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Good stuff...First, good example. This is the kind of thing people should see. It really clears up the intent of the spell, IMO. EDIT: I have ruled in the past that it does not move, which I thought was very odd, but the ability is listed in such a way that's difficult to quickly understand correctly, and keeping up the pace of the game is important to me when I'm GMing. I will now rule it this way in the future.
Second, forgive my ignorance (and poor google-fu, apparantly) but what series is this excerpt from? It's been a while since I read a good book...
/BLUSH!
This is actually not an excerpt from a series. I wrote that to paint an example of how I thought the spell would narratively look and work.
I am very honored that you thought this was published writing.
Thank you
-Nearyn
At least my google-fu is not weak. =) And you're welcome for the compliment - looked legit to me.
As for this being a good example, I suppose I'll still go with it narratively, but knowing you made this up on the spot does weaken that, lol.
At least my google-fu is not weak. =) And you're welcome for the compliment - looked legit to me.
As for this being a good example, I suppose I'll still go with it narratively, but knowing you made this up on the spot does weaken that, lol.
Yeah, I only switched into "rules-mode" when writing about the material components and the circle. The rest is just me telling a story, with no real regard for the actual mechanics of the spell. :)
I could have, I suppose, but it did not occur to me at the time of writing.
Glad you rediscovered your faith in your google-fu >:]
-Nearyn
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Turn-based movement is supposed to be a tool to help us simplify the confusion of having to keep track of many combatants simultaneously.
It should not stand in the way of common sense.
Common sense says that a group of allies can run together, at least at whatever pace the slowest member moves.
In game mechanics, 20' for most shorties or most encumbered tallies, which means 40' per round or even 80' per round if they can run (terrain and encumbrance willing). Best case, 30'/60'/120' if nobody is short or encumbered. Double that if someone also casts Haste.
Sure, the turn-based movement mechanic makes this impossible, but really, are we all just throwing any semblance of reality out the window here?
Kyra: Run, dammit!
Valleros: I can't run. It's Seoni's turn.
Seoni: No it isn't, it's Merisiel's turn.
Valleros: Where is Merisiel?
Seoni: I think she went to the bathroom.
Kyra: So none of us can run? We all just have to stand here and wait for her to get back?
Valleros: No worries, time is suspended while she's away.
(time passes)
Merisiel: What'd I miss?
Kyra: I cast Circle of Protection from Evil. Now we gotta run out of this dungeon before it expires.
Merisiel: Is it my turn?
Seoni: Yes.
Merisiel: I run toward the exit. You guys run with me!
Kyra, Valleros, and Seoni simultaneously: We run with Merisiel.
Mystical voice from above (GM): Hahahah, Merisiel ran out of the circle!
Kyra, Valleros, and Seoni simultaneously: No, we all ran at the same time!
Mystical voice from above (GM): You can't. The physics of this world don't work that way. Bwuhahahaha! The demons kill Meriesiel since she ran out of the protective circle. Who's turn is it to run next?
...
I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to work this way. If nothing else, we could say that we don't even have to operate in rounds anymore since the heroes are not attacking and the demons cannot attack, so then we could just exit the turn-based combat and move as narrative.
Or we could just recognize that turn-based movement is a useful tool for tracking multiple separate actions but should be disregarded as a very inadequate tool for tracking multiple simultaneous identical actions, such as a team of allies running in a tight formation.
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Speaker for the Dead, there are two versions of Magic Circle against Evil. Both are listed in the same spell description.
Version 1 is targeted upon a person and is an emanation. Since the target can move, and emanations are based on whatever they are cast upon, then Magic Circle against Evil (version 1) is mobile.
Version 2 is a circle, inscribed in a physical location, used as a trap for a creature being called (conjured).
Version 1 is the first paragraph of the spell.
Version 2 is the second through fifth paragraphs of the spell.Summary: Magic Circle, cast upon an ally, is mobile. There is nothing in the rules or spell description that states it is not and there is evidence (ie: targeted emanation on a creature, not a point in space) that it is mobile.
Magic Circle, used as a trap for a called creature, is not mobile. There are rules in the spell that indicate this.
PridefulOne, nothing about Magic Circle against Evil prevents hoards of Demons, Devils, or any other Evil Outsider from attacking people. It prevents summoned evil creatures from entering the 10' radius emanation around the creature touched.
There are many ways to have Evil Outsiders present without summoning them. Calling, Portals, etc do not involve summoning.
Additionally, many evil outsiders have Spell Resistance and you must beat that to keep a summoned evil outsider at bay (admitedly, not that difficult since summoned evil outsiders are usually lower level).
- Gauss
Edit: One other note, for those of you arguing that there is a circle of silver and thus it should be immobile, there is no circle of silver for Version 1 if cast by a Divine spellcaster. The second version still calls for silver and that *probably* overrides the M/DF part of the material components.
PridefulOne is forgetting this too:
The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or tries to force the barrier against the blocked creature.
As long as the guy on which the spell was cast don't attack a summoned creature the circle will keep them out, but a single creature in front of the group will halt the group movement until it is killed (be vary of those "bleeding to death" creatures on the floor, until they are dead you are still forcing the circle against them).
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"Great magic," whistled Vorador, appreciatively. "What does it do?"
"It will give us a +2 to our armour class," said Drexel. "Assuming these worgs are evil, of course. It also protects us from mind control and improves our saving throws, but that's probably not relevant to this encounter."
"And will that bonus stack with my ring of protection?" said Gamron.
"No," said Drexel. "Now, let's waddle very slowly back to town. At 5 feet per round - that's about one kilometer per hour - we should be there within eight hours or so.
1) There is a thing called ready action: "when (spell target is 20'[or 30'] feet ahead of me I move adjacent to him"
2) and another thing called delay: "I wait." spell target move "I act and get adjacent to him"
Both are resolved before the next guy get to act (unless he has appropriate ready actions)
3) Outside of combat you don't use turn based movement, so it is not a problem.
You have to cast magic circle against evil before casting the spell to call the creature. How will you touch the creature if you haven't called it yet?
You don't have to cast magic circle against evil before casting the spell to call the creature, you just have to cast it within one round and you can do that after you have called the creature.
Rules are rules and the rules are written with words and those words tell us specifically that the area of the spell is a "10-ft.-radius emanation from touched creature".
I just don't see any way around it short of an FAQ.
Lakesidefantasy, I think you have the order incorrect.
This spell has an alternative version that you may choose when casting it. A magic circle against evil can be focused inward rather than outward. When focused inward, the spell binds a nongood called creature (such as those called by the lesser planar binding, planar binding, and greater planar binding spells) for a maximum of 24 hours per caster level, provided that you cast the spell that calls the creature within 1 round of casting the magic circle. The creature cannot cross the circle’s boundaries. If a creature too large to fit into the spell’s area is the subject of the spell, the spell acts as a normal protection from evil spell for that creature only.
The second version of MCaE has a couple major differences from the first version.
1) The duration is 24 hours per level instead of 10 minutes per level.
2) You are casting it on a location where the creature will be conjured instead of a creature directly. The creature must be conjured within one round of completing MCaE.
3) The creature can test the SR of the MCaE trap once per day. This is against the normal rules where the SR is only tested once. (Note: if you successfully drew a diagram there is no SR against the MCaE spell.)
4) The duration of Dimensional Anchor is also altered to match the 24 hours per level duration.
5) You need silver to trace the circle. It can be argued that even Divine Casters are not exempted from this.
The order of casting spells:
Magic Circle against Evil (focused inward)
Planar Binding (or similar spell) to conjure a creature.
Dimensional Anchor
Alternate order of casting:
Spend 10 minutes (or 200 minutes to take 20) and make a diagram
Magic Circle against Evil
Dimensional Anchor
Planar Binding (or similar spell)
Thus, the rules have provided a number of exceptions.
Edit: The section on Binding Outsiders in Ultimate Magic (p101) also states that the first thing is to cast Magic Circle before using Planar Binding.
- Gauss
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I think, for my purposes when I DM this, I will rule that if a character is outside the circle at the end of the caster's turn, they lose the protection from then forward. That would allow turn based tactical play to continue and yet allow the circle to remain somewhat viable as an area protection for a party.
Blast it! I am wrong.
Magic circle against evil seems to be a combination of Protection from evil 10' radius and perhaps cacodemon from 1st and 2nd edition Dungeons and Dragons. Perhaps the Wizards of the Coast team thought protection from evil 10' radius was a dumb name for a spell.
Anyway, the 1st and 2nd edition spells clearly state that the circle of protection moves with you.
