At your tables, do players announce that they are changing out spells when they do, or do they just do it?
a DM might be able to keep track of what spells a couple players have prep'ed at level 1-2, but it gets impossible as levels/players go up. No point in announcing it if no one is tracking it.
Okay, here's the thing. Using Cleric as the example wording:
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
This actually tells us two things:
1. You change spells only at the end of a long rest. No, it doesn't say only. No, it doesn't need to. You can't change them any time it doesn't say you can.
2. Preparing the new list requires at least 1 minute for each level of spell on your list that you're preparing. (Wizard has similar wording but wizard-flavored instead.)
When you put these together, that tells us the prep time must be at the end of your long rest. If you do other things after your long rest, that's new activity and your window has closed.
Now, here's the thing. The PHB considers eating a strenuous activity. With that in mind, since the PHB allows up to 2 hours of said activity as part of a long rest, breakfast could be ruled to be part of the long rest and not interrupt the process.
One thing to keep in mind that I think many ignore (I tend to do so) is that the time required to prepare spells is a significant increase in rest time for higher level casters.
Level 1: 2 minutes
Level 5: 16 minutes
Level 12: 47 minutes
Level 20: 93 minutes
In addition, can you change individual spells or do you have to prepare the entire "list" at once even if only one spell changes? Since the rules state that you "can" change the spells, this implies that you don't have to prepare spells if you don't plan to change any. However, preparing the new "list" specifies a time for every spell in the list - not just the ones that may have changed. Personally, I would allow preparation of only the spells that change but it doesn't appear to be strictly RAW.
Finally :), the 1 minute/spell level rule when the time is simply added to the end of a long rest seems like a bit of excess detail given the general simplification philosophy of 5e. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't just leave the rule at "You can have a new list of spells prepared at the end of a long rest."
It specifically says that's the time you need to prepare new spells, so it only matter for ones you're swapping in, and in my experience people rarely trade out more than a handful of spells over a rest.
At your tables, do players announce that they are changing out spells when they do, or do they just do it?
No not really. Might notify the DM if one of the new spells have particular issues of some kind that the DM might want to know about. Silvery Barbs for example means that the player might want to react to some of the DM's dice rolls so it might be useful that they know to add a little pause before continuing with whatever comes after the dice roll. But if it is just changing one attacking/healing/control spell for another attacking/healing/control spell then there is little use.
Okay, here's the thing. Using Cleric as the example wording:
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
This actually tells us two things:
1. You change spells only at the end of a long rest. No, it doesn't say only. No, it doesn't need to. You can't change them any time it doesn't say you can.
2. Preparing the new list requires at least 1 minute for each level of spell on your list that you're preparing. (Wizard has similar wording but wizard-flavored instead.)
When you put these together, that tells us the prep time must be at the end of your long rest. If you do other things after your long rest, that's new activity and your window has closed.
Now, here's the thing. The PHB considers eating a strenuous activity. With that in mind, since the PHB allows up to 2 hours of said activity as part of a long rest, breakfast could be ruled to be part of the long rest and not interrupt the process.
One thing to keep in mind that I think many ignore (I tend to do so) is that the time required to prepare spells is a significant increase in rest time for higher level casters.
Level 1: 2 minutes
Level 5: 16 minutes
Level 12: 47 minutes
Level 20: 93 minutes
In addition, can you change individual spells or do you have to prepare the entire "list" at once even if only one spell changes? Since the rules state that you "can" change the spells, this implies that you don't have to prepare spells if you don't plan to change any. However, preparing the new "list" specifies a time for every spell in the list - not just the ones that may have changed. Personally, I would allow preparation of only the spells that change but it doesn't appear to be strictly RAW.
Finally :), the 1 minute/spell level rule when the time is simply added to the end of a long rest seems like a bit of excess detail given the general simplification philosophy of 5e. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't just leave the rule at "You can have a new list of spells prepared at the end of a long rest."
It specifically says that's the time you need to prepare new spells, so it only matter for ones you're swapping in, and in my experience people rarely trade out more than a handful of spells over a rest.
No, it doesn't say that, which is the basis for my question.
"You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
"You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
RAW, the rules tell you that you can change "your list of prepared spells" and that the time required to prepare your LIST is "1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
RAW does NOT address the preparation of individual spells, it only discusses preparing lists. So, if you change out one spell, the character has a different list and RAW needs to spend the time to prepare the entire list and not just the one spell that is changed.
Just FYI, that isn't how I run it, I allow the changed spells to be prepared individually and don't require the LIST to be prepared but that is not what RAW says.
At your tables, do players announce that they are changing out spells when they do, or do they just do it?
I imagine that there are certain types of players at some tables who always just happen to have exactly the right spell prepared. In that case, the DM might decide to take extra precautions about making sure they know what spells are prepared and when players want to change after a rest or via some other feature.
Yeah, the rules don't specify that you only prepare for the spells you're swapping, they read to me more that you reprepare the entire list if you change any. My tables don't have to do that, I allow them just to swap out what they need.
why would anyone ever prepare spells at the end of a long rest if they could just wait and see what they needed?
Or as a fighter, id always heal one less than max, so if i went to zero, i could say "hey now i want that last hp back i am owed" and boom i am at 1 and no death saves.
why would anyone ever prepare spells at the end of a long rest if they could just wait and see what they needed?
Or as a fighter, id always heal one less than max, so if i went to zero, i could say "hey now i want that last hp back i am owed" and boom i am at 1 and no death saves.
Why would you add a zero-contribution post 8 months after the last post?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
a DM might be able to keep track of what spells a couple players have prep'ed at level 1-2, but it gets impossible as levels/players go up. No point in announcing it if no one is tracking it.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
It specifically says that's the time you need to prepare new spells, so it only matter for ones you're swapping in, and in my experience people rarely trade out more than a handful of spells over a rest.
No not really. Might notify the DM if one of the new spells have particular issues of some kind that the DM might want to know about. Silvery Barbs for example means that the player might want to react to some of the DM's dice rolls so it might be useful that they know to add a little pause before continuing with whatever comes after the dice roll. But if it is just changing one attacking/healing/control spell for another attacking/healing/control spell then there is little use.
No, it doesn't say that, which is the basis for my question.
"You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of cleric spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
"You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
RAW, the rules tell you that you can change "your list of prepared spells" and that the time required to prepare your LIST is "1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list."
RAW does NOT address the preparation of individual spells, it only discusses preparing lists. So, if you change out one spell, the character has a different list and RAW needs to spend the time to prepare the entire list and not just the one spell that is changed.
Just FYI, that isn't how I run it, I allow the changed spells to be prepared individually and don't require the LIST to be prepared but that is not what RAW says.
I imagine that there are certain types of players at some tables who always just happen to have exactly the right spell prepared. In that case, the DM might decide to take extra precautions about making sure they know what spells are prepared and when players want to change after a rest or via some other feature.
Yeah, the rules don't specify that you only prepare for the spells you're swapping, they read to me more that you reprepare the entire list if you change any. My tables don't have to do that, I allow them just to swap out what they need.
why would anyone ever prepare spells at the end of a long rest if they could just wait and see what they needed?
Or as a fighter, id always heal one less than max, so if i went to zero, i could say "hey now i want that last hp back i am owed" and boom i am at 1 and no death saves.
Why would you add a zero-contribution post 8 months after the last post?