|
I recently found out about the nail of blood and I can't shake the feeling I'm missing something in the fatigue mechanic. It say's . . .
Once the nail is in place, its wielder can cast within a magic dead zone up to one spell of each spell level she knows or has prepared and could normally cast. If she wishes to cast additional spells in the magic dead zone, she can do so up to her normal limit, but each additional spell she thus casts causes her to become fatigued and requires a successful concentration check (DC = 15 + the spell’s level) or the spell fizzles. If the nail of blood would cause the wielder to be fatigued when she already has the fatigued condition, she becomes exhausted. She can’t use the nail of blood to cast additional spells while she is exhausted, no matter what effect caused her exhausted condition.
No matter how I look at it this is essentially saying you can cast one spell of each level and then TWO more spells the first one making you fatigued and the second exhausted. However the way its written makes it seem like the fatigue and exhuastion should be tied to the check. That is if you pass the check you cast as normal, if you fail you lose the spell and move to fatigued then exhausted.
Am I right in my belief this item is only two extra spells or am I missing something?
No it's saying that you will. Received the fatigue and the exhausted condition if you fail the concentration check every time you cast a spell besides the 1 he give you (in other words your normal limit of spell per day) when used in dead magic zone. Also long you pass this check for every spell you act normally as you are not in a dead magic zone
In addition to that the item don't say that it will stop it function if you are inmunes to such effects so if you got an item or ability that prevents you from such effects you don't have to worries about doing the concentration check
The way I read it is that when you cast additional spells beyond what is allowed you become fatigued or exhausted and have to make a concentration check to avoid losing the spell.
As to the item or ability preventing the fatigued or exhausted condition keep in mind you are in a dead magic zone so chances are they will not work. Unless the item or ability is not magical in nature the dead magic zone will prevent it from working.
|
|
That's how I read it too, the wording is just very weird specifically this part "If she wishes to cast additional spells in the magic dead zone, she can do so up to her normal limit, but each additional spell she thus casts" as it implies multiple spells up to your limit after the one a level but you can only do two extra spells maximum. The first one causes you to become fatigued and the second exhausted at which point you can't cast any more spells.
That is because you may not have more spells available. Take a 3rd level wizard with an INT of12; they can only cast 1 2nd level spell. Without that wording people would argue that the nail allows you to cast 2 additional 2nd level spells even though you only have a single 1st level spell slot. What it does is limit you to the worse of two extra spells or your normal spells limit.
|
That's how I read it too, the wording is just very weird specifically this part "If she wishes to cast additional spells in the magic dead zone, she can do so up to her normal limit, but each additional spell she thus casts" as it implies multiple spells up to your limit after the one a level but you can only do two extra spells maximum. The first one causes you to become fatigued and the second exhausted at which point you can't cast any more spells.
Unless you have some way to remove/ignore fatigue.
Heart of the Fields Human alternate racial trait comes to mind. Or you could be an oracle who used the nail to cast a 3rd level spell, then another 3rd-level (becoming fatigued) then the 2nd-level spell lesser restoration.
There's a bunch of different ways this could occur. The way it's worded allows those edge cases to play themselves out without having an argument about what the author "intended."
|
Note that fatigue and exhaustion can be recovered by rest, so it is possible to reach the limit, cast a further spell, become fatigued, rest for 8 hours, and cast again, becoming fatigued again. The same thing for exhaustion, but you only need 1 hour of rest to recover to fatigued.
- * - * -
Opinions, not RAW (RAW is too scant!):
What I don't see in the item description is what happens if a person stays multiple days in a dead magic zone (let's say a dead magic plane). The spell limit is reset every day? When the caster recovers spells (assuming it is possible)? When the person using the nail leave the dead magic zone?
Same thing for what means "the nail allows a spellcaster to cast spells within a magic dead zone". The only rule I have found (I haven't read People of the Wastes, so I may be missing something) is that a dead magic zone works like an Antimagic Field. But, in an AM-Field, magic cast from outside fizzles as soon as it enters the area. What happens if our wizard with the nail casts a fireball? Does it work and burn the target? Or does it fizzle as soon as it leaves the caster hands?
I think it is an item that requires a lot of GM input a decisions on how it works.
For the listed price I would have it function for personal spells, immediate spells with a range of touch, and magic that emanates from the caster (i.e., as long as the magic is still linked to the person using the nail). Other magic will be subject to the normal AM Field rules for spell cast from outside its area of influence.
In my opinion, something that allows to cast spells at range in a dead magic zone should have the power level of a lesser artifact, not that of a relatively cheap magic item.
YMMV
Deigo Rossi has a good point. RAW the Nail allows the user to cast spells in a dead magic zone; it does not state the spell works in the dead magic zone.
An antimagic field suppresses any spell or magical effect used within, brought into, or cast into the area, but does not dispel it. Time spent within an antimagic field counts against the suppressed spell's duration.
Summoned creatures of any type of wink out if they enter an antimagic field. They reappear in the same spot once the field goes away. Time spent winked out counts normally against the duration of the conjuration that is maintaining the creature. If you cast antimagic field in an area occupied by a summoned creature that has spell resistance, you must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against the creature's spell resistance to make it wink out. (The effects of instantaneous conjurations are not affected by an antimagic field because the conjuration itself is no longer in effect, only its result.)
Looking at the description of Anitmagic Field it does not cause spells to end; it simply suppresses the effects of the magic. Once the Anitmagic Field ends the magic effects of the magic continue. RAW it seems that the Nail would allow the spell to be cast, but the spell would not function while in the dead magic zone. If the target leaves the dead magic zone the spell will have its normal effect if there is any duration remaining.
This item is incredibly poorly written, and it is going to be up to the GM to decide how it works. Personally, I would simply not allow it in a campaign I run.
The problem is that it also does not stare that the spell once cast is not subject to the dead magic zone.
If the Nail works that way it would allow the caster to cast spell that take affect after the target leaves the dead magic zone or the dead magic zone ends. For example a wizard could summon a creature in an antimagic field and when the field ends the creature appears. Or the caster could cast a bunch of spells to buff the party which would become active when they step out.
I can also see that the spell does ignore the dead magic zone and function normally, but the description does not say, so either option is equally valid.
That is why I said the item is poorly written. How this item works is going to be up to the GM. There is no clear RAW function of the Nail except it allows a spell to be cast. I would treat this item the same as a homebrew or third-party item, and not allow it.
|
|
The problem, as I see it, is that the item description doesn't hint at how things should be resolved when there are weird interactions.
Let's make an example:
The wizard with the nail of blood is an enchanter. He cast Dominate monster on some big beast and bring it into the dead magic area. The magic is suppressed and the beast attacks him. Our enchanter cast Dominate monster again. As it is in a dead magic the nail effect allows him to cast the spell and the monster is dominated again. It can even leave the dead magic area and enter another and, apparently, the spell will not be affected.
Why the spells are different?
It is not possible to use the power of the nail outside a dead magic area?
It is correct that entering a different magic area will not affect the spell?
It is possible to cast a fireball from within a dead magic area and affect something outside, but it is not possible to use the nail to cast a fireball from outside and affect something in it?
There is the problem of game balance, too. A dead magic area works like Antimagic Fields, so all magic items, SU abilities, and cast spells stop functioning. A Wizard with Fly and Dominate Monster will have a 95% chance of dominating the martial in the group and have him slay his friends, with practically no risk for himself.
This is the kind of things that could and will happen at the game table, so the GM needs to decide what will happen in advance, or he will have to stall the game to evaluate the interactions.
|
|
Its the same issue in another thread where we were discussing if a dead magic zones rule about not being able to planeshift into them is because they block it or because there's no magic there and whether a nail would allow it.
Extend that to any dead magic zone if you cast a spell into it then it ends or does it happen as per normal e.g. fireball does it just vaporize in a dead magic zone in the mana wastes like an anti-magic zone if you stand outside and cast inside. Are the terms interchangeable or should they function differently. Dead magic being no magic available but outside sources can be brought in while anti-magic actively blocks and prevents other magic. Anti-magic stops most magic but wall of force isn't affected by it and aroden's spellbane can counter both of them. So could you cast wall of force normally in a dead magic plane? This comes back to my point about them being different anti-magic can negate most magic but not all, dead magic prevents any non-powered magic use?
I know how I'd rule it in my games given I've had my question answered but the rules on dead magic in general could use some expansion.
I don’t know about the Man Waste, but the Game Mastery Guide states that the dead magic planar trait functions in all respects like the spell Antimagic Field. But it makes an exception for permanent planar portals which function normally.
Does anyone have any information on the dead magic zones functioning differently than a dead magic plane or the spell Antimagic Field? The rules for dead magic planes seem pretty clear no magic except a permanent planar portal works. Until the Nail of Blood the only exception to that was a deity, which is the exception to every rule. The Nail should have clarified how it works, since it is the only thing in question.