Does "Symbol of Healing" last between sessions?

[Elyalyn]

After the 10 minute casting time, the symbol appears immediately, and is permanent until triggered. It is also a spell that heals damage. Does this qualify it to be a spell effect that lasts between sessions in PFS since these were some of the limitations put in place?

Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide wrote:

Spells and effects with permanent or instantaneous duration that heal damage, repair damage, or remove harmful conditions remain in effect at the end of the scenario.

[BigNorseWolf]

No. There are very few things you're allowed to carry over and this isn't one of them.

[Elyalyn]

But the specific list refers to spells that don't qualify under the section I quoted.

[BigNorseWolf]

Its permanent. You need instantaneous.

[Elyalyn]

But it specifically says "permanent or instantaneous".

[Add Wait]

The list of spells that can continue over to another scenario is:continual flame, masterwork transformation, secret chest, and secret page. Although some GMs might write that you cast symbol of healing on your chronicle and the next GM might allow for it to be used. Expect table variation there. I get what you mean by it fitting the criteria of being permanent and healing damage, but the phrasing is more intended for things such as mending and remove disease.

[Edited after a rereading of the original post]

[Nefreet]

Elyalyn wrote:

After the 10 minute casting time, the symbol appears immediately, and is permanent until triggered. It is also a spell that heals damage. Does this qualify it to be a spell effect that lasts between sessions in PFS since these were some of the limitations put in place?

Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild Guide wrote:

Spells and effects with permanent or instantaneous duration that heal damage, repair damage, or remove harmful conditions remain in effect at the end of the scenario.

A bit of context is required here.

People can be extremely pedantic when it comes to interpreting text.

An argument was made at one point that no character with damage above and beyond their HP+Con totals could survive a PFS scenario, since the healing magic they received didn't "carry over" to the next scenario.

Same with ability damage, drain, and negative levels.

The text you quoted is referring to healing done in game. Not Symbol of Healing itself.

[Chris Mortika]

Put another way, a duration of "permanent until triggered" isn't a duration of "permanent."

[Elyalyn]

Chris Mortika wrote:

Put another way, a duration of "permanent until triggered" isn't a duration of "permanent."

Ah, but that is referring to the symbol itself. The spell is instantaneous for creating the symbol. It would depend on if you consider the spell to be simply conjuring a symbol, which is an intangible item inscribed onto some surface, sort of like a scroll tattoo (it is a conjuration spell). It had previously been mentioned that items created by spells can be kept.

[Jessex]

let's try this in a very simple manner.

Permanent is not equal to permanent until triggered therefore symbol of healing goes away at the end of the adventure in which it is cast. Only spells with a duration of "permanent" carry over between scenarios.

[kinevon]

Symbol of Healing

I don't see anything in that spell description, nor that for Symbol of Death, as referenced by the Symbol of Healing, that references any true duration. it does say that they can be made permanent by the permanency spell, but that spell is forbidden in PFS.

Duration: see text
Text: Nothing about duration, other than 10 minutes per level when triggered. And the reference to the permanency spell.

So, first, how do you get to "permanent until triggered"?
And, second, what benefit can it be used for? Either it is on something like a shield, and activates when your new allies for the new adventure first see it; or it is on some immobile surface, where it is not useful unless you have another adventure in the same location.

[Elyalyn]

kinevon wrote:

So, first, how do you get to "permanent until triggered"?

And, second, what benefit can it be used for? Either it is on something like a shield, and activates when your new allies for the new adventure first see it; or it is on some immobile surface, where it is not useful unless you have another adventure in the same location.

I just meant that the symbol itself doesn't dissipate like a spell with a duration would, though you are correct that that portion of the spell could be instantaneous (conjuring a symbol), since the spell itself couldn't be permanent (since the effect disappears after activation, and can have permanency cast on it).

Secondly, you can set more specific triggering circumstances, such as presence of undead, number of unconscious non-evil creatures (hopefully allies), as it says you can make the triggering circumstances as elaborate as you wish (and oh boy, would I make them elaborate).

[kinevon]

So, how does the Symbol determine that the unconscious (nominally living) creatures aren't evil? Does it get the ability to cast detect evil? And what about a bunch of low-level mooks, who aren't yet high enough level to detect as anything at all?

[Elyalyn]

kinevon wrote:

So, how does the Symbol determine that the unconscious (nominally living) creatures aren't evil? Does it get the ability to cast detect evil? And what about a bunch of low-level mooks, who aren't yet high enough level to detect as anything at all?

Symbol of Death/Healing wrote:

You can also set special triggering limitations of your own. These can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Special conditions for triggering a symbol of death can be based on a creature's name, identity, or alignment, but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities.