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The magic chapter makes it clear that material components are destroyed during casting. How do spells that require their material components after casting, like sequester thoughts, function when the material component is destroyed during casting?
There are several examples of spells that do this, and more seem to appear with every new book.
Please FAQ if you'd like to know as much as I.
While not covered by RAW it would be safe to assume that the spell components must be present for the entire casting of any spell. Removal or destroying of said component would result in a failed spell attempt reminiscent of a failed concentration check.
So how does that work, when a spell's material components are ALWAYS destroyed during the casting?
Check the magic chapter of the Core Rulebook. The very game's definition of a material component is as follows:
If the gem is annihilated by the spell energies during the casting process, how can the memories be stored into it? The spell specifically says the memories are freed if the gem is ever destroyed, making for VERY short-term memory loss.
I'm thinking that should have been a focus instead of a material component.
I'm thinking that should have been a focus instead of a material component.
Agreed.
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I'm thinking that should have been a focus instead of a material component.No.. foci are reusable. Keeping the item a component adds to the per casting cost as intended.
It doesn't work right, either way.
As a material component, it gets destroyed during the casting, so no memories get stored.
As a focus, it could be used with multiple castings, rather than one gem per casting.
Edit: Probably, it should be a focus, with the proviso:
"As long as a gem has stored memories in it, it cannot be used as the focus for this spell."
The specifics of the spell override the general rules of components.
This.
By now, we all know that the rules of specific abilities, feats, spells, etc., trump the basic rules, which is why their descriptions are so detailed. It happens with all sorts of things; monster entries, for instance. If we start flagging each instance instead of acknowledging what we already know (that exceptions exist in some numbers), well... we're going to end up with several encyclopedias worth of extra categories.
On the focus tip... I can see LazarX is handling it as I type this. Foci are not the same thing, for the reason he mentions. The best way to think of foci is the example of a priest using a holy symbol.
I'm thinking that should have been a focus instead of a material component.No.. foci are reusable. Keeping the item a component adds to the per casting cost as intended.It doesn't work right, either way.
As a material component, it gets destroyed during the casting, so no memories get stored.
As a focus, it could be used with multiple castings, rather than one gem per casting.Edit: Probably, it should be a focus, with the proviso:
"As long as a gem has stored memories in it, it cannot be used as the focus for this spell."
I think you just ignored what he said and inserted a wish list. That's not an argument. That's just you saying what you think would be more convenient.
Usually, when a specific rule trumps a general rule, it is either clearly stated to do such, or is such a clear contradiction as to be obvious. This appears to be neither, and more resembles the work of a writer who didn't know (or perhaps forgot about) the related rules.
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You are assuming you can still use the 500gp gem as a 500gp gem afterwords. The spell makes no mention that the gem receptacle has any worth outside of being a receptacle. Even dispelling the effect shatters the gem.
The 500gp gem is forever gone and you are left with a thematically identical looking memory receptacle
The fact that the spell states that you hang on to the gem after the casting seems like a pretty bloody obvious specific contradiction to the general rule.
You are assuming you can still use the 500gp gem as a 500gp gem afterwords. The spell makes no mention that the gem receptacle has any worth outside of being a receptacle. Even dispelling the effect shatters the gem.
The 500gp gem is forever gone and you are left with a thematically identical looking memory receptacle
It still has worth until it is shattered, so its still worth 500 gp. Also, if it were a focus, it could be used again. It doesn't say that it can't, just that it is destroyed if dispelled. Its kind of inbetween a material component and a focus, so I'm unsure honestly. For the moment, until proven otherwise, I'd rule it as a focus, that can be reused to be able to contain multiple memories until destroyed.
Since when is asking for a clarification of an unclear rules interaction "making a mountain out of a molehill"?
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It still has worth until it is shattered, so its still worth 500 gp. Also, if it were a focus, it could be used again. It doesn't say that it can't, just that it is destroyed if dispelled. Its kind of inbetween a material component and a focus, so I'm unsure honestly. For the moment, until proven otherwise, I'd rule it as a focus, that can be reused to be able to contain multiple memories until destroyed.
It does not say that in the spells description. You cannot make that assumption.
1) The 500gp gem is a material component.2) Material components are destroyed in casting.
3) You end up with a gem that acts as a memory receptacle.
The spell requires you to spend 500gp on a gem for each casting. Therefore the only way to satisfy all three requirements is to say that the original gem is destroyed in the casting and is replaced by an identical gem with no worth other than as a memory receptacle.
Since when is asking for a clarification of an unclear rule "making a mountain out of a molehill?"
Because it's perfectly clear.
The spell very clearly and unambiguously indicates that it is an exception to the 'materials are destroyed' rule by blatantly stating it continues to exist.