Levitate spell

[SamsterIV]

A few questions about levitate that haven't come up before (for some reason).

1. Is there any penalty for casting spells while you are levitating yourself? For example, when you fire off a magic missile, would you incur the same penalties as firing a bow?

2. The PH says you can move 20' in a round, but it's a move equivalent action. So does that mean you could do a double move and go 40' or is 20' the cap?

3. Does anyone play with any type of Concentration checks for casting while levitating, or take away (or penalize) the Dex bonus of the person levitating?

Thx

 

[Dr. Zoom]

1. No penalties for casting spells. I am not sure about some of the melee/ranged touch spells. I am inclined to say no penalty for those either. The spell says it applies to those using a melee or ranged weapon, not spells or touch attacks.

2. The caster must use a MEA to mentally direct the target up or down each round. The cap is 20 feet.

3. The spell does not require this so I do not. I cannot see any reason why a spellcaster needs a conc check to cast while levitating, unless of course he is peppered with readied arrows. Likewise, dex bonuses remain. The person can still maneuver (or suffer from the lack of it if they have a penalty to dex).

 

[Magus_Jerel]

In order:

1. no

2. yes - the same basic principle applies to the fly spell.

3. I don't do either of these - but If the PC were thrown "off balance" - I could see altering the dex bonus to AC

 

[Dr. Zoom]

2. yes - the same basic principle applies to the fly spell.

You sure? The way the spell reads it sounds like the caster can direct the levitated creature/object up to 20 feet in a round, and this takes a MEA. It seems to read differantly than the fly spell, which bestows a fly speed on the recipient, with all the rules that go with having a speed. Levitate does not bestow a speed. The caster must direct the levitation up or down up to 20 feet in a round. This direction is a MEA for the caster.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

hmmm - yep.

Dr Z is right - the text DOES cap the possible move at 20 feet per round explicitly.

so yes - the cap is 20 feet. For some reason - I thought the language was to the effect that you had a speed of 20 feet - dunno why.

Still have to convince a fellow GM that a player CAN take a double move under fly and go 180 feet tho -

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Still have to convince a fellow GM that a player CAN take a double move under fly and go 180 feet tho -

Why would the GM think he could not?

 

[Jack Haggerty]

From the SRD:
Partial Action: As a general rule, a combatant can do as much with a partial action as a combatant could with a standard action minus a move. Typically, a combatant may take a 5-foot step as part of a partial action.

Move-Equivalent Action: Move-equivalent actions make the place of movement in a standard action or take the place of an entire partial action. The combatant can normally also take a 5 foot step.

So, the controlling wizard can levitate someone up to 20' as a MEA. MEA's can take the place of a Partial Action. Partial Actions are equal to a standard action minus the movement.

So, a Wizard controlling the Levitate could take an MEA as a Partial Action to move the target 20' up or down, and then take another MEA to move the target another 20' up or down... In essense, he is taking a full-round action to make a "double move levitation". Plus, he still gets a 5' step.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

The spell limits it to 20 feet per round.

It takes the spellcaster a MEA to do the directing, but he cannot direct it more than the 20 feet. He would be better off directing and then casting a 1 action spell or moving himself.

IOW, all things being equal, the spellcaster can do 2 MEA's in the course of one round. But in this case, the spell limits how much he can direct the levitation.

 

[Magus_Jerel]

The good Dr has it right - that IS the logic behind trying this however... it is just those two words that I even over read.

... per round ...

 

[Jack Haggerty]

Fair enough.

I'll admit I didn't look at the spell close enough.