What order do spells take effect? [3.5]

[Sniperfox47]

In terms of RAW what order to two (or more) spells take effect if they are cast simultaneously? Background follows below:

Our DM wanted to try a campaign where we all play awakened creatures of some kind. There's 5 of us so we decided we'd play a 1HD awakened animal, plant, undead, construct, and ooze, and I was the 'lucky' one who rolled ooze.

While looking around for good oozes to play I found living spell and had the idea for a 'lesser orb of acid/calm emotions' living spell (both at CL 1 and SL1). It would make a 1HD ooze but I can't figure out whether it actually works. I've found 3 possibilities and I'd love to hear what people think on the matter:

1) calm emotions takes effect, then lesser orb of acid deals 1d8 damage and breaks it making the calm emotions effect useless

2) lesser orb of acid deals 1d8 damage, then calm emotions takes effect calming them so they don't attack back.

3) they take effect simultaneously in which case I have no idea how the effects would stack.

Any thoughts or opinions on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

[CaladanMoonblad]

The initiative order determines that.

It's one of the central rules for a turn based system.

If someone wants their spell (Calm Emotions) to go second, they simply hold their action to go after the person casting the damaging spell.

[eggynack]

The initiative order determines that.

It's one of the central rules for a turn based system.

If someone wants their spell (Calm Emotions) to go second, they simply hold their action to go after the person casting the damaging spell.
This appears to be a situation which is not the situation you're describing.

Anyway, I haven't really found a rules way to resolve simultaneous effects, so I'd probably just let the creature applying the effects choose the order. I mean, you get to apply bonuses in the most beneficial possible way, so it makes some sense to do the same for spells.

[Segev]

If they resolve simultaneously, he isn't damaged "after" the calm emotions takes effect. So he'd be damaged and calmed at the same time. If he took damage AGAIN, that'd be another story.

[Sniperfox47]

I mean, you get to apply bonuses in the most beneficial possible way, so it makes some sense to do the same for spells.

Yeah. This makes the most sense to me too although I get the feeling that without some sort of quote my DM wouldn't just accept my word on it. Do you know where it says you get to apply bonuses in the most beneficial order? I remember something along those lines but can't remember where I heard/read it.


If they resolve simultaneously, he isn't damaged "after" the calm emotions takes effect. So he'd be damaged and calmed at the same time. If he took damage AGAIN, that'd be another story.

Okay so they get resolved simultaneously you're saying, but then does the damage cancel the calm effect as calm emotions is cancelled when any damage is received or is it just an extra effect lumped in before the effect takes place? It seems you're saying the second but didn't really provide any support for it.

The exact quote is "Any aggressive action against or damage dealt to a calmed creature immediately breaks the spell on all calmed creatures." (D20 SRD)