Stone shield says "A 1-inch-thick slab of stone springs up from the ground, interposing itself between you and an opponent of your choice."
If you don't have an opponent nearby, can you still cast this spell?
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\$\begingroup\$ Curiosity: The spell's duration is but 1 round. What else did you want to use the spell for except to defend against attacks? \$\endgroup\$– Hey I Can ChanSep 2, 2018 at 1:06
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\$\begingroup\$ Yeah I think the context is important. I could see it being used against a trap... but I feel like most GM's would allow you to consider a trap an 'opponent' for the purposes of the spell. It doesn't say Creature... Although if that's the question, it's valid to ask \$\endgroup\$– IfusasoSep 2, 2018 at 5:11
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\$\begingroup\$ There's no available context. I was reading the spell and wondered what that language meant. \$\endgroup\$– JoshuaDSep 2, 2018 at 5:49
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1 Answer
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Go ahead… but the stone shield's probably wasted
This GM would allow a (paranoid?) caster to cast the stone shield spell even while the caster is, in fact, totally alone.
The stone shield spell is a spell that creates an effect at a range of 0 ft. and not a spell with Target entry of one or more creature (see Aiming a Spell on Target or Targets). Thus the caster needn't "be able to see or touch the target, [nor] must [the caster] specifically choose that target," because the spell has no target. The caster can cast the spell, pick to have the spell's effect try "interposing itself between [the caster] and an opponent" that's hundreds of miles away, on a different plane, or that doesn't actually exist… and for 1 round gain cover from that absent or nonexistent enemy. Yay?
This GM would have a stone shield effect that was designated to affect a nonexistent or absent foe spin around the caster pointlessly, doing nothing and providing no cover against any enemies. Unless the foe the caster picked when the spell stone shield was cast actually does show up during the spell's 1 round duration, the spell will do nothing, essentially failing because "the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform" to the reality of the caster's situation.
answered Sep 2, 2018 at 6:49
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\$\begingroup\$ Would it make a difference if the caster knew there was an invisible/ hidden enemy lurking about? \$\endgroup\$ Sep 3, 2018 at 14:15
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\$\begingroup\$ @JesseCohoon I'd allow the caster to designate the stone shield effect as affecting that invisible dude trying to kill me. However, were there multiple invisible dudes trying to kill the caster, I'd have the stone shield effect only affect the first attacker. \$\endgroup\$ Sep 3, 2018 at 14:21