So the normal Rank 1 version of Protection is pretty straightforward. The touched target gets a bonus to AC and saving throws.
When you cast it at Rank 3, it gets a little weird.
Heightened (3rd) You can choose to have the benefits also affect all your allies in a 10-foot emanation around the target.
It becomes an emanation.
Does that mean that the allies need to stay within the emanation in order to get the bonus? Can those who move into the emanation gain the bonus?
The spell obviously continues to protect the target, but does the emanation move with the target? I think that is an aura (which is a specific type of emanation) rather than general to all emanations.
Rules references would be greatly appreciated.
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Correct, because of the way it's written with a 1 minute duration, and the spell becoming an emanation that affects all your allies in the emanation around the target, it requires you to stay in the emanation to receive the bonus....meaning it's probably never worth it to cast heightened.
Although, to your point allies that move into the area after casting could get the benefit, again because the effect is an ongoing emanation.
And yes, the emanation moves with the target based on the wording (the spell emanates from your target).
To me it reads like it works as an aura, without calling it that.
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And yes, the emanation moves with the target based on the wording (the spell emanates from your target).
To me it reads like it works as an aura, without calling it that.
I'll disagree on the RAW concerning that. Emanations that do not have the Aura trait do not move after they are initially cast.
The RAW for Rank 3 Protection would be:
* You can cast the spell on yourself.
** Since you are the primary target you also gain the benefits of the spell.
* You can cast the spell on an ally that you touch.
** You can choose if the ally is included in the emanation area or not, but in either case they are the primary target and are affected by the spell.
** You are not affected by the spell because you are not the primary target of the spell and you are not your own ally.
* You can cast the spell on an enemy that you touch as long as they are willing to have you cast a spell on them.
** The enemy will be affected because they are the primary target of the spell.
** Your allies will be affected by the emanation area.
** The target's allies will not be affected by the emanation area.
* Once the spell is cast, the emanation area is fixed relative to the ground because the effect does not have the Aura trait.
* The primary target of the spell is always affected by the spell no matter where they move.
* Allies that move out of the area of the spells effect are no longer affected by it and will lose the benefits immediately.
* Allies (but not the caster) that move into the area are immediately affected by the spell and gain the benefits.
Having said that, I will also go on record to say that I believe that in this case RAW is a troll ruling. I agree with Claxon that this should be run as though it has the Aura trait and that the emanation effect should affect 'you and allies in the emanation' so that the caster can be affected by the spell when they cast it on an ally. Leaving the edge case of casting the spell on a willing enemy is not a problem that is going to come up often enough to be worth fixing.
Personally I think that having a separate Aura trait was a design mistake. The Aura behavior should instead be assigned by definition rather than by having to explicitly tag every spell individually. Every Emanation area spell that has a duration should be treated like an Aura. If a fixed circular area of the ground is intended to be the target area of a spell with a duration, then it should use a Burst area instead of an Emanation.
* Once the spell is cast, the emanation area is fixed relative to the ground because the effect does not have the Aura trait.
Could you please point out where this is said in the rules? I’m not doubting you, I’m trying to find what I missed.
Having said that, I will also go on record to say that I believe that in this case RAW is a troll ruling. I agree with Claxon that this should be run as though it has the Aura trait and that the emanation effect should affect 'you and allies in the emanation' so that the caster can be affected by the spell when they cast it on an ally.
I’m currently inclined towards treating it as an aura as it makes more sense and (as noted above) they have failed to put traits on spells. I think it becomes clearer doing so.
* Once the spell is cast, the emanation area is fixed relative to the ground because the effect does not have the Aura trait.Could you please point out where this is said in the rules? I’m not doubting you, I’m trying to find what I missed.
It is defined by omission, so it is easy to miss.
The Emanation area rules don't mention being able to move the Emanation or having the Emanation automatically follow the target.
Without the existence of the Aura trait, that rule for Emanations is a bit ambiguous and could be ruled that the location is fixed or that the effect follows the target.
But the Aura trait does exist as an override of the general rules for the Emanation area. Emanations without the Aura trait are in a fixed location and Emanations with the Aura trait follow the target.
It is similar to the difference in Burst areas between Ice Storm and Freezing Rain. The general rules for Burst do not list moving the area after the effect is cast. Freezing Rain has an override saying that when you Sustain the spell you can move the Burst area up to 20 feet. Ice Storm does not have that override, so its area is fixed and immovable once it is cast.
I agree with Finoan, if the spell doesn't have the aura trait, it's anchored in the AoE and doesn't move.
That said, it's hard to say that this is the designer intention or a miss. Maybe the intention of this spell is to affect everyone ally in the area, allowing them to move to outside of it without after the conditions effect has affected them ends (an aura effect would end if you exit the area while a just emanation not).
About durations, I will paste an analysis that I made in another thread:
I was reading the rules again and this have an interesting point.
Spells like Wall of Fire and Stinking Cloud doesn't explicitly say that the effect stays in the area during its duration. This is implied due to their nature.
Also the Durations rules states that:
The duration of a spell is how long the spell effect lasts. Spells that last for more than an instant have a Duration entry. A spell might last until the start or end of a turn, for some number of rounds, for minutes, or even longer. If a spell's duration is given in rounds, the number of rounds remaining decreases by 1 at the start of each of the spellcaster's turns, ending when the duration reaches 0.
Some spells have effects that remain even after the spell's magic is gone. Any ongoing effect that isn't part of the spell's duration entry isn't magical. For instance, a spell that creates a brief, loud sound might deafen someone for a time, even permanently. This deafness couldn't be counteracted because it is not itself magical (though it might be cured by other magic, such as sound body).
Most effects are discrete, creating an instantaneous effect when you let the GM know what actions you are going to use. Firing a bow, moving to a new space, or taking something out of your pack all resolve instantly. Other effects instead last for a certain duration. Once the duration has elapsed, the effect ends. The rules generally use the following conventions for durations, though spells have some special durations.
For an effect that lasts a number of rounds, the remaining duration decreases by 1 at the start of each turn of the creature that created the effect. Detrimental effects often last “until the end of the target's next turn” or “through” a number of their turns (such as “through the target's next 3 turns”), which means that the effect's duration decreases at the end of the creature's turn, rather than the start.
Instead of lasting a fixed number of rounds, a duration might end only when certain conditions are met (or cease to be true). If so, the effects last until those conditions are met.
Some effects can be ended early with the Dismiss action. An effect with the sustained duration lasts until the end of your next turn, but it can be extended as described in the Sustain action.
While adventuring, characters (and sometimes their belongings) are affected by abilities and effects that apply conditions. For example, a spell or magic item might turn you invisible or cause you to be gripped by fear. Conditions change your state of being in some way, and they represent everything from the attitude other creatures have toward you and how they interact with you to what happens when a creature drains your blood or life essence.
Conditions are persistent. Whenever you're affected by a condition, its effects last until the condition's stated duration ends, the condition is removed, or terms dictated in the condition itself cause it to end.
Considering these rules, some of which are contradictory, but with the first being specific to spells (and therefore more specific than the general rule regarding the duration of effects and conditions), what is likely to happen is that during the duration, the effect will continue to affect the area, and under the conditions, exactly as stated in the spell's effect, and after the spell's effect ends, such as Deafened example, they will be only removed if something (like sound body spell) removes the condition. What means that conditions could be way more harsy than many people expects if we use the sum of all durations (spell + condition duration).
IMO it's something that need a good clarification.
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Fwiw, the rank 3 version of Protection is pretty clearly the Remastered equivalent of Circle of Protection, which also didn't have the aura trait.
Fwiw, the rank 3 version of Protection is pretty clearly the Remastered equivalent of Circle of Protection, which also didn't have the aura trait.
Nice.
With the added nerf that it won't affect the caster if they target a touched ally instead of themselves.
To me it reads that the emanation itself doesn't stick around, it just tags all your allies within it and gives them the same buff for the duration of the spell just like a Bard's focus cantrips aren't continuous emanations, but instanteneous.
'Aura' trait has no meaning apart from possible specific and explicit rules interactions.
...
If the designers want these area effects (emanations) to works differently they must change the definition.
So... The two rounds of Errata (Core Rulebook 3rd printing, and Player Core Fall 2023) to add the Aura trait do spells that needed them but didn't have them... were just to make sure that critically needed reminder text was in place?
So... The two rounds of Errata (Core Rulebook 3rd printing, and Player Core Fall 2023) to add the Aura trait do spells that needed them but didn't have them... were just to make sure that critically needed reminder text was in place?'Aura' trait has no meaning apart from possible specific and explicit rules interactions.
...
If the designers want these area effects (emanations) to works differently they must change the definition.
….or so many people complained about the missing trait that the designers figured it was easier to add the trait than argue.
At this point I am not clear on what the Aura trait does. The point about emanations going out from a creature is a good one for arguing that Emanations need to move with the target.