Levitation question

[The Dark Elf]

Forgetting reasons why one should want to; in game context can you cast levitation and then re-cast it from however high up you are to extended your distance in the air?

If you answer no, what about this example; along side you is a rope (or ladder). You rise then grab hold of it. You cast levitation again and rise further from that point but the actual ground beneath you is far away...

Pls help.

P.S. this is my first poll so if it's screwed up lemme know.

[Nekira Sudacne]

There's a much simpler example that should clarify things, I think.

Your standing on the roof of a hundred story building. You use Levitate--does it do anything. If so, why, if not, why not.

Me? I say you have to have some kind of platform under you to use as a basis

[Severus Snape]

Nekira, would you allow levitate to be used on a falling object?

[Cinos]

This is one of the few things I've seen around here that's made me rooster my head and ask "really?".

So levitate lifts you X Feet off the ground. This is a constant. If you are 100 Feet up on a building, then cast the spell, you are 30 Feet (or whatever) above that building. If you walk off the edge, you will drop down to 30 feet off the ground (for a 100 Foot Drop). The real question is how soft does Levitate make that drop, is it like hitting the ground, or does it offer some reduction in momentum before bottoming out, or is the momentum too great for it to deal with at all, and you literally hit dirt before your corpse floats back up.

In addition, if you can re-cast levitate to 'stack' the ceiling, what's stopping a player from just casting Armor of Ithan six times and going to town, or Befuddle twice to udderly screw an opponent (either no attacks or 1/4th your attacks, depending on how the GM wishes to apply the math). Wall onto another Wall spells? Sweet! Fly on Fly? I can double (triple, etc) my flight ceiling and speed? Awesome! Blind a blinded target? Now we're getting abstract but you get the point. The only thing recasting a spell on a target affected by that spell should do is renew the spells duration (and deductible powers, like SDC).

[The Dark Elf]

So you would rule that you could not cast it on a boat (or space) ship that was more than the limit above ground level?

I have no definitive on this (hence the poll) but the question is not about "stacking" but re-defining the starting point of the spell as being from where the caster was located when he casts the spell. Could be the immediate action after it has run out so perhaps the can you levitate is falling is a related point of view...

Btw, you cant stack spells effects, if you cast armour it would simply be renewed.

[drewkitty ~..~]

I have no definitive on this (hence the poll) but the question is not about "stacking" but re-defining the starting point of the spell as being from where the caster was located when he casts the spell.

The spell caster can target people/objects up to 60 ft away (range). The spell itself has an absolute height limit of 60 ft +10 ft per level, per the BoM pg. 94.

This would apply regardless of re-casting, or reaching the top and casting on a different object, etc. Similar to the way most planes have a maximum altitude. Doesn't really matter if the guy takes a plane to that altitude, then jumps on another plane of the same type. Maximum altitude does not stack.

Yep, you would need a variant levitation spell to do any more then what the standard spell does.
If a part of a literate society, see the "Through he Glass Darkly" book for the spell creation and modification rules. If a part of an illiterate society, then see the "Mysteries of Magic 1" book.

[The Dark Elf]

Pls see the same thread in the All things palladium forum.

My question about "altitude" being a maximum point is the starting point. Where do you define the starting point?

Initially one might suggest "the place you are the moment you cast the spell." In which case the repetition of casting would seem fine?

Maybe from the ground? Ground level varies from place to place, especially when you're on a boat or in the air, so what is the maximum distance?

In the other forum they are also discussing "ground" - cant leviatte an item off a table, or a man cant leviate off a horse etc. etc...

Lots to consider...

[drewkitty ~..~]

General rule of thumb: Levitating a person-sized object would require a ground/surface area beneath the object to be levitated that runs perpendicular to the pull of gravity and with an area <= 10ftx10ft, or roughly the size of your average small bedroom.

Agrees with this RoT.

[barna10]

Just do whatever works for your game and stop wasting game-time debating issues like this.

[The Dark Elf]

Just do whatever works for your game and stop wasting game-time debating issues like this.

It's not for my game. Any opinions on the mechanics? What are your rulings in game?