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If all the character was doing was sustaining a cantrip every round and moving, it should not be fatiguing.
The Repeat a Spell action, defined on page 480, can be used to sustain. If you look at the sidebar on page 498, it suggests actions which involve 10 actions per minute (i.e. sustain once per round), is non-fatiguing. A quicker pace, (i.e. 2 actions per round), might have limited use or cause fatigue.
So if they're casting Dancing lights (2 actions) once every 10 minutes, then using sustain a spell once a round (10 actions per minute) for 10 minutes, it shouldn't be fatiguing, as that averages really close to 10 actions per minute.
It is the same reason using Repeat a Spell for the Shield spell (1 action cast), shouldn't be fatiguing either when used for more than 10 minutes.
Huh, thanks for bringing the sidebar to my attention. I didn't take the sidebar into account and focsed on the part in the Sustain a Spell action, that stated sustaining a Spell for more than 10 minutes ends the Spell and makes you fatigued.
That's basically just to prevent you from doing things like using a single Spell Slot to keep the same Flaming Sphere around for an entire day's worth of encounters. Releasing the spell after 9 minutes and then casting it again is fine.
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The Sustain a Spell is more specific, so yes, you're fatigued after 10 minutes. And yes, your player's right in that a Cantrip can be used indefinitely with a short pause just shy of 10 minutes. I do understand the silliness of such and as GM would likely request a PC pause to catch one's breath. Not a 10-minute break since that's more suitable for a few hours of labor, and these are protagonists in a high fantasy.
Huh, thanks for bringing the sidebar to my attention. I didn't take the sidebar into account and focsed on the part in the Sustain a Spell action, that stated sustaining a Spell for more than 10 minutes ends the Spell and makes you fatigued.
Yeah, sustain would be fatiguing as you're doing 2 actions [sustain and stride a round], IE "An activity using a quicker pace, corresponding to roughly 20 actions per minute". You can't use "an alternation of actions" as stopping sustain drops the spell. Dropping the sustain for a round wouldn't matter as it'll still result in more actions per round [20 actions per min] than non-fatiguing activities [10 actions per min]. So no fatigue from sustain but from the amount of actions.
PS: 20/min is from 1 round casting the spell [2 actions] and 19 rounds of [1 action sustain and 1 action stride] for 20 actions per min.
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Interesting, I hadn't realized that the "nine minute shuffle" for cantrips was a thing. But since the strongest things you seem to be able to do with it are repeat Dancing Lights (instead of resorting to Light) or keep up a Shield cantrip (as opposed to using Defend with a real shield), that doesn't seem problematic.
Since Detect Magic was changed on how it works, it doesn't create the same problems it used to, though it still does to an extent.
In any event, Detect Magic is still "disruptive" but less so than it used to be.
That's basically just to prevent you from doing things like using a single Spell Slot to keep the same Flaming Sphere around for an entire day's worth of encounters. Releasing the spell after 9 minutes and then casting it again is fine.
You couldn't do that anyway.
Flaming Sphere Spell 2
Duration sustained up to 1 minute
That's basically just to prevent you from doing things like using a single Spell Slot to keep the same Flaming Sphere around for an entire day's worth of encounters. Releasing the spell after 9 minutes and then casting it again is fine.You couldn't do that anyway.
Flaming Sphere Spell 2
Duration sustained up to 1 minute
Ok, yes that's true for that particular Spell. I didn't look it up, it was just the first Sustain Spell that jumped into my head. The overall point I was making is still valid.
Ok, yes that's true for that particular Spell. I didn't look it up, it was just the first Sustain Spell that jumped into my head. The overall point I was making is still valid.That's basically just to prevent you from doing things like using a single Spell Slot to keep the same Flaming Sphere around for an entire day's worth of encounters. Releasing the spell after 9 minutes and then casting it again is fine.You couldn't do that anyway.
Flaming Sphere Spell 2
Duration sustained up to 1 minute
On a sidenote: Can you be more than fatigued?
Else it may indeed be worthwhile sustaining a critical spell for half a day if the overall penalty is "only" -1 to your defenses and no explo activity.
Ok, yes that's true for that particular Spell. I didn't look it up, it was just the first Sustain Spell that jumped into my head. The overall point I was making is still valid.
Virtually all sustained spells are "sustained up to a minute."
I'd say "actually all, except for probably cantrips" but I don't feel like actually verifying that.
Ok, yes that's true for that particular Spell. I didn't look it up, it was just the first Sustain Spell that jumped into my head. The overall point I was making is still valid.Virtually all sustained spells are "sustained up to a minute."
I'd say "actually all, except for probably cantrips" but I don't feel like actually verifying that.
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EnthrallHideous Laughter
Illusory Creature
Locate
Maze
Prying Eye
Retrocognition
All of the above are non-Cantrip Spells that can be Sustained indefinitely. But by all means, let's keep arguing about this inane point, even though the original question has been answered, and my original statement is still valid, despite choosing a poor example.
For what its worth, most of those I don't think should have a "sustained" duration anyway. More of a "duration: until dismissed" kind of deal.
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Ok, yes that's true for that particular Spell. I didn't look it up, it was just the first Sustain Spell that jumped into my head. The overall point I was making is still valid.That's basically just to prevent you from doing things like using a single Spell Slot to keep the same Flaming Sphere around for an entire day's worth of encounters. Releasing the spell after 9 minutes and then casting it again is fine.You couldn't do that anyway.
Flaming Sphere Spell 2
Duration sustained up to 1 minuteOn a sidenote: Can you be more than fatigued?
Else it may indeed be worthwhile sustaining a critical spell for half a day if the overall penalty is "only" -1 to your defenses and no explo activity.
The "no exploration activity" is the real killer here, because it in essence means you can only manage to maintain the Concentration at most 10 minutes, as maintaining it outside of combat is itself an Exploration Activity.