous, anything with a longer duration is longer. How is this even in question, or is there something I'm missing?

Instantaneous effects are kind of permanent. This could lead to very serious issues with buffing words.

[Kierato]

Instantaneous can be both, on one hand the magic happens and then is gone, only the effect remains. On the other hand, the effect remains longer than permanent.

[wraithstrike]

Jadeite wrote:

Nostagar wrote:

Considering that Instantaneous is, well, Instantaneous, anything with a longer duration is longer. How is this even in question, or is there something I'm missing?

Instantaneous effects are kind of permanent. This could lead to very serious issues with buffing words.

Examples?

I am against the words of power because I think more words should have made the playtest. I don't have the option to playtest it currently so I am pretty much relying on other people to spot things.

[Herken Didwyk]

Perfect Form
duration: 1 rd/lvl
+4 str/con/dex

Lesser Cure
duration: instant
heal 1d6+1/lvl

If you put them together, the healing effect is "permanent", but clearly the buffs shouldn't be.

[Jadeite]

Boosted Accelerate
Duration: 1 rd/lvl
Extra Move Action/Additional Attack

Acid Burn
Duration: instant
1d3 acid damage

Take 1d3 acid damage, gain permanent extra move action.

[Nigrescence]

I think it depends on the effect. For example, a Fireball is instantaneous, but once it does its job, it's effectively gone. On the other hand, a Wall of Stone is instantaneous, but doing its job leaves a permanent fixture. In both cases, I think instantaneous is still the shortest duration. Instantaneous represents an instant change or an instant effect. The duration is only at the time of casting.

Technically even the Wall of Stone is shorter than one round. It just happens. I don't know how you'd even extend the effect to one round instead of instantaneous without adding a huge power drop, but I think that's why they limit it to taking the shortest duration.

The difference between a Wall of Stone "permanent" effect and something like Permanency's "permanent" effect is that the Wall of Stone's resulting material is wholly natural, not magical, while a permanent effect like Permanency is wholly magical.

One of the two can be dispelled. I'll leave you to guess which one.

[Jadeite]

I'm kind of surprised, though, that this issue didn't come up in the playtest.
Even with fewer words, it was possible for wizards to permanently grant others +4 on STR, DEX and CON or +2 on AC. Or to permanently half someone's speed.

[HansiIsMyGod]

Instantaneous means that the spell lasts an instant and takes effect immediately. A debilitating or beneficial effect caused by the spell could last longer.

Quote:

Instantaneous
The spell energy comes and goes the instant the spell is cast, though the consequences might be long-lasting.

For example - Fireball.

Instantaneous duration means the blast takes effect immediately and lasts for an instant.

Another example - Contagion

Yet another example - Feeblemind
This is a very good one because it means that the spell crushes mental abilities instantly and the debilitating effect persists yet the spell itself is not permanent which means it cannot be dispelled. In this case usually there is a special way to heal or remove the effect of the spell

[Kierato]

I have flagged this for FAQ, I think others should do the same.

[Bobson]

I haven't looked into the words very much, but I'd say that if an effect which normally has a duration, if it becomes instant, takes effect then immediately ends. Which makesit rather useless.

[Sean K Reynolds]

Non-instantaneous words that are coupled with an instantaneous word have their duration reduced to instantaneous, which means the word's effect begins and ends immediately, with no lingering effects (meaning you can't use this to get free "permanent" buffs out of round- or minute-based words by coupling them with instantaneous words).

[Sekret_One]

Healing and damage don't go away when the spell ends.

Enhancement bonuses do...

An instantaneous spell that hurts something poofs almost as immediately as it was created, but it still does the damage. IE, I create a force, it pushes an object, force dissipates, the objects are still 'pushed.'

The duration ones typically amplify or create something that needs to persist a time to have an effect (like a summon). They would wink into existence and wink out, usually having no effect.

Perfect form + lesser cure= healed a bit, instantly gain and instantly lose a str/con/dex bonus.