Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Karth_GoblinKnight Aug 07, 2015 18:21:45	How does Awaken work in Adventurer's League? The charm lasts for up to 30 days (assuming no harm is done to the Awakened creature by allies), which could be several chapters for someone playing PotA.
#2 Kalani Aug 08, 2015 7:56:07	This is a situation the rules do not cover so expect table variation. At minimum, the spell should last until the end of the current session Some DMs may allow the character to mark Under the Effect of "Awaken" on the character logsheet (in the Downtime Activities/Notes section), with the number of days remaining on the spell. You can mark this on your logsheet even if your DM does not specifically authorize it, but keep in mind that no DM is under the obligation to honor outstanding spell effects from previous game sessions.  If you get the same DM each week, you are more likely to get an extended effect from the spell - but if your group and/or DM changes from week to week, your new DM is under no obligation to honor the effect.   Also, keep in mind that there are considerable distances between areas in the Dessarian Valley as characters only travel 24miles / day (30 if hustling) regardless of their mode of transport. In order to travel faster than that, you would need an entire team of horses per character, so that they could trade off with a fresh mount as the current one tires.  IIRC, it takes almost 2 weeks to travel from Red Larch to Beliard for example, and about a week from Red Larch to Scarlet Moon Hall. The trip from Beliard to Wormford for example takes almost a month to complete.    There is some discrepency with this however. On the map, Feathergale spire is approximately 20 miles away (almost 1 days travel), yet in the area description it says it is a few miles from Red Larch, and should therefore be visible from the village (which it isn't).
#3 Karth_GoblinKnight Aug 08, 2015 7:48:59	That's a huge help, thanks. I was just worried that it would automatically lapse at the end of each chapter, sort of like how we can't use weapons and armor from foes past the end of each session.   On a related note, do you know if Awaken could be used on a hostile beast in combat? First, there's nothing about the target needing to not be hostile, and many animals wouldn't be open to random people charing up and touching them. Second, the description of the spell's last stage says, "After spending the casting time tracing magical pathways within a precious gemstone, you touch a Huge or smaller beast or plant." While I'm assuming that the touch is supposed to happen immediately at the end of the 8-hour casting, that first sentence doesn't specify. I'm wondering if that means that the gemstone could be prepared, and then the spell triggers the next time the caster touches a legitimate target.   If the answer to this question is yes, there's a potential combat application: a caster whom knows that the party will soon face a hostile group with a beast companion could prepare the gem, charge headlong into the fray, and tag the target beast. This admittedly doesn't seem likely or practical on any AL game, since the caster would have to know when and where they'd encounter the target at least 8 hours in advance. Still, the thought of a druid Awakening Gar Shatterkeel's giant crocodile mount (if he's the prophet faced in the Fane of the Eye) in the middle of combat does have a certain charm to it.
#4 Kalani Aug 08, 2015 7:58:30	You would need to touch the animal at the end of the spells casting time. You could not hold the spells charge as it does not say you can hold the charge. Spells like shocking grasp and vampiric touch specifically state you can hold the charge until you hit. Such is not the case with awaken.
#5 Ainulindalion Aug 08, 2015 8:19:40	If I was DMing an Expedition where someone wanted to cast Awaken, I would probably require them to spend 30 (minus the length of the module) downtime days at the conclusion to adjudicate the results of the charmed period, so that it was dealt with for the next time.   I'm not sure how I would deal with deciding whether or not the creature stuck around afterwards, though.  Probably base it on the treatment during the module, plus a d20 roll of some sort.   But that's not a super consistant determination method, either.
#6 Coredump00 Aug 08, 2015 9:50:08	I am going to agree and disagree...   I think future DMs should feel obligated to allow the Awakened 'thing' to continue in the game.  There is precedence for certain conditions to carry over from one expedition to another, and if you have this noted on your logsheet....  a DM 'should' allow it. I will caveat, however, that the details matter. I can think of many scenarios where a DM would not allow it for (IMO) justifiable reasons.  And further, regardless of why it is allowed or disallowed.... it is within the DMs power to do so.  Also realize that being Charmed does not make them an automaton or slave to your desires.....
#7 imaginaryfriend Aug 08, 2015 10:16:05	If there are no specific rules on how to deal with it, there most definitely should NOT be any expectations towards the next session. That way lies the "but my last DM said I could summon a Terrasque". That said, if the player is willing to spend the downtime days to keep their thrall.. err.. friend around during travel from one mod to the other, I'd let them.
(Reply to #3) TheBreen	Karth_GoblinKnight wrote:
(Reply to #6) TheBreen	Coredump00 wrote:
#10 imaginaryfriend Aug 08, 2015 12:47:37	Messy, yes. But allowances can be made. I can totally understand and respect disallowing it, yet would try to work with the player. It does not have to make perfect sense.
(Reply to #7) Coredump00	imaginaryfriend wrote:
#12 Mommy_was_an_Orc Aug 08, 2015 15:30:29	Coredump00 wrote:
#13 Byakugan01 Aug 08, 2015 20:08:10	If you can get cursed/poisoned/diseased etc and it lasts in between sessions then you should certainly be allowed to have a spell effect last its full duration.
(Reply to #13) imaginaryfriend	Byakugan01 wrote:
(Reply to #14) Coredump00	imaginaryfriend wrote:
#16 Mommy_was_an_Orc Aug 09, 2015 8:32:22	When you're considering how you'd run Awaken, just remember Great Old One Warlocks have Create Thrall at level 14 - which has no time limit, has basically the same effect on any incapacitated(read knocked out BBEG archmage or something similar), and has no saving throw. Charmed has a weird setup to it in that it doesn't really actually do very much, but it is clearly meant to assume a reasonable DM.
#17 Enevhar_Aldarion Aug 09, 2015 10:43:51	I thought I had read some restrictions or FAQ for this spell before, but I was remembering what Pathfinder Society does with the spell, not AL. In PFS it is banned completely from play, mainly because of the lack of time tracking between scenarios.
#18 Ravix Aug 10, 2015 16:03:33	With something like Awaken, I wouldn't allow characters to take it from session to session.   Animate Dead, Create Thrall, etc, might all need some sort of clarification.