Spontaneity from open slots

[AuraSeer]

When a cleric is preparing his spells for the day, he can leave one or more slots open to be filled later. Can one of those open slots be used for a spontaneous cure/inflict, or must the cleric fill it with an actual spell first?

 

[RigaMortus]

When a cleric is preparing his spells for the day, he can leave one or more slots open to be filled later. Can one of those open slots be used for a spontaneous cure/inflict, or must the cleric fill it with an actual spell first?

Not sure I understand the question. If you have an open slot, it is blank. There are no spells in it (so you can not swap a cure/inflict). You need to take 15 min to pray later in the day to get a new spell. At which time, yes you can Spontaneously cast.

 

[Jdvn1]

... Why would you do that? You could fill it with a spell -- just in case -- and convert it later to a cure/inflict.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Is that correct? Checking the SRD, it says that Wizards can prepare spells at any time, leaving spell slots open to prepare later. But it only says that clerics don't have to prepare all their spells at once, and drops the issue. But it says specifically for clerics that they need to prepare their spells at a certain time each day...

So can clerics leave slots open, or is that a wizard-only thing?

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would say that if the slot is open, there is on prepared spell "potential" to be converted.

 

[Jdvn1]

But it says specifically for clerics that they need to prepare their spells at a certain time each day...

Could you post the quote? I thought in the PHB it said, "usually" or something.

 

[Jdvn1]

I would say that if the slot is open, there is on prepared spell "potential" to be converted.

I agree that that's how it'd work, but I fail to see the point.

 

[AuraSeer]

... Why would you do that? You could fill it with a spell -- just in case -- and convert it later to a cure/inflict.

Well, you wouldn't do it on purpose. But suppose you leave couple of 3rd-level slots open in the morning, then wind up expending all the rest of your 3rd-level and higher spells. (Maybe you got ambushed or something.)

If converting from an unused slot were possible, you would still have one cure serious left in your bag. If not, you'd be reduced to cure moderate until you took the time to fill up the slots.

 

[Jdvn1]

Oh, if you forgot or didn't have time to fill all your slots? I can see that, yeah.

 

[DanMcS]

Oh, if you forgot or didn't have time to fill all your slots? I can see that, yeah.

No. The reason you'd do it is for flexibility. If you don't know what kind of spell you might need later that day, but anticipate you'll have enough time to reprepare spells, you can leave a slot open to be filled later. That way you can later fill it if a need becomes pressing, for instance, you might discover that you need "find traps" or "lesser restoration", and if you have a slot open you can prepare it and use it.

In answer to the original question, no.

A good cleric (or a cleric of a good deity) can spontaneously cast a cure spell in place of a prepared spell of the same level or higher, but not in place of a domain spell.

It must be in place of a prepared spell.