So I have a few questions about this spell, Prismatic Sphere.
First, say I have a prismatic Sphere and I cast it around myself. It's Kosher that I am okay to walk in and out. Does this immunity to the damage of the spell extend to my familiar who's on my shoulder? I assume he has a chance, do to Share Spells. What of my Fighter buddy who started his turn next to me? Can he leave the sphere just fine?
Say it doesn't give them the option of leaving, as I suspect, are they at least safe in my sphere? Or did I accidentally kill my trusty familiar/fighter as all are subject to the saves?
Also what happens if am being attacked or move up to an adjacent foe? If I cast it and the fellow is inside the range of the sphere? Could I effectively trap someone inside the sphere and then move away?
As Lifat said, by RAW your familiar would be affected if he passed through the Prismatic Sphere. However, if he was safe and tucked away, very few DM's would make him suffer any effects. Unless, of course, you play he familiar as more of a cohort and he is always getting into the mix.
I invoke the R2-D2 rule here - Whenever the little droid is not really doing anything the laser blasts go right by him, whenever he tries to get involved and "pick a lot" etc., he gets blasted. So it depends on what your familiar is doing. Does he just sit there and act as a great role-play tool or does he constantly deliver touch spells and get involved?
Share spells only means that he can become the target of the spell instead of you (I liked 3e and 3.5 version better where you both received the effect of the spell).
Your fighter buddy will most assuredly take the effects if he passes through the sphere.
You could "trap" a foe in the sphere but a Dimension Door or Teleport would get them out really quick or they could suck it up and just move through it.
Largely that's how I was planning to rule it, thanks.
Just to note: Prismatic Sphere is not a "bubble", or a "shell". It is a sphere.
A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. Spheres may be bursts, emanations, or spreads.
Prismatic Sphere does not define whether it is a burst, emanation, or spread, but the effect still fills the spherical area. If the fighter buddy is inside the area covered by the sphere at the time of casting, he gets hit by it.
Prismatic Sphere is one of the most dangerous offensive spells in the game.
I don't think that's actually true, Chemlak - look at the spell Resilient Sphere. It uses the exact same wording as Prismatic Sphere, and I think we can all agree that Resilient Sphere does not create a solid sphere. :)
I don't think that's actually true, Chemlak - look at the spell Resilient Sphere. It uses the exact same wording as Prismatic Sphere, and I think we can all agree that Resilient Sphere does not create a solid sphere. :)
I had cause a while ago to do an in-depth study of Prismatic Sphere and other spells that create a shell, because I noticed that I was applying my 2E knowledge to the spell's effect.
Resilient Sphere clearly uses terms such as "around" and "enclose" that are lacking in Prismatic Sphere (though it does include the ambiguous term "surrounds" which can be argued as space-filling or not), and because of the effect of Globe of Invulnerability we cannot assume that the term "globe" is used in the rules to mean "a spherical surface, but not the enclosed space".
While I agree that Prismatic Sphere (in 2E) was a shell, and that it is probably meant to work that way in PF, other than the (ambiguous) word "surrounds" in the spell description, there is no indication that it is anything other than the clearly-defined sphere, which is space-filling. Which sways the ambiguity in "surrounds" in favour of a space-filling effect.
CWheezy's point about it failing if there's a creature or object in the way is well taken, however, and severely limits the offensive utility of the spell.
Speaking for myself, I strongly believe that it's meant to be a shell, not space-filling, however the wording of the spell does not strongly support that stance.
Just to note: Prismatic Sphere is not a "bubble", or a "shell". It is a sphere.
A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. Spheres may be bursts, emanations, or spreads.Prismatic Sphere does not define whether it is a burst, emanation, or spread, but the effect still fills the spherical area. If the fighter buddy is inside the area covered by the sphere at the time of casting, he gets hit by it.
Prismatic Sphere is one of the most dangerous offensive spells in the game.
Well no it wouldn't... it's not an instant effect - having all the features of prismatic wall that aren't replaced - it lasts for 10 mins a level.
One trick that I like (and took from a Greyhawk adventure) is to have a lower level (7-9) party encounter a sphere made permanent that is hiding something the wizard wanted to protect ages ago and left forgotten.
Considering the 'average' of the world such effects are unlikely to be overcome until your meddlesome party finds them and decides to deal with them :)
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I don't think that's actually true, Chemlak - look at the spell Resilient Sphere. It uses the exact same wording as Prismatic Sphere, and I think we can all agree that Resilient Sphere does not create a solid sphere. :)I had cause a while ago to do an in-depth study of Prismatic Sphere and other spells that create a shell, because I noticed that I was applying my 2E knowledge to the spell's effect.
Resilient Sphere clearly uses terms such as "around" and "enclose" that are lacking in Prismatic Sphere (though it does include the ambiguous term "surrounds" which can be argued as space-filling or not), and because of the effect of Globe of Invulnerability we cannot assume that the term "globe" is used in the rules to mean "a spherical surface, but not the enclosed space".
While I agree that Prismatic Sphere (in 2E) was a shell, and that it is probably meant to work that way in PF, other than the (ambiguous) word "surrounds" in the spell description, there is no indication that it is anything other than the clearly-defined sphere, which is space-filling. Which sways the ambiguity in "surrounds" in favour of a space-filling effect.
CWheezy's point about it failing if there's a creature or object in the way is well taken, however, and severely limits the offensive utility of the spell.
Speaking for myself, I strongly believe that it's meant to be a shell, not space-filling, however the wording of the spell does not strongly support that stance.
PRD says:
A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area
Prismatic Sphere says:
Effect 10-ft.-radius sphere centered on you
So it fills the area as per RAW and it can't be used outside of 'on you'. Any other options would be houserules no?
That frankly is a very scary thought should it expand outward from its point of origin, considering enemies(and allies) would save as you activate against all layers.... then have to pass back out making new saves.
I think that's pretty cool, but CWheezy pointed out, the schools rules about spells failing if you press a foe against such a spell would cause it to fail. Should it actually expand, the spell would collapse the sphere by raw if any living thing was within 10 ft. Including familiars, allies, and enemies. Arguably anything that would have to save.
As such, I think I shall rule it just as a shell for now. Seems simpler and cooler.
Wauw. Some insightful posts.
So I guess the RAW is:
If anyone, including your own familiar, is within 10 ft. of you at time of casting the spell will simply fail. As soon as the spell is in effect, anyone passing through the area (except for yourself) is subjected to all the layers.I would probably houserule that the familiar doesn't count as someone that needs to do a save, and thus it could be within 10 ft. at time of casting without the spell failing. I would not allow (other) allies to avoid the effect, unless of course they had some kind of protection on them, but the spell would still fail if they are too close at time of casting.
Yeah I personally wouldn't make the wizards familiar disrupt the spell or require a save - but if they sent it out on it's own I wouldn't let it enter again I think.
Sphere and Wall aren't really meant to be offensive in nature - you always have prismatic spray if you want it to be offensive.
Although the idea of making a wall/sphere and using bull rush/reposition/etc to move enemies into the effect is valid - of course they can try to do it to the players to....