Tenser's floating Disk

[Scratched_back]

Hiya all,

Sorry if this has come up in the past at all, but I certainly looked and I couldn't see it being discussed previously.

It's come up in our game a fewe times recently... can a Tenser's Floating Disk be ridden by it's caster? To take the words of the spell 100% literally I see no reason why not, I was just looking for other people's opinions.

There is a tenuous arguement against because of the wording "the disk follows the caster"... if this is the case, does casting the spell through your familiar solve it?

Cheers everyone.

 

[Henrix]

No, as you say, the disk follows the caster.
What do you mean by casting it through your familiar? It is not a touch spell, so you can't deliver it with your familiar, and even then you are the caster.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

The disk moves by following the caster. If you get on your own Floating Disk, how are you going to get it to move?

I don't think you can use the Share Spell familiar ability to cast Floating Disk on your familiar, since Floating Disk isn't a spell that affects the caster.

This being said, I don't think it'd be terribly unbalanced to allow the caster to ride his own Floating Disk and direct it mentally, but by the rules, I don't think you can.

AR

 

[0-hr]

You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It can hold 100 pounds of weight per caster level. (If used to transport a liquid, its capacity is 2 gallons.) The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.

Actually, I think you could ride it. It follows you, but at a distance of 0 to 25ft (+ 5ft/2 levels) as directed. Direct it to follow you at a distance of "zero feet" and sit right in the center of the disk. Then if you scootch forward a tad, the disk should move forward (trying to get its center and your center back in the same spot). It's the old carrot-and-stick routine.

Yes, this is all creative interpretation - but it is just interpretation, not a
change to any written rule.

 

[Scion]

it does come up pretty often, and there are people on both sides of the issue.

Personally, as I see no balance reasons why it should not be allowed then it is allowed.

Just direct it up next to you, sit on it, and then direct it in another direction. Easy, done.

It is merely in its normal mode of operation that it simply follows.

 

[Quidam]

coolness <> balance

While I think it's cool, too, I'd compare it with Levitate- a 2nd level spell.

Levitate

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V, S, F Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal or close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: You or one willing creature or one object (total weight up to 100 lb./level) Duration: 1 min./level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No

Levitate allows you to move yourself, another creature, or an object up and down as you wish. A creature must be willing to be levitated, and an object must be unattended or possessed by a willing creature. You can mentally direct the recipient to move up or down as much as 20 feet each round; doing so is a move action. You cannot move the recipient horizontally, but the recipient could clamber along the face of a cliff, for example, or push against a ceiling to move laterally (generally at half its base land speed).

A levitating creature that attacks with a melee or ranged weapon finds itself increasingly unstable; the first attack has a –1 penalty on attack rolls, the second –2, and so on, to a maximum penalty of –5. A full round spent stabilizing allows the creature to begin again at –1.

Focus: Either a small leather loop or a piece of golden wire bent into a cup shape with a long shank on one end.

Levitate restricts your movement to a single dimension, Floating Disk restricts you to two. Levitate gives a penalty to attacks, Floating Disk doesn't. Levitate is a 2nd level spell, Floating disk a 1st.

Cool it may be, but coolnes is not balance.

 

[Scion]

Tensors restricts you to being always 3' above the ground moving in directinos you could have anyway.

Levitate allows entry into a whole new dimension that was previously unaccessable by most characters.

So, unless one thinks that having a horse or riding in a wagon makes levitate a bad spell...

 

[Henrix]

If you could ride the disk, would it not need a listed speed? I think that the intention is that you cannot ride it. But I am a mean GM.

 

[Scion]

If you could ride the disk, would it not need a listed speed? I think that the intention is that you cannot ride it. But I am a mean GM.

hmm?

SRD:
It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round.


So its movement rate is your normal speed each round.

 

[Scratched_back]

As I knew somebody would say, it's comparable to levitate if allowances are made toride it. Crossing expanses of water for example, are made much easier and less expensive slot-wise.

As well as solving this according tothe RULES, I was also wondering how people handle this in their own games... we've already had one reply saying it doesn't seem unbalanced and another saying it does...