Hello, I have a question about condensed mana item.
The result affects all creatures within the emanation indiscriminately. For the purpose of determining the effects of the surge, use a spell level of 4 and a DC of 23. The person Striking with this vial is considered to be the caster for the purposes of determining effects on the Mana Surge table. The emanation is centered on the target's space, and both the caster and the target of the wellspring surge are the target of the condensed mana. On a failed Strike, the surge only has an effect if it would normally affect an area; if you roll an effect that depends on a caster or a target, nothing happens.
What is the size of the emanation ? (center=target, radius=distance between the target and the striker ?)
It's dangerous for the striker also, no ?
Thanks for your future answer.
The size of the emanation (if there is an emanation) is listed in the specific result rolled on the Wellspring Surge Table.
Depending on the result, it can absolutely be dangerous to the Strike.
I am a bit confused on the rule that the caster (Striker) and the target of the Wellspring Surge (also the target of the Strike) are both of them the target of the Condensed Mana (the item).
I'm not quite sure how being a target of the bottle relates to being the target of the Wellspring Surge effect.
One way to run it is that it effectively treats the Wellspring Surge effect as though the Striker is the caster and is forcing the Strike target to roll on the table and cause the effect. But that also means that the Striker being another target of the bottle of Condensed Mana is a bit superfluous - it doesn't really mean anything.
Another way to run it is that for targeted effects, both the Striker and the target of the Strike end up getting their own instance of the same effect. Any emanations would still only be centered on the Struck target though.
Some specific examples:
#6 Sudden Gale: The emanation is 40 feet and is centered on the Struck target. All creatures in the area (including the Struck target) are affected.
#12 Verdant Clutch: The emanation is 20 feet and is centered on the Struck target. All creatures in the area are affected.
#15 Life Sap: The Struck target (and depending on the ruling, also the person throwing the Condensed Mana) are affected. The distance between the thrower and the Struck target is irrelevant.
if it's an area effect, it only affects the area where you threw it
Yeah.
if it's something affecting the caster, it affects the thrower
Kinda agreed. The thrower is the caster for purposes of rolling on the table. The item is the caster for purposes of setting the spellcasting bonus and DC. And it is not entirely clear which of them is the caster for purposes of being "you" in the surge effects that target the caster.
It doesn't really make sense to throw Condensed Mana at an enemy and then roll #4: Magical Nemesis and have the summoned monster attack the thrower.
if it's something affecting a target, both the target and the thrower are affected by it
That's the problem. As far as I can tell, there are none that fit this category.
The Wellspring Surges are all written with the expectation that the caster is the source and target of the surge. The Wellspring Magic rules mention that if you do something to force a foe to generate a surge (such as using Interfering Surge from Wellspring Mage Archetype), then they are the source and target instead of you.
I skimmed through all 20 of the surges. Unless I missed one, all of them either target an area (an emanation, or an emanation equivalent of burst or 'everyone in x feet'), or they target "you".
That is why I feel like it is at least RAI to consider throwing a bottle of Condensed Mana at an enemy to be equivalent to a Wellspring Mage ability that forces a foe to generate a surge - and therefore treat the target of the Strike as the origin point, and one-and-only target of the surge effect.