A great idea...laughter...a pet permanent dancing light

[zmanerism]

I was looking at the spell dancing lights and saw that it can be made permanent and that it can be in the shape of a dimly lit humanoid. I wonder if one could have it the shape of a monkey and call it George or if one is playing a pirate character a glowing light that is shaped like a parrot. One could move it up to 190 feet away from oneself too. Let me know what you think and could this be done with RAW.

Dancing Lights

School evocation [light]; Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Effect Up to four lights, all within a 10-ft.-radius area

Duration 1 minute (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

Depending on the version selected, you create up to four lights that resemble lanterns or torches (and cast that amount of light), or up to four glowing spheres of light (which look like will-o'-wisps), or one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape. The dancing lights must stay within a 10-foot-radius area in relation to each other but otherwise move as you desire (no concentration required): forward or back, up or down, straight or turning corners, or the like. The lights can move up to 100 feet per round. A light winks out if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell's range.

You can only have one dancing lights spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled. If you make this spell permanent, it does not count against this limit.

Dancing lights can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

[Gembar]

It seems like it would be doable, but then I'm pretty new to Pathfinder myself. I have a Gnome bard w/ a sailor theme that I could totally see doing something like that!

zmanerism wrote:

I was looking at the spell dancing lights and saw that it can be made permanent and that it can be in the shape of a dimly lit humanoid. I wonder if one could have it the shape of a monkey and call it George or if one is playing a pirate character a glowing light that is shaped like a parrot. One could move it up to 190 feet away from oneself too. Let me know what you think and could this be done with RAW.

Dancing Lights

School evocation [light]; Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Effect Up to four lights, all within a 10-ft.-radius area

Duration 1 minute (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

Depending on the version selected, you create up to four lights that resemble lanterns or torches (and cast that amount of light), or up to four glowing spheres of light (which look like will-o'-wisps), or one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape. The dancing lights must stay within a 10-foot-radius area in relation to each other but otherwise move as you desire (no concentration required): forward or back, up or down, straight or turning corners, or the like. The lights can move up to 100 feet per round. A light winks out if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell's range.

You can only have one dancing lights spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is still in effect, the previous casting is dispelled. If you make this spell permanent, it does not count against this limit.

Dancing lights can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

[Richard Leonhart]

my first tought was that the range comes from the original point of casting, however I can't find this in the rules.
So if the range moves with you, it should be doable. Notice that dispel magic will ruin a costly thing.

I wonder what happens if you cast a non-permanent dancing light afterwards, you probably destroy the first one.

[Narrater]

If I was the GM I would say the cost and power of permanency would be enough to prevent the destruction for casting it certainly isn't overpowered.

[HaraldKlak]

Richard Leonhart wrote:

I wonder what happens if you cast a non-permanent dancing light afterwards, you probably destroy the first one.

The quotes above state: "If you make this spell permanent, it does not count against this limit."

So you can have all the permanent dancing lights as you can afford.

[Davor]

I am perfectly, totally okay with this. It's an awesome idea, and it's fun and flavorful.

But that's coming from someone that allows Bards to use the Ghost Sound cantrip as their musical instrument for Bardic Performance.

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Davor wrote:

I am perfectly, totally okay with this. It's an awesome idea, and it's fun and flavorful.

But that's coming from someone that allows Bards to use the Ghost Sound cantrip as their musical instrument for Bardic Performance.

Given that there is a zero level spell to summon an instrument for bardic performance I say ghost sound for the same effect is just flavorful. Its more interesting actually. You could have an "invisible" orchestra accompaniment. :-)

[Narrater]

I could see a bard using ghost sounds to make interesting synthetic music to entertain. Yoink runs off with the idea.

[Remco Sommeling]

yes, it can be done, I once wanted to do this with a character to emulate Fizban from the dragonlance novels who had a little pocket light he used to talk to as if it were sentient I think he called it 'blimp' or something. It is not quite clear if it was infact sentient but most likely it was just a dancing lights.

In the end I took an improved familiar lantern archon instead which could be another options, just fluff it in te shape of a monkey and call it George or a parrot named Polly.

[Lurk3r]

Permanent Dancing Lights on a set of Ioun Torches- Bam! Personal floating lightshow! Now your bard can be a walking metal concert!

[Christoph Drakelash]

See, I like little spells like this that you can make permanent. I recently took the Dancing Lantern spell out of the APG and did the same thing for my cleric. I just like the idea of having spells like these adding a little flavor to my characters.