I'm seeking clarification regarding the casting times for spells cast using the Staff of the Magi and the Staff of the Woodlands. Both items have similar wording in their descriptions:
Staff of the Woodlands: "You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff’s charges to cast one of the following spells..."
In a Sage Advice clarification, Jeremy Crawford addressed the Staff of the Woodlands, stating that casting awaken as an action supersedes its usual 8-hour casting time.
Given the similar wording, does this imply that spells like conjure elemental cast from the Staff of the Magi would also have their casting times reduced to an action, despite the spell's normal one-minute casting time? Or should the original casting times be maintained unless explicitly stated otherwise?
I appreciate any insights or official rulings on this matter.
In the 2024 DMG, these items no longer contain the text saying the spells take an action to cast.
Staff of the Woodlands: "Spells. While holding the staff, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell."
Staff of the Magi: "Spells. While holding the staff, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell."
In addition, the rules for casting spells from items have been clarified:
"Spells Cast from Items
Some magic items allow the user to cast a spell from the item. The spell is cast at the lowest possible spell and caster level, doesn’t expend any of the user’s spell slots, and requires no components unless the item’s description notes otherwise. The spell uses its normal casting time, range, and duration, and the user of the item must concentrate if the spell requires Concentration. Many items, such as Potions, bypass the casting of a spell and confer the spell’s effects with its usual duration. Certain items make exceptions to these rules, changing the casting time, duration, or other parts of a spell."
In general, spells cast from magic items require their normal casting time and have their normal range and duration UNLESS the magic items specifically states otherwise.
In the 2024 rules, neither the Staff of the Woodlands nor the Staff of the Magi have text that changes the casting time of any of the spells - so they require their normal casting times.
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TL;DR ... in the 2014 rules the Staff of the Magi and Staff of the Woodlands contained explicit exceptions to the casting times of the spells they contained allowing them to be cast as an action ... in the 2024 rules this has been eliminated and casting the spells from these items requires they spell's normal casting time.
So the answer to your poll depends on whether you are using the 2014 or 2024 rules ...
Thank you for your response. I am not just saying that because it agrees with the position i was taking for the 2014 rules :)
Your response was very clear and I had not considered the wording for the 2024 version because I do not own it.
Everything I have seen so far (to be sure it is not very much), make me think I do not want to either. Seems like everything was a nerf for spell casters. Which has nothing to do with your excellent response and I am going off on a tangent.
TL;DR ... in the 2014 rules the Staff of the Magi and Staff of the Woodlands contained explicit exceptions to the casting times of the spells they contained allowing them to be cast as an action ... in the 2024 rules this has been eliminated and casting the spells from these items requires they spell's normal casting time.
So the answer to your poll depends on whether you are using the 2014 or 2024 rules ...
In the 2024 rules, the poll is a trick question. Conjure Elemental has a one action casting time.
Also applies just fine to the 2014 rules. Yes, only takes an action, the text overrides the typical casting time. In fact, if you were playing the 2014 staff in the 2024 rules (such as if a DM allowed both versions as variants in the world, it doesn't break the game after all), it would still be an action because the 2024 rules still allow items to change casting times.
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Hello fellow adventurers,
I'm seeking clarification regarding the casting times for spells cast using the Staff of the Magi and the Staff of the Woodlands. Both items have similar wording in their descriptions:
Staff of the Woodlands: "You can use an action to expend 1 or more of the staff’s charges to cast one of the following spells..."
Staff of the Magi: "While holding the staff, you can use an action to expend some of its charges to cast one of the following spells..."
In a Sage Advice clarification, Jeremy Crawford addressed the Staff of the Woodlands, stating that casting awaken as an action supersedes its usual 8-hour casting time.
Given the similar wording, does this imply that spells like conjure elemental cast from the Staff of the Magi would also have their casting times reduced to an action, despite the spell's normal one-minute casting time? Or should the original casting times be maintained unless explicitly stated otherwise?
I appreciate any insights or official rulings on this matter.
Thank you!
In the 2024 DMG, these items no longer contain the text saying the spells take an action to cast.
Staff of the Woodlands: "Spells. While holding the staff, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell."
Staff of the Magi: "Spells. While holding the staff, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell."
In addition, the rules for casting spells from items have been clarified:
"Spells Cast from Items
Some magic items allow the user to cast a spell from the item. The spell is cast at the lowest possible spell and caster level, doesn’t expend any of the user’s spell slots, and requires no components unless the item’s description notes otherwise. The spell uses its normal casting time, range, and duration, and the user of the item must concentrate if the spell requires Concentration. Many items, such as Potions, bypass the casting of a spell and confer the spell’s effects with its usual duration. Certain items make exceptions to these rules, changing the casting time, duration, or other parts of a spell."
In general, spells cast from magic items require their normal casting time and have their normal range and duration UNLESS the magic items specifically states otherwise.
In the 2024 rules, neither the Staff of the Woodlands nor the Staff of the Magi have text that changes the casting time of any of the spells - so they require their normal casting times.
---------------
TL;DR ... in the 2014 rules the Staff of the Magi and Staff of the Woodlands contained explicit exceptions to the casting times of the spells they contained allowing them to be cast as an action ... in the 2024 rules this has been eliminated and casting the spells from these items requires they spell's normal casting time.
So the answer to your poll depends on whether you are using the 2014 or 2024 rules ...
Thank you for your response. I am not just saying that because it agrees with the position i was taking for the 2014 rules :)
Your response was very clear and I had not considered the wording for the 2024 version because I do not own it.
Everything I have seen so far (to be sure it is not very much), make me think I do not want to either. Seems like everything was a nerf for spell casters. Which has nothing to do with your excellent response and I am going off on a tangent.
Thank you again!
If it helps, most if not all of the summon and conjure spells in 2024 have a casting time of 1 action.
In the 2024 rules, the poll is a trick question. Conjure Elemental has a one action casting time.
Your answer still applies for Staff of the Woodlands and Awaken.
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My houserulings.
Also applies just fine to the 2014 rules. Yes, only takes an action, the text overrides the typical casting time. In fact, if you were playing the 2014 staff in the 2024 rules (such as if a DM allowed both versions as variants in the world, it doesn't break the game after all), it would still be an action because the 2024 rules still allow items to change casting times.