In the game I'm currently DMing, I was asked "when can I change my list of prepared spells?"
According to the rules, for spell casting classes that prepare spells, it takes 1 minute per spell level on your list to change your list of prepared spells. But it's a bit vague on when exactly this period of preparation takes place. It states in the book that you can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. The Sage Advice Compendium clarified this in as much as it limited the preparation of a new list to immediately after a long rest. And Jeremy Crawford has also stated tangentially that "When the rules refer to something happening at the end of a rest, they do mean it happens when the rest ends, not before or after." This doesn't help resolve the case here though because the preparation of a spell list takes some time, so preparation time must either begin before or end after the end of a long rest. I've heard cases made for this both ways.
One interpretation is that when the rules say "You can change your list ..." they are referring to you the player and that therefore the preparation time happens during the long rest itself. It is only the result that you (the player) write out at the end of the long rest. This has a number of problems. The first is that in every other instance of 'you' in that section, the rules are unambiguously referring to your character. After all, it is not you the player casting spells, or studying, memorizing, praying, meditating, etc. (At least I hope not.) Another problem is that it is possible for a high level character to require more than the 2 hours of light activity allowed during a long rest to complete the task (and that's assuming that studying and memorizing spells is even considered light activity.)
The other interpretation is that your character must start preparing spells immediately after finishing the long rest. This makes sense to me if the in game explanation is that the spell caster is clearing their mind ready to accept a new list of spells. But this still raises questions, such as what happens if your preparation is interrupted? Are all of your spells gone? Do you exchange some of the spells? Or do you retain all of your previously prepared spells?
I do know that during the play test, the wording was different and you could prepare spells whenever you wanted. But this was judged to be too adaptable so that wording was removed. I suspect then, that the time required to change your list of prepared spells is a carry over from the earlier play test materials and possibly no longer relevant. However, I do quite like the mechanical implications of time pressure and risk / reward resulting from a large list of prepared spells. I might house rule it since the existing rules are a bit contradictory and arbitrary as they stand.
What are your thoughts? How do you handle the changing of prepared spells in your games?
You prepare your spells immediately after finishing a long rest. That means you finish the long rest and then start preparing, however long it takes you. You can't start before the long rest is complete.
If you're prevented from changing your spells for whatever reason then you keep yesterday's spells.
It's 1 minute per spell level. Change a couple spells, no big deal... hardly even worth tracking. Besides, who changes their ENTIRE list of spells in one go?
I can't imagine a "fun" scenario where a magic user would need to track the time they take to swap spells, AFTER having taken a long rest, ie: 8 hours uninterrupted.
I guess my opinion is, is it worth your game time to bother?
I’m pretty sure the definition of a Long Rest is 6 hours sleeping, 2 hours downtime. I’m not positive on that, but if it is the case, then I’m sure the 2 hours downtime is enough time to prepare your spells every day
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Yeah, we are talking about an activity that takes usually a few minutes, and at most an hour and a half. This must be done at breakfast time for unknown reasons. I can see no reason why this shouldn't be ignored and rolled into the long rest itself, with the spell slots recharging and the prepared list refreshing at the same moment.
It's 1 minute per spell level. Change a couple spells, no big deal... hardly even worth tracking. Besides, who changes their ENTIRE list of spells in one go?
Rules as written, it's 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
"A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than 2 hours."
That is a snippet from the description of Long Rest. As such, 2 hours to re-write a handful of spells, during your long rest, is both implied and applicable.
I can't imagine a "fun" scenario where a magic user would need to track the time they take to swap spells, AFTER having taken a long rest, ie: 8 hours uninterrupted.
Yeah, I think the timings were given as a mechanism for changing spell lists during the adventuring day, which made more sense than tying it to the long rest, but it was removed for balance.
However, as I said, this was a question from a player. And if my player is interested enough to ask the question then I'm guessing it's because he's invested enough in his character to want to know how this functions. And I then see it as my duty as DM to exploit that system for good and for ill. A crafty villain, for example, might exploit the restrictions on spell preparation by stealing a wizard's spell book during the long rest. Particularly if he knows the wizard needs to prepare a particular spell to defeat his plans.
Also, I note that the rules don't specify that it has to be at the end of an uninterrupted long rest. If your long rest is interrupted you gain no benefit from the long rest itself according to the rules. But can you still prepare a new list of spells?
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In the game I'm currently DMing, I was asked "when can I change my list of prepared spells?"
According to the rules, for spell casting classes that prepare spells, it takes 1 minute per spell level on your list to change your list of prepared spells. But it's a bit vague on when exactly this period of preparation takes place. It states in the book that you can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. The Sage Advice Compendium clarified this in as much as it limited the preparation of a new list to immediately after a long rest. And Jeremy Crawford has also stated tangentially that "When the rules refer to something happening at the end of a rest, they do mean it happens when the rest ends, not before or after." This doesn't help resolve the case here though because the preparation of a spell list takes some time, so preparation time must either begin before or end after the end of a long rest. I've heard cases made for this both ways.
One interpretation is that when the rules say "You can change your list ..." they are referring to you the player and that therefore the preparation time happens during the long rest itself. It is only the result that you (the player) write out at the end of the long rest. This has a number of problems. The first is that in every other instance of 'you' in that section, the rules are unambiguously referring to your character. After all, it is not you the player casting spells, or studying, memorizing, praying, meditating, etc. (At least I hope not.) Another problem is that it is possible for a high level character to require more than the 2 hours of light activity allowed during a long rest to complete the task (and that's assuming that studying and memorizing spells is even considered light activity.)
The other interpretation is that your character must start preparing spells immediately after finishing the long rest. This makes sense to me if the in game explanation is that the spell caster is clearing their mind ready to accept a new list of spells. But this still raises questions, such as what happens if your preparation is interrupted? Are all of your spells gone? Do you exchange some of the spells? Or do you retain all of your previously prepared spells?
I do know that during the play test, the wording was different and you could prepare spells whenever you wanted. But this was judged to be too adaptable so that wording was removed. I suspect then, that the time required to change your list of prepared spells is a carry over from the earlier play test materials and possibly no longer relevant. However, I do quite like the mechanical implications of time pressure and risk / reward resulting from a large list of prepared spells. I might house rule it since the existing rules are a bit contradictory and arbitrary as they stand.
What are your thoughts? How do you handle the changing of prepared spells in your games?
You prepare your spells immediately after finishing a long rest. That means you finish the long rest and then start preparing, however long it takes you. You can't start before the long rest is complete.
If you're prevented from changing your spells for whatever reason then you keep yesterday's spells.
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It's 1 minute per spell level. Change a couple spells, no big deal... hardly even worth tracking. Besides, who changes their ENTIRE list of spells in one go?
I can't imagine a "fun" scenario where a magic user would need to track the time they take to swap spells, AFTER having taken a long rest, ie: 8 hours uninterrupted.
I guess my opinion is, is it worth your game time to bother?
I’m pretty sure the definition of a Long Rest is 6 hours sleeping, 2 hours downtime. I’m not positive on that, but if it is the case, then I’m sure the 2 hours downtime is enough time to prepare your spells every day
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Yeah, we are talking about an activity that takes usually a few minutes, and at most an hour and a half. This must be done at breakfast time for unknown reasons. I can see no reason why this shouldn't be ignored and rolled into the long rest itself, with the spell slots recharging and the prepared list refreshing at the same moment.
Rules as written, it's 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
"A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch for no more than 2 hours."
That is a snippet from the description of Long Rest. As such, 2 hours to re-write a handful of spells, during your long rest, is both implied and applicable.
Yeah, I think the timings were given as a mechanism for changing spell lists during the adventuring day, which made more sense than tying it to the long rest, but it was removed for balance.
However, as I said, this was a question from a player. And if my player is interested enough to ask the question then I'm guessing it's because he's invested enough in his character to want to know how this functions. And I then see it as my duty as DM to exploit that system for good and for ill. A crafty villain, for example, might exploit the restrictions on spell preparation by stealing a wizard's spell book during the long rest. Particularly if he knows the wizard needs to prepare a particular spell to defeat his plans.
Also, I note that the rules don't specify that it has to be at the end of an uninterrupted long rest. If your long rest is interrupted you gain no benefit from the long rest itself according to the rules. But can you still prepare a new list of spells?