Are they going to make an errata entry for Magic Jar?

[Aeric Blackberry]

Because it needs it. Ok, I admit that I discovered this while trying to "mutchkinize" the system. I was trying to make my familiar into the Magic Jar using Share Spells ability. My GM said: no, you cannot do this because Magic Jar is not a "Target:You" spell and that is what Share Spells ability allows you. I understand that he is absolutely right by RAW.

But... why the hell is not? It should be. Or perhaps not, but in any case the description of the spell or, more accurately, the target can not be correct.

Let me explain. This is the spell:

Spoiler:

Magic Jar
School necromancy; Level alchemist 5, sorcerer/wizard 5, summoner 4, witch 5

CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a gem or crystal worth at least 100 gp)

EFFECT
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 hour/level or until you return to your body
Saving Throw Will negates; see text; Spell Resistance yes

By casting magic jar, you place your soul in a gem or large crystal (known as the magic jar), leaving your body lifeless. Then you can attempt to take control of a nearby body, forcing its soul into the magic jar. You may move back to the jar (thereby returning the trapped soul to its body) and attempt to possess another body. The spell ends when you send your soul back to your own body, leaving the receptacle empty. To cast the spell, the magic jar must be within spell range and you must know where it is, though you do not need line of sight or line of effect to it. When you transfer your soul upon casting, your body is, as near as anyone can tell, dead.

While in the magic jar, you can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level (and on the same plane of existence). You do need line of effect from the jar to the creatures. You cannot determine the exact creature types or positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, you can sense a difference of 4 or more HD between one creature and another and can determine whether a life force is powered by positive or negative energy. (Undead creatures are powered by negative energy. Only sentient undead creatures have, or are, souls.)

You could choose to take over either a stronger or a weaker creature, but which particular stronger or weaker creature you attempt to possess is determined randomly.

Attempting to possess a body is a full-round action. It is blocked by protection from evil or a similar ward. You possess the body and force the creature's soul into the magic jar unless the subject succeeds on a Will save. Failure to take over the host leaves your life force in the magic jar, and the target automatically succeeds on further saving throws if you attempt to possess its body again.

If you are successful, your life force occupies the host body, and the host's life force is imprisoned in the magic jar. You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. You can't choose to activate the body's extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The creature's spells and spell-like abilities do not stay with the body.

As a standard action, you can shift freely from a host to the magic jar if within range, sending the trapped soul back to its body. The spell ends when you shift from the jar to your own body.

If the host body is slain, you return to the magic jar, if within range, and the life force of the host departs (it is dead). If the host body is slain beyond the range of the spell, both you and the host die. Any life force with nowhere to go is treated as slain.

If the spell ends while you are in the magic jar, you return to your body (or die if your body is out of range or destroyed). If the spell ends while you are in a host, you return to your body (or die, if it is out of range of your current position), and the soul in the magic jar returns to its body (or dies if it is out of range). Destroying the receptacle ends the spell, and the spell can be dispelled at either the magic jar or the host's location.

"Target: one creature"

Which creature? When you cast Magic Jar you need only the gem to be in range. And the spell only affects you (your soul).

Is it referring to the target(s) that you are allowed to try to posses while you are in the Jar?

I think that the target of the spell should be "You". Or, if designers are concerned with the idea of using familiars with the spell they could put the gem as the target (in any case it has to be in range in the moment of casting...).

But... "one creature"? The target cannot be one creature. In fact, you can try to possess as many creatures as you like in the several hours of duration. If the concern is to explain that each attempt of possession needs a SR check and a will save... that could be explained in the text. There is already a paragraph explaining the will save. Some words more in that paragraph would do the job.

Is this a errata candidate? I think so.

(I think also that caster should be able to prolong the duration of Magic Jar by recasting it, which I think that the rules do not allow as written, but that is a different fight).

[Mucronis]

Aeric Blackberry wrote:

My GM said: no, you cannot do this because Magic Jar is not a "Target:You" spell and that is what Share Spells ability allows you. I understand that he is absolutely right by RAW.

Well for one thing, Share spell let's you do more then just Personal range spells. It lets you cast Enlarge Person upon your familiar.

"Share Spells: The wizard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch spell) instead of on himself. A wizard may cast spells on his familiar even if the spells do not normally affect creatures of the familiar's type (magical beast).

2nd. Are You trying to have the familiar jump around as the "caster" of the spell, or are you trying to enter your familiar's body as part of the spell ?

I think You can do either, but who and what the familiar would "posses" might be in the hands of the DM

[Aeric Blackberry]

Take into account that the act of possesing is almost random anyway.

You can possess the familiar by RAW because it is a creature. What I was trying to do was to cast the spell to the familiar, that is, to move its soul to the gem, so that it will be able to posses other creatures.

If the target of the spell were "You", it would be possible using the share spells ability. But it is not.

But anyway, the thing is that it makes no sense for the target to be "one creature". As written, there is no need for the "target" to be in the range of the spell when it is cast.I think that the target should be "You" or the gem, but no "one creature"

[Dragonamedrake]

Aeric Blackberry wrote:

Because it needs it. Ok, I admit that I discovered this while trying to "mutchkinize" the system. I was trying to make my familiar into the Magic Jar using Share Spells ability.

Check out the Beast-Bound Witch. Infinite Permanent Magic Jar's for you and your familiar. Welcome to Immortality at level 10.

[VRMH]

The Magic Jar spell needs no erratum. It needs a rewrite.

• The target is unclear. Who's being targeted?
• Its range is unclear, since a different range is mentioned in the description.
• It is unclear what exactly the "magic jar" itself is: you can have a range to it, so it's not the spell focus mentioned in the description.
• The spell description mentions both "soul" and "life force", but fails to distinguish between the two or clarify either.
• It's unclear whether ongoing spells on subjects remain with the body or go with the soul.

And that was just from a casual glance at the spell.