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The first paragraph of the control winds spell (from Elemental Evil Player's Companion) states that:

You take control of the air in a 100-foot cube that you can see within range. The effect lasts for the spell’s duration, unless you use your action on a later turn to switch to a different effect. You can also use your action to temporarily halt the effect or to restart one you’ve halted.

Does this mean that the spell is limited to the original 100-foot cube for the entire duration of the spell or can you retarget it when you switch to a different effect or halt and restart the effect?

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The target is fixed

Any area spell in which the target area moves is very explicit about that. For example, Antimagic Field is specified to move as the caster does.

In this case, no mention is made of the area of effect moving. Separately, it mentions different possible effects for this area. None of those mention changing the location, either.

On the plus side, this cube is 100 feet on a side. If you use the same battle mat I have and the usual 5' per square, that 20x20 squares will cover most of the mat. Since it's 100' tall as well, that's 1 000 000 cubic feet of air you're controlling. Moving the area around shouldn't be that much of an issue.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ That's what I thought at first till I re-read the first two lines. I read it as the effect (taking control of a cube of air) lasts for the spell’s duration, unless you use your action on a later turn to switch to a different effect. \$\endgroup\$
    – Orvir
    Oct 29, 2016 at 3:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ The spell says "Choose one of the following effects". Selecting a 100' cube of air is in the previous sentence. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joel Harmon
    Oct 29, 2016 at 3:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think is an omission on the part of the writers. Usually, when you have to concentrate for such a long time (1 hour) the area is movable or has other more "permanent" effect as in wall of stone spell. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chepelink
    Oct 29, 2016 at 11:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Chepelink Omission or not, I can only reasonably make judgements on what they actually wrote and the context of that writing. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joel Harmon
    Oct 29, 2016 at 12:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ @JoelHarmon I'm not disagreeing with you (if I were I would rather write an answer explaining why), I just pointed out that it seems odd looking at the duration of the spell and other spell with "long" concentration duration, particular high level ones. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chepelink
    Oct 29, 2016 at 12:29

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