There are several abilities in the game that only trigger when you cast a spell by expending a spell slot. Traditionally, casting a spell from a staff does NOT meet that criteria, as you are using charges and not spell slots.
However, is that still true if I'm a spontaneous caster who uses 1 charge from the staff and then expends a spell slot to cast a spell from the staff? Could I do that to trigger abilities that require you to expend a spell slot? After all, I've expended the slot to cast the spell and am still using the Cast a Spell action.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
There are several abilities in the game that only trigger when you cast a spell by expending a spell slot. Traditionally, casting a spell from a staff does NOT meet that criteria, as you are using charges and not spell slots.
However, is that still true if I'm a spontaneous caster who uses 1 charge from the staff and then expends a spell slot to cast a spell from the staff? Could I do that to trigger abilities that require you to expend a spell slot? After all, I've expended the slot to cast the spell and am still using the Cast a Spell action.
Each day, you can cast up to three 1st-level spells. You must know spells to cast them, and you learn them via the spell repertoire class feature. The number of spells you can cast each day is called your spell slots.
As you increase in level as a sorcerer, your number of spells per day increases, as does the highest level of spells you can cast, as shown on Table 3–17: Sorcerer Spells per Day.
I would say that technically, yes, it would qualify, but I can see an argument against it since the intent is most likely that it's a spell you know, not a spell from a Staff, Wand, or Scroll.
I would argue no, because you aren't expending the spell slot to cast the spell directly. You are expending the spell slot to reduce the cost of casting the spell from the staff. The staff is still what is casting the spell.
When a spontaneous spellcaster Activates a staff, they can expend 1 charge from the staff and one of their spell slots to cast a spell from the staff
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I see the bait RD, it's a nice hook and the line trailing off above the surface of the water here.
What abilities SPECIFICALLY are you talking about? The "expend a spell slot" appears in print a fair number of times and I wonder what kind of synergy you're actually looking at, I cannot help be feel like you have something particular in mind...
The staff is still what is casting the spell.
Staffs don't cast spells. Casters do. ;)
You could sit a staff alone in a dusty corner for a thousand years, and it will never cast a single spell.
I see the bait RD, it's a nice hook and the line trailing off above the surface of the water here.
What abilities SPECIFICALLY are you talking about? The "expend a spell slot" appears in print a fair number of times and I wonder what kind of synergy you're actually looking at, I cannot help be feel like you have something particular in mind...
Sincerely, I was not thinking of any particular ability when I asked this question and, since it was late at the time, I was too tired to look up specific examples.
If I come across them again though, I'll be sure to post them here as examples.
An Elemental Sorcerer's Blood Magic benefit?
That's one example, though a bit of a moot point as sorcerers always have access to their Blood Magic spells and so wouldn't need the staff.
Another example might be metamagic feats.
I would argue no, because you aren't expending the spell slot to cast the spell directly. You are expending the spell slot to reduce the cost of casting the spell from the staff. The staff is still what is casting the spell.
When a spontaneous spellcaster Activates a staff, they can expend 1 charge from the staff and one of their spell slots to cast a spell from the staff
I think this is the rule I would be looking for as a means to disable it, since even using that option, the rules deem it to not be from a spell slot, even if you are using a spell slot to fuel the spell's power.
When used in this way, the rules say the spell is cast from the staff, not your own slots, so no good there.
The staff is still what is casting the spell.Staffs don't cast spells. Casters do. ;)
You could sit a staff alone in a dusty corner for a thousand years, and it will never cast a single spell.
By the same logic, my car doesn't drive down the road, airplanes don't fly through the air, boats don't sail, hammers don't drive nails, saws don't cut things...
Some of those you could say that I am still the one doing most of the work.
But others it is clear that the item is doing the heavy lifting.
I see the staff as one of those where the staff is doing most, if not all, of the actual work.
So no, just because you spend a spell slot and a spell eventually gets cast, that doesn't mean that 'you cast the spell from your spell slot'.