When are you "in range" of a spell's effects?

Question

Based on this question: Can I dismiss a spell one target at a time?

A follow-up. When are you considered "in range" of a spell's effects?

The SRD says:

If the Duration line ends with "(D)," you can dismiss the spell at will. You must be within range of the spell’s effect and must speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modified form of the spell’s verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, you can dismiss the effect with a gesture. Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

But no range is specified. Is this the spell's original range? What if the spell targets multiple targets that can move individually? Say you cast Hide from Undead on 3 people and yourself, and two of them move away. Can you still end the spell because it's affecting you? Does the spell end for everyone, including those now out of range? Or must everyone return to touch-range before you can end the spell?

Answer 1

RAW, yes it is the spell original range. Also yes you can dismiss a spell on one target and keep it working on another.

If you cast a touch spell, you must touch each target again to dispel it.

That said, in my games I usually let the caster dismiss beneficial spells at will (like flight), just by wishing it, if it is reasonable (across a room is reasonable, across a country is not).

For harmful spells, RAW. I had once a very interesting situation where the players had to convince an evil wizard to dispel a curse he had casted on someone. But to dispel it, he had to touch the person.

Should they let the wizard cast (and dispel) and risk something worse? Or should they try to dismiss it themselves (potentially taking longer)?

It was an epic level campaign, so Mord disjuntcion wouldn't do the trick (too easy).

Answer 2

In the case of Hide from Undead (undead cannot see, hear, or smell) the range of the spell's effect would be however far away that seeing, hearing or smelling would not be possible (where the undead would have no perception roll). So, the spell caster would have to be within range of seeing, hearing or smelling that character to dispel.

Other spells would end once the creature is out of the spell's range, so this dispelling rule would not apply.

Answer 3

Hide undead has a range of Touch. By RAW, that means you would need to touch the target to dismiss the spell on them.

This does raise an interesting situation, though! If you can dismiss the effect on individuals, you would only be able to dismiss it on yourself and those within touch range. If you CANNOT dismiss the effect on individuals, you could dismiss the effect on everyone by dismissing it from yourself, since you're always within touch range.

(Great, now I have a Divinyls song running through my head.)