Sanctified Spells

[Yogibear41]

If a creature is immune to ability damage, and casts a sanctified spell with an ability damage sacrifice cost does that mean they can basically just ignore the sacrifice cost? Can they even cast the spell? Do they take the damage anyway for whatever reasons?

[Fouredged Sword]

Raw, I think they just get off scott free. Just like the cleric who immediately heals the damage the round it happens.

[jedipilot24]

If a creature is immune to ability damage, and casts a sanctified spell with an ability damage sacrifice cost does that mean they can basically just ignore the sacrifice cost? Can they even cast the spell? Do they take the damage anyway for whatever reasons?

To draw an analogy, the Hellfire Warlock's ability only works if the character is capable of taking ability damage. Now while the description for Sanctified spells does not explicitly say this, the fluff has this damage as a kind of sacrifice--in most cases a substitute for material components. So if I were a DM, I'd rule that immunity to ability damage makes you unable to use Sanctified spells that demand this kind of sacrifice.

[Chronos]

Taking the damage is one of the components of casting the spell. If you can't take the damage, then you can't cast the spell. It's no different than if you can't speak a verbal component, or can't move your hands for a somatic component.

The more interesting question is whether someone who's normally immune to ability score damage can choose to take it anyway, to make the spellcasting possible.

[Tulya]

As far as sacrifice components go, I don't think there is a strict RAW, because the Book of Exalted Deeds never actually defines what it means for a spell to have a Sacrifice component as the rules do for Verbal, Somatic, Material, Focus, Divine Focus, and XP components. The only rules I can identify that are explicit and inarguable are:
As a spell component, Sacrifice inherits the general rule, "A spell’s components are what you must do or possess to cast it."
The sacrifice component occurs when a sanctified spell ends.
The user of an item containing a sanctified spell makes the sacrifice

There's nothing else. Everything else depends on the rules baggage you believe are implied by the use of words like "sacrifice", "cost", and "paid".

That is, under strict RAW, I don't believe you can accept or reject any of the following propositions for how to handle the sacrifice components for Armageddon and Hammer of Righteousness. All of them require inferring the intentions of the author's use of certain words, and one requires inferring the overall intentions of the author.
1.) Each time you cast Armageddon, you permanently lose 1 character level when the spell's duration expires. Similarly, each time you cast Hammer of Righteousness, you permanently lose 1d3 points of strength damage instantly.
2.) Each time you cast Armageddon, 1 additional character level is permanently inflicted on your character when the spell's duration expires. Similarly, each time you cast Hammer of Righteousness, 1d3 points of strength damage is immediately and permanently inflicted upon your character.
3.) Each time you cast Armageddon, you permanently lose 1 character level. Conversely, each time you cast Hammer of Righteousness, you suffer 1d3 points of strength damage.

[Cruiser1]

Taking the damage is one of the components of casting the spell. If you can't take the damage, then you can't cast the spell. It's no different than if you can't speak a verbal component, or can't move your hands for a somatic component.
No, "Sacrifice" is not a standard component. Most components (like Material or XP, or even Verbal and Somatic) are indeed "paid" when casting the spell, and need to be paid for the spell to go off. However, "Sacrifice" isn't really a component like the others, because according to BoED: "The sacrifice occurs when the spell's duration expires. (No sanctified spell has a permanent duration.)"

In other words, a Sacrifice "component" isn't a cost, but rather an extra effect that happens at the end of the spell. That means if you're immune to the effect, it doesn't take place. You can't have a rule like "if you're immune, you can't cast the spell", because you could always not be immune when you cast the spell, and then make yourself immune right before its duration ends. Casting buffs like Sheltered Vitality (SpC) which make you immune to ability damage and drain are great for characters who intend to cast a bunch of Sanctified spells. :smallbiggrin:

[Yogibear41]

Well, seeing as the sacrifice cost comes at the end, I was thinking maybe its a less of a I have to pay this to make this spell work type deal, but more of a this spell is so awesome and I feel so great!! but now that its over my body is drained from having casted something so awesome so I take this here ability damage, but oh wait I'm immune to that! So I don't take the damage yay!

To me it feels like less of a requirement because it isn't payed up front, and more of a "side effect" or "hang-over" after the fact.

[Angelalex242]

Sanctified magic is the holiest magic around. So I think the question is, do the Gods of Light want casters to take the damage?

Because if they do, they'll take a dim ethical view of exalted characters trying to get around the rules. (and you probably won't be exalted anymore if you mess around like that.)

If it's just an unfortunate side effect, however, you're free to get around it if you can.

[Cruiser1]

Because if they do, they'll take a dim ethical view of exalted characters trying to get around the rules.
Fortunately, the only restriction on casting Sanctified spells is that "evil characters cannot cast sanctified spells, including ones cast from magic items". That means even neutral characters can cast Sanctified spells. You don't have to be Exalted or even good. :smalltongue:

[Yogibear41]

What if you aren't trying to "get around" not taking the damage, but happen to be something like a construct or a deathless that is just innately immune to such things?

[Icewraith]

I run it as "creatures permanently incapable of taking the ability damage (i.e. have nonability scores) can't cast sanctified spells, creatures that have an appropriate stat score can cast sanctified spells but the ability damage bypasses their immunity".

[RisenRuin]

I read through all of this, and people seem to ignore that the spell has "SACRIFICE" as a component, you can't just ignore components!
" Components: In addition to the standard components defined in the Player's Handbook, some of the spells in the Book of Exalted Deeds have the following special components"
" Sacrifice: The caster must sacrifice physical or mental energy noted for casting a sanctified spell."
If anyone would read that, it says the caster must sacrifice, there's no getting around the sacrifice cost. Spells won't save you from the divines taking their due!

[zergling.exe]

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