Ongoing Spells and Death

[Gilneas]

I have a quick question. If a Cleric, in a battle, casts Bless, Hold Person and Blade Barrier; and is killed in the next round, do his spells immediately end? Or do they persist until their duration expires?

I can't find anything about that, thanks for the help!

[Miles Invictus]

They persist until their durations expire. I don't know if it ever explicitly says so, but it's the simplest and most sensible interpretation.

The alternate interpretation -- spells stop when the caster dies -- creates complications with permanent spells and circumstances where the caster dies and is revived before the spells would have normally expired. It also suggests that magical weapons could plausibly lose their enchantments after the crafter dies.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

Miles Invictus is correct, there is nothing that suggests that spells ends when the caster dies unless they require the caster's concentration. When a spell has been cast it effects continue until its duration expires.

However, it is worth noting that some spell will stop working if the caster dies simply because the spell does not affect objects.
The target of the spell has to be legal for the duration and a corpse is considered an object, not a creature.
If you happen to be under the effect of a spell that has you or a creature as a target the effect will stop regardless of who cast it.

[Douglas]

However, it is worth noting that some spell will stop working if the caster dies simply because the spell does not affect objects.
The target of the spell has to be legal for the duration and a corpse is considered an object, not a creature.
If you happen to be under the effect of a spell that has you or a creature as a target the effect will stop regardless of who cast it.

The FAQ disagrees

A spell only checks to see if you are a legal target when it is cast. If you become an illegal target later (such as via the polymorph spell), the spell remains in effect.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

I had completely forgotten that piece of text. Now we can have corpses emanating all kind of niceties.

[MorkaisChosen]

That can give all kinds of opportunities for killing things- cast some kind of harmful aura on someone and feed them to the Tarrasque...

[Swordguy]

That can give all kinds of opportunities for killing things- cast some kind of harmful aura on someone and feed them to the Tarrasque...

That's old. A favorite is casting a bunch of Contingent spells (Fireballs, Prismatic Sphere, Disintegrate, etc) with the trigger "upon the death of the target" on a mouse or something, and throwing it into the maw of a ravenous beast.

Then have fun watching the DM rationalize said beast getting to make a Reflex save against explosives in its own stomach.

More fun is to do this with an antimagic field when faced with savage, live-animal-eating spellcasters. Have the rogue slip several contingent mice in their food bucket ahead of time. Is it suboptimal? Sure. It's funny as heck though.

[tyckspoon]

That's old. A favorite is casting a bunch of Contingent spells (Fireballs, Prismatic Sphere, Disintegrate, etc) with the trigger "upon the death of the target" on a mouse or something, and throwing it into the maw of a ravenous beast.

Only works if you're using Craft Contingent Spell.. which is limited by the subject's HD, so in order to get any decent number of spells on there you're gonna have to do it with a Polymorphed giant or similar. Also, expensive, since Craft Contingent works off the item crafting rules. Makes a nice novelty bomb, at least.

More fun is to do this with an antimagic field when faced with savage, live-animal-eating spellcasters. Have the rogue slip several contingent mice in their food bucket ahead of time. Is it suboptimal? Sure. It's funny as heck though.

Completely solid barriers- like stomach walls- block line of effect. It's probably just as entertaining for the DM when he tells you you have successfully rendered the contents of somebody's stomach nonmagical.

[Swordguy]

Completely solid barriers- like stomach walls- block line of effect. It's probably just as entertaining for the DM when he tells you you have successfully rendered the contents of somebody's stomach nonmagical.

But the creature can't cast spells, as part of it is within the area of effect of the AM field. That's the point.

[MorkaisChosen]

But if that's true, the completely solid barrier of someone's skin would block it, too- so you could only disenchant their skin when you cast it normally.