Author Topic: Spell Concentration  (Read 1625 times)

Onasaki

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Spell Concentration
« on: January 10, 2019, 11:46:46 AM »
When you get knocked unconscious all your active spells should shut off immediately. You're no longer concentrating on them, and thus, they should just end. Only if you're the caster, of course. I say this, because there's not only a huge ass bug that doesn't allow you to heal someone who's downed, and invis, but there's ABSOLUTELY no way to turn off the invis unless you use the rest menu. Which you can't use when you're unconscious.

So we REALLY need a way to shut off spell effects that doesn't involve the rest menu. This is my suggestion: Make it a concentration check that you make each time you make a death save.

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Meriana

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2019, 11:54:59 AM »
Judging by how certain spell descriptions specify that they last for a duration of concentration - e.g. black blade of disaster - I don't think most spells are actually kept in effect by continued concentration on them?

Is there a bug now where you can't heal someone who's downed and invisible?
Or did you lack see invisibility?

TheFury

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2019, 12:06:00 PM »
Concentration in that fashion is a 5e mechanic. Spells in 3.5 are distinct expressions that once invoked are active until the duration ends or the mage reclaims their power by resting.

What would be preferable is a chat option, something like "@debuff" which lets you clear all self contained spell effects or "@visible" which purges invisibility or stealth only. The former won't help you if someone else cast the spell but is less prone to exploits than just clearing all effects would be, I think.

Or have see invis.
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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2019, 12:06:51 PM »
Most spells don’t require active concentration. In the event that you use invisibility sphere on ten people, you aren’t really continuing to concentrate on all of them actively as you do other things. The only act of real concentration is when you manifest the magic at the time of casting. Something like Black Blade of Disaster is the only real exception to this, as that spell requires the casters entire focus and if it’s lost - the spell ceases.

While you do have the option to remove self-contained spell effects, I’m not sure it would make sense to have that kind of option while unconscious, as your character shouldn’t be making any conscious decisions. I also don’t think it would make sense to lose all of the spells if you’re knocked down based on the fact that you can’t concentrate on them - aside from what I noted above, that kind of system would suggest that you need to make a concentration check any time you take damage or complete other actions, risking all of your spells to fail at any time.

Sometimes spells do fade when you are knocked unconscious. If you are KO’ed and the damage dealt brings your actual HP between -1 to -9, your spells remain. We have a script that functions to sometimes bring characters to unconscious state for attacks that would have normally killed them outright - if that instance occurs, the spells fade.

I do understand the frustration with trying to heal an invisible parry member - I’ve been in that situation before. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bug that you can’t heal an invisible character directly, however - as it isn’t possible to bind a wound you can’t see. There are quite a few options available though, including the characters having access to spells, potions, items, or scrolls.

Using see invisibility or true seeing will allow you to see and therefore heal any invisible creature. Using invisibility purge will dispel the character’s invisibility and bring them back into sight. Using a healing circle spell or scroll in the general area of an invisible creature will heal them - and there are two cleric feats that function in a similar AoE manner.

All in all - there are trade offs to a lot of spells and abilities on PoTM. Invisibility carries this small risk, so always be prepared! ^-^

Onasaki

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2019, 12:21:52 PM »
See invisibility wasn't working, to allow one to heal an invisible person.

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2019, 12:42:05 PM »
See invisibility wasn't working, to allow one to heal an invisible person.

If that wasn't working, you should report it as a bug.
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Onasaki

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2019, 01:23:11 PM »
The consider this thread that bug report? I posted it here because I thought maybe there was a macro or some unknown function I could set to turn off spells when I go down to make it easier. All I know is that the people who were trying to heal me couldn't even with See Invis on. Whether it was a bug, or incompetence, I wasn't sure. :P


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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2019, 01:43:45 PM »
I'm adding an @command to remove spell effects, and one to remove only invisibility.
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ILLY6666

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2019, 01:47:31 PM »
[ ... ] and one to remove only invisibility.

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Iridni Ren

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2019, 01:54:58 PM »
I'm adding an @command to remove spell effects, and one to remove only invisibility.

Ideally, this latter command would function the same as striking something while invisible, so that improved invisibility would retain the concealment effect.

It's pretty routine to see PCs ward with improved invisibility, then "mark" and "bash" to achieve this effect, which is (trivially) annoying to have to do.

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Arawn

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Re: Spell Concentration
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2019, 02:41:36 PM »
I'm adding an @command to remove spell effects, and one to remove only invisibility.

Ideally, this latter command would function the same as striking something while invisible, so that improved invisibility would retain the concealment effect.

It's pretty routine to see PCs ward with improved invisibility, then "mark" and "bash" to achieve this effect, which is (trivially) annoying to have to do.

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