## Moving either version should break the spell, at DMs discretion

As [Jack points out][1], Glyph of Warding has nearly the same language. 

The designer intend of this language as [shared by Mike Mearls in a tweet][3] was:

> if you can move it, it's an object can can't go more than 10 feet from casting point

[As Thomas inferred][4], the surface is the option that cannot be moved in practical terms, so you only need the movement clause for the object case.

However, as a table would normally [qualify as an object under game term definitions][5], this caused problems and confusion. 

Glyph is much more heavily played<sup>1</sup> and thus has been a source of questions, while Symbol has not. Its language has [been errataed in 2016][2] to include the following sentence:

> If the **surface or object is moved** more than 10 feet from where you cast this spell, the glyph is broken, and the spell ends without being triggered 

The errata solved the issue by making sure it breaks the spell if either is moved. So why did they not apply the same errata to Symbol?

One could argue that Symbol is much higher level, and therefore moving it is an option that they consciously left in. Because frankly, you can upcast glyph to any level and cause effects with it that are just as nasty as Symbol's, so what is the point of Symbol then at 5 times the gp cost, to conserve an extra slot when prepping the effect? 

Or, it could simply have been an oversight, as Symbol did not come up. We cannot know for sure. 



Strictly as written, you could move it if you chose the surface option. That makes little logical sense, as you point out yourself. So, you as the DM need to decide, how you want this to play out. 

I think it was just an oversight, and **you should play it as if it would also break on surfaces if moved**, but you can decide against it and follow the text. 

P.S. If you really wanted them to bring pre-cast symbols along, they could cast them on the [surface walls of a protable hole][6] or [Demiplane][7]. I think these are pretty "gamey" tactics, though.

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<sup>1</sup> *[90% of play happens in tier 1 and 2][8], where players can use Glyph but not yet Symbol.* 


  [1]: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/199307/do-i-understand-the-difference-between-the-two-versions-of-symbol-and-why-would/199309#199309
  [2]: https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/PH-Errata.pdf
  [3]: https://twitter.com/mikemearls/status/750393751214764032
  [4]: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/199307/do-i-understand-the-difference-between-the-two-versions-of-symbol-and-why-would/199310#199310
  [5]: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/95532/what-is-considered-an-object
  [6]: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/113708/can-the-portable-hole-magic-item-be-used-to-get-around-the-10-foot-movement-rest
  [7]: https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/demiplane
  [8]: https://www.enworld.org/threads/90-of-d-d-games-stop-by-level-10-wizards-more-popular-at-higher-levels.666097/