NEWS

Sustaining Spells

  • 10 Replies
  • 2192 Views

Koshnek

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
« on: <08-19-14/2350:08> »
I was under the impression that you had to maintain line of sight to sustain a spell, but I don't see anything in the book that says that. Will a spell keep sustaining until you drop it? That's assuming the person affected by the spell doesn't cross a barrier or gets dispelled.
Speech
Thoughts
Comm/Text
Voice chat & Subvocal

Lucean

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1159
« Reply #1 on: <08-20-14/0052:41> »
That seems to be right, though only alchemical preparations sustain themselves. Otherwise you need a magician/spirit to do it, just a minor nitpick at your wording :)

Koshnek

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
« Reply #2 on: <08-20-14/0116:50> »
Er, I'm a bit confused by what you said :p.

If a magician or mystic adept casts a spell and sustains it, are they required to maintain line of sight of the target? What about for touch spells such as the sustained detection spells which don't require LOS in the first place? I think I've read the entire spell casting section of the magic chapter, but don't see anything about the specifics of sustaining besides the penalty and various ranges for them.

Speech
Thoughts
Comm/Text
Voice chat & Subvocal

Ryo

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1924
« Reply #3 on: <08-20-14/0120:09> »
No, you do not need to maintain LOS (or Touch) to sustain a spell. Once you start sustaining, you just have to maintain the concentration on sustaining.

Koshnek

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
« Reply #4 on: <08-20-14/0131:01> »
Ok, thank you. One more question. If you're sustaining an Zoe sustain, do you have to have vision on the area as well as the  new location?

Say I'm sustaining an area of darkness in a previous room during a run. We just opened a door and there's a guy in the next room that I can see, but the area of darkness is now out of my LOS. Can I move it or would I have to drop the spell and recast it?
Speech
Thoughts
Comm/Text
Voice chat & Subvocal

Ariketh

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 258
« Reply #5 on: <08-20-14/0206:38> »
Ok, thank you. One more question. If you're sustaining an Zoe sustain, do you have to have vision on the area as well as the  new location?

Say I'm sustaining an area of darkness in a previous room during a run. We just opened a door and there's a guy in the next room that I can see, but the area of darkness is now out of my LOS. Can I move it or would I have to drop the spell and recast it?

I assume you mean zone sustain? I believe spells that can move are called out as such. But I can't think of any off the top of my head. If you could move it, it would make sense that you have LOS, since you are effectively modifying the conditions of the spell form.

Assuming you can't move it, you have two options. As you suggest, dropping the existing one and casting a new one is fine. Or you could sustain the one darkness and just cast a new one. Just remember your -2 cumulative dice pool penalty, per spell, due to spell sustaining. There's a reason why Focused Concentration is invaluable.

If you're initiated, and have the appropriate metamagics, Quickening and Anchoring open up as options. You could then Quicken the first spell, and cast with no sustaining penalty, as the spell does it automatically. Additionally, you could Anchor a spell to trigger in reaction to a predefined situation. Like anyone touching a door might trigger a darkness or chaotic world spell. Neither of which cause sustaining penalties. That said, it's karma expenditures so it's not something to be done lightly.

-Ariketh

Ryo

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1924
« Reply #6 on: <08-20-14/0207:55> »
Ok, thank you. One more question. If you're sustaining an Zoe sustain, do you have to have vision on the area as well as the  new location?

Say I'm sustaining an area of darkness in a previous room during a run. We just opened a door and there's a guy in the next room that I can see, but the area of darkness is now out of my LOS. Can I move it or would I have to drop the spell and recast it?

You would have to recast it.

Quote from: SR5, page 282
Area effect spells that are sustained can be moved as a Complex Action, provided that the spell area is in the magician’s line of sight. Characters that drop out of the affected area are no longer affected by the spell, while characters that are enveloped by the new affected area must defend against the spell accordingly.

Koshnek

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
« Reply #7 on: <08-20-14/0225:21> »
Thanks again. It's that underlined bit that was confusing me. I wasn't sure if it was referring to the current affected area or the new area. I wasn't considering that all non-touch spells require LOS to be targeted, so that section has to be referring to the currently affected location.

Ok so one more question, and I think I am good. If the spell doesn't specify a maximum distance, does it matter how far away the subject of your spell moves?

If I cast invisiblity on someone from my apartment, and they don't get dispelled or run through a barrier, can they cross town invisible if I continue to sustain the spell?

I think that's my last question : ). I appreciate all the help.
Speech
Thoughts
Comm/Text
Voice chat & Subvocal

Ryo

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1924
« Reply #8 on: <08-20-14/0230:40> »
Thanks again. It's that underlined bit that was confusing me. I wasn't sure if it was referring to the current affected area or the new area. I wasn't considering that all non-touch spells require LOS to be targeted, so that section has to be referring to the currently affected location.

Ok so one more question, and I think I am good. If the spell doesn't specify a maximum distance, does it matter how far away the subject of your spell moves?

If I cast invisiblity on someone from my apartment, and they don't get dispelled or run through a barrier, can they cross town invisible if I continue to sustain the spell?

I think that's my last question : ). I appreciate all the help.

This question is harder to answer, as there is no RAW limit on sustain range, but that kind of thing smells fishy and steps on the toes of Ritual Spellcasting. It's really up to the GM of the game you're playing to say how far away is too far away, but I would personally probably rule a range distance from the sustaining mage like a Detection spell. So Force of the spell * Magic rating of the caster in meters, or maybe the extended version if I were feeling generous, for an extra *10 at the end.

aaron_1706

  • *
  • Guest
« Reply #9 on: <08-20-14/0238:57> »
The Line of Sight rules for sustaining (non-area) spells are hidden in the "Critter Powers" section by the way.

"As with sustained spells, line of sight does not have to be
maintained after the power takes hold of its target
" -Page 394 SR5CRB
« Last Edit: <08-20-14/0242:20> by aaron_1706 »

Koshnek

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 415
« Reply #10 on: <08-20-14/0930:08> »
Ok, I'm good now, I appreciate it guys.

Also, that was just an example, I wouldn't do that :p.
Speech
Thoughts
Comm/Text
Voice chat & Subvocal