Suppress, or "voluntarily lower" a Spell Effect

[Kchaka]

Can one voluntarily lower an ongoing spell effect like Mage Armor, Barkskin, Enlarge Person or Shield for a period of time?

I know you can do so with spell resistance, be it from a spell or naturally, as an standard action.

If by RAW you can't, do you think it would be ok to be able to do so? I find it silly that some spells last for hours and yet we can't suppress their effects for a short period of time if we need, forcing us to dispell them entirelly.

[wraithstrike]

No. The spell is either on or off.

SR does not allow you to suppress a spell that is in place on you. SR allows you to turn SR off so that you can accept a spell.

Magic even in popular media is normally an on or off affect.

As a GM I would not allow it, but for the sake of argument, if I did the duration of the spell would keep going. That way a person can't cast a round/level spell, and then suppress it until the BBEG fight comes up, and suddenly be buffed up.

The way the spells are used as resources are part of the reason they are on or off. Resource management is a part of the game, and it was intended to be that way.

[Kchaka]

I agree that, in a game where suppression is possible, the duration of the spell would "keep going" even when suppressed, so you can't make a 1 min per level spell last all day by turning it on and off.

My problem is just the opposite, it's finding a way to not dismiss a long duration spell when I just intend to turn it off for a short while, like going to an tavern or suppressing enlarge person so you can squeeze through a passage. I end up being forced to select some spells as magic items that can be taken on and off or to walk around with a source of antimagic shell.

I also imagine that turning them on again would be an standard action, or at least an swift action if the spell was cast as swift in the first place.

[wraithstrike]

I understand but forcing you to make difficult choices is part of resource management. Do you squeeze through and reduce your AC by 4 or drop the spell? That is the intentional dilemma.

[Ganryu]

On this subject: Is a caster allowed to cancel a spell with some given duration? For example Shadow Projection? (it has a 1h per caster level duration)

[Elicoor]

If there's a (D) in the Duration line of a spell, it means the spell is Dismissable. In other words, you can decide to put an end to this spell, but it costs a standard action to do so.

If there's not... deal with it. (It was fun in 3.5 with the Flame Wings spell, which was not dismissable.)

[Damanta]

Is the spell marked dismissable, if yes, then yes, if no, then no.

The spell you are referring to has: Duration 1 hour/level (D), so it can be dismissed as a standard action.

Edit: darn, ninja'd by 5 seconds.