Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lilt 04-07-05, 08:27 AM	I just started platying a cleric of Mystra with the Initiate of Mystra and Extraordinary Spell Shaping feats. My idea was to cast an Antimagic Field that did not target myself thus my own buffs and magic items would not be supressed and I had a chance of casting through the AMF thanks to the Initiate of Mystra feat. I also thought that this had the advantage that spells could not be targeted at me/reach me through the AMF but my GM has ruled that certain spells cast outside of the AMF can target me. Example Effects that can reach me include Dominate, Finger of death, Melf's Acid Arrow (possibly, I'm still discussing with the GM wether or not the conjured acid is real thus hits me or magical thus stopped by the spell), and generally any spell that has a target and a range greater than touch (as long as it's cast from outside the field), can still reach me. Spells that are stopped include magical rays, area spells that originate outside the AMF, spells which require a magical medium to get to you (fireball pellets etc are stopped by the AMF), and similar spells. My question is: Is Extraordinary spell Aim still worth it? I have very few area spells that I use on a regular basis except for AMF, and it's still useful so that I have my magical equipment whilst enemies I'm in melee with don't. My other options include having another Divinely Persistant spell through Extra turning, taking other metamagic feats like Quicken and similar, and taking other feats that I'm open to suggestions for.
Shebnar 04-07-05, 10:42 AM	I just started platying a cleric of Mystra with the Initiate of Mystra and Extraordinary Spell Shaping feats. My idea was to cast an Antimagic Field that did not target myself thus my own buffs and magic items would not be supressed and I had a chance of casting through the AMF thanks to the Initiate of Mystra feat. I also thought that this had the advantage that spells could not be targeted at me/reach me through the AMF but my GM has ruled that certain spells cast outside of the AMF can target me. Example Effects that can reach me include Dominate, Finger of death, Melf's Acid Arrow (possibly, I'm still discussing with the GM wether or not the conjured acid is real thus hits me or magical thus stopped by the spell), and generally any spell that has a target and a range greater than touch (as long as it's cast from outside the field), can still reach me. Spells that are stopped include magical rays, area spells that originate outside the AMF, spells which require a magical medium to get to you (fireball pellets etc are stopped by the AMF), and similar spells. My question is: Is Extraordinary spell Aim still worth it? I have very few area spells that I use on a regular basis except for AMF, and it's still useful so that I have my magical equipment whilst enemies I'm in melee with don't. My other options include having another Divinely Persistant spell through Extra turning, taking other metamagic feats like Quicken and similar, and taking other feats that I'm open to suggestions for. You misinterpreted the Initiate of Mystra benefits: Extraordinary Spell Aiming makes you ignore a AM Field because it excludes you (only your body and possessions) from the affected area. The Initiate of Mystra feat lets you cast spells when you are within an AM Field (i.e. you are affected by the Field). Since you are not affected, the IoM feat won't help. Note that, by the RAW, the Initiate of Mystra feat won't let you cast spell inside an AM Field standing outside the affected area. According to the rules, you can be reached by any burst/emanation/area spell effect when you are in an Extraordinary Aimed AM Field. Even when nerfed, an Extraordinary Aimed AM Field is perfect for denying your enemies from their magic bonuses to attack rolls (not the damage bonus granted by magic items/spells/supernatural abilities). And this is not a minor advantage. You are protected against Incorporeal Undead (unless you overlap the place they are occupying within the AM Field), and you deny enemy spellcasting while retaining your magical protections. So yes, go for it. The Initiate of Mystra feat can only help you when an enemy AM Field overlaps yours, disallowing your spellcasting ability. In this case your magic items would be suppressed until you are out from the enemy AM Field affected area, but you could still try to cast your spells. Very, very broken feats, both of the two... :D
Marcus Majarra 04-07-05, 12:02 PM	That's correct. I recently inquired with customer service about it. Antimagic field doesn't stop line of effect, meaning an Extraordinary Spell Aimed Antimagic Field doesn't protect you from any supernatural or spell-like effect that can target you without originating from the field. This still makes you vulnerable to ranged weapons (if they are used from without the field; arguably, magical ammunition still gets its bonus to damage), area effects (like spells and breath weapons), etc.
Shebnar 04-07-05, 04:35 PM	The most common misconception about the Extraordinary Spell Aim feat is that you can act "as the spell didn't exist". Those words in the RAW made someone think that you can act as an AM Field, for instance, didn't exist at all for you. Anyway the RAW report also that this feat affects and reshapes the spell's area, meaning that the spell is not suppressed for you only, but instead it is just reshaped in order to exclude you from its area of effect. It doesn't say that you can ignore any spell's effect as it didn't exist at all. So, apart from the place which your body occupies, you must still abide to the AM Field rules. The fact that your body (i.e. the space that your body overlaps) is outside of the AM Field means that you are the eligible target for spells and effects, though their line of effect is interrupted: an Antimagic Field doesn't dispel, it suppresses all magical effects within its area (i.e. any spell takes place, but with no effects). If you are excluded from an Antimagic Field, then any spell will take effect within the place you occupy (though being suppressed around you).