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Allanimal
2010-07-27, 11:55 PM
Can a Druid share a spell with his animal companion when the spell is cast from a scroll, wand, potion, etc.?

Keld Denar
2010-07-27, 11:59 PM
Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Well, not potions. Scrolls and wands actually cast the spell, a potion just puts the effect on you.

Fitz10019
2010-07-28, 07:45 AM
"At the druid’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion."

I don't see how a potion or even a wand qualifies as 'she casts upon herself.'

Cog
2010-07-28, 08:15 AM
You aren't doing anything like casting when you drink a potion, so that's not going to be shared. However, from the Wand Activation rules: "...casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action..." The term 'casting' is used again later, so it seems that would be allowed for sharing. Scrolls work similarly for this.

Allanimal
2010-07-28, 09:46 AM
Thanks everyone so far. Since it seems there is no clear answer, I did a little more digging.



At the druid’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion.



A spell successfully activated from a scroll works exactly like a spell prepared and cast the normal way.

The scroll seems plain as day - it works exactly like a spell cast the normal way and therefore can be shared.



A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect when imbibed. ... It can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute.

Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn't get to make any decisions about the effect —the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).

To me that says it is like a spell cast ON the drinker, not BY the drinker and therefore doesn't work. It is slightly open to interpretation, but due to the "can't make decisions about the effect", and it is a decision to share the spell, so I guess I'm with Cog & FItz on this.


Wands use the spell trigger activation method, casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action ... (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand ... and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

Still unclear. What does it say about spell trigger activation:


Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell.

Still no help...

I guess Cog's argument that one is casting when using a wand makes sense.

Is there anywhere else in RAW that is more specific?

Curmudgeon
2010-07-28, 07:04 PM
However, from the Wand Activation rules: "...casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action..." The term 'casting' is used again later, so it seems that would be allowed for sharing.
In the DMG alone the main text on using magic items (page 213) uses the term "cast" for spell completion items, but only "use" and "activate" for spell trigger items. Only the staff and wand headers (pages 243 & 245) include the term "casting".

If you use Rules Compendium in your games, you'll note a couple of changes about spell trigger activation:

The activation time has been changed to be the same as for casting a spell, so it's no longer a minimum of 1 standard action.
There's no longer any "casting" in triggering a spell from a wand/staff. They use the terms "using" and "activating".
So if your game includes RC you'll get faster triggering for swift and immediate action spells in wands, but will definitely not be able to use Share Spells with spells from wands since those aren't cast.

Without Rules Compendium, it's a matter for individual DM judgment as to whether the primary spell trigger rules or the wand and staff rules have sway.

Cog
2010-07-28, 07:50 PM
There's no longer any "casting" in triggering a spell from a wand/staff. They use the terms "using" and "activating".

'Casting' is already used synonymously with 'activating' in the SRD/DMG text. While it wasn't one of the synonyms used in the Rules Compendium, there's no text that explicitly says it's no longer a synonym.

The correction-by-omission makes a strong case for intent, so I do think yours is a valid interpretation now. I just don't think it's the only one.