This year, at the Feast of Highbridge, the Order of the Magi held their annual round table discussion. Everyone in the Realms has some connection to magic. You may cast spells and use magic directly, or even if you have no magic of your own you’ve had it cast on you, a heal limb, a raise dead. Since magic is so ubiquitous in the Realms it is important to acknowledge the areas and spells that people have trouble with. This can include debate on what the rules are or should be, or mistakes that people commonly make while casting spells or interacting with them.
To begin to address these issues, those participating in the round table came up with a list of spells and effects that they have noticed issues with. It is not a list of all problems, but what people thought of in groups in about ten minutes. The list that follows is formatted as questions no matter what the issue is, to try to avoid taking sides on controversial topics. It includes common mis-castings, issues of poorly written spells, issues of consensus on the rules, issues in communication between player and magic marshal, and common mistakes made by people targeted by spells.
The list (in no particular order):
- When casting Heal Limb, can one foot move as long as the other foot is planted?
- What should happen when the time limit on Seance is forgotten?
- Can people other than the caster of Seance hear the conversation?
- Is there a proper way to get someone’s attention for Beckon Corpse (for example: using the target’s name)?
- What are the limitations on ways to apply potions?
- How should a magic marshal respond when a player attempts to cast Fortune Tell with no components?
- Are physical scalp tokens necessary?
- Can a player cast a Lightning Bolt with something (like a dagger) in their other hand?
- How important is the meditation between uses of Deathwatch?
- “How many castings do I have left?”
- What counts as hand(s) on the target for spells like Repair Item?
- Should a magic marshal inform the caster or the target of a persistent spell upon the termination of the spell?
- Does armor get repaired when the player is raised?
- When a caster touches two injured limbs and casts Heal Limb, which limb is healed?
- How should a magic marshal respond to a Guidance with no clear yes/no answer?
- Can a caster move their circle without breaking it and recasting by sliding it along the ground?
- What is meant by “animate” in the spell Animate Limb?
- When using the effect of an Implement, must the caster have it out and/or in hand?
- Does the caster of Seed of Life need to hold their prop while chanting?
- How long is a second when counting?
- What counts as “securing” a circle’s ends?
- If a caster starts to cast Heal Limb on an uninjured limb, and before the verbal is finished the limb is injured, what happens?
- Is it/should it be legal to look around while under the effects of Deathwatch?
- Can the caster of Beckon Corpse move while casting it?
- What counts as a specific request for the purposes of casting Divine Aid?
- Is there a proper way to finish a Ritual of Banishment?
- How clear must the caster of a spell say the verbal?
- Is the ability to repair armor built in to Enchant Armor, or does a caster using Enchant Armor need to also know Repair Armor?
- Can seer magic in general be cast on/about PC’s?
- Can Circle of Protection or Ward: Enchanted Beings/Undead be used like combat calls to negate damage from magic missiles/attacks from undead?
- What is an appropriate power level for Divine Aid?
- What senses does Vision allow use of in the vision?
- Can an undead with a 5’ or longer weapon strike at a person standing next to a person casting Ward: Undead (or an enchanted being strike next to a person casting Ward: Enchanted Being)?
- Can Divine Aid be directed to a specific entity (for example: a god)?[Editor's note: if anyone is interested in writing an article on any of these discussion points, please let your friendly neighborhood View editor know!]