This spell allows you to channel holy power into your sword, or any other melee weapon you choose. The weapon acts as a +5 holy weapon (+5 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls, extra 2d6 damage against evil opponents). It also emits a magic circle against evil effect (as the spell). If the magic circle ends, the sword creates a new one on your turn as a free action. The spell is automatically canceled 1 round after the weapon leaves your hand. You cannot have more than one holy sword at a time.
We recently had a game grind to a halt due to a disagreement over the running of this spell. We have a paladin fighting waves of summoned creatures, so the "magic circle against evil" effect came into play.
The confusion was over the free casting of magic circle against evil. Does it come at the start of the next round? The end of the current round? Between every attack?
Unless it comes at the start of the next round, the paladin can pretty much fight summoned creatures with impunity as the protection contstantly comes back into play with very little gap.
Has this been clarified anywhere? Has anyone else had this problem and what was the solution?
Thank you in advance.
Yes, it's a very good affect against summoned evil creatures.
The solution is to not use summoned evil creatures.
Looking at both magic circle against evil and protection from evil. Neither spell states that the spell goes away if you attack a summoned creature. It just states
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.
It's also worth noting that magic circle against evil is not dismissable.
So, by RAW holy sword would prevent evil summoned creatures from entering the area warded by the magic circle against evil. However, if you were to approach and/or attack one of those summoned creatures the spell doesn't go away, just the summoned monsters are now able to attack you.
holy sword only renews the circle if the circle goes away. Since the circle is not dismissable the only way to make it go away is with a dispel magic targeting the magic circle against evil effect. If you did this, the holy sword spell would re-instate the magic circle spell and since it's a new casting summoned creatures can't attack you until you force the barrier against them or attack them.
Thanks for the great responses.
LordKailas, the way I read that the protection from Magic Circle only ends for the summoned creature that is attacked, not all creatures.
So the paladin attacks one creature, and that creature can attack back. Assuming it didn't get obliterated by the paladin in one go.
LordKailas, the way I read that the protection from Magic Circle only ends for the summoned creature that is attacked, not all creatures.
So the paladin attacks one creature, and that creature can attack back. Assuming it didn't get obliterated by the paladin in one go.
I agree the wording is kind of weird. The first half of the sentence is plural.
The protection against contact by summoned creatures ends
But then the last part is suddenly talking about a specific creature.
the blocked creature.
When things are ambiguous I find its best to assume the least advantageous interpretation, unless you can find support for otherwise. Your interpretation is absolutely a possibility as I don't know which was intended.
The first plural is about the class of things you're protected from "summoned creatures" the second part clarifies under what conditions something happens.
But I agree its not super clear. Both rulings are reasonable.