Mastery of Shaping + AMF.. How?

[Stworca]

Hello there, i have a problem understanding how does mastery of shaping allow one to cast spells inside anty-magic field.

The spell creates a field where no spells work, none at all. Mastery of Shaping allows you to create a hole in the field, so that your character aint affected by it... But there still is an anti-magic field everywhere around you, doesn't this mean that you still cant cast any spell other than the self ones?

And if you can cast spells from within the AMF on target outside of it, cant all enemies from outside the sphere cast spells on you?

If you cant cast spells other then self ones, then its hardly usefull (it has some uses, but not worth suffering a spell slot to get mastery of shaping) and if you can cast spells outside of it, but can be targeted from outside aswell.. whats the point?

UNLESS Mastery of Shaping allows you to change the area of spells each round, as a free / standard action.. then it would make sense and be very, very usefull.

How does it work?

Regards and sorry for the level of my english

[Kheros]

anti-magic field is a zone, nothing works there, nada. You can't cast things on anything or anyone inside such a field.

I assume you're talking about the Mastery of Shaping from the Archmage and other like prestige classes....That won't work with anti-magic field at all. You can cast spells around the field, but then again you can also cast a normal fireball outside it and get the same effect without shaping it.

The RAW rules dilemma is when you are inside one and casting out. Some say you can't and some argue that you can....it depends on your definition of magic and DM.

Personally I'd say one can't

You can check the optimization forums on the WotC boards. They're still there and active.

[GawainBS]

Mastery of Shaping DOES work with AMF. Mastery of Shaping includes "Emation" area spells, and AMF is one.
As for its uses: a fully buffed up Wizard (or Fighter/Wizard/Swiftblade/... You get the idea) that can't be affected by a lot of spells? What's not to like? Spells would be one of the few things that could stop him anyway.

As for which spells work into or out of it, look at the spell's area of effect/range. If it has to go through the AMF to reach its destination, it doesn't work.
Example: Ray of Frost doesn't work, since it's a ray that starts at the caster and ends at the target. Flamestrike does work (on the Shaped-out areas, or behind the AMF) since its effect is a cylinder, 10ft radius burst, 40ft high, with no direct connection between caster & target.

Magic Missile, RAW, has no "ray" between the caster and target, so wouldn't be affected. However, given the name and description, it would be very reasonable to say that it doesn't work.
Same goes for Fireball, since its description says that you launch a bead of fire at the target. So long as that bead doesn't enter the AMF, all is fine.To complicate things a bit: magic in an AMF isn't dispelled, it's suppressed. So as soon as it leaves the AMF, it works again. Does that Fireball bead works once it is past the AMF and burst in the Shaped areas? Since it is instantenious, I'd say it doesn't work. (I know, now you can argue that it can't ever travel a given distance with this reasoning, but that's much too metaphysical.)

In short: if it doesn't need a connection between caster & target, it works in Shaped Areas; if it does require a connection, it doesn't work. That's RAW.
Personally, I stick to this, with some exceptions like Magic Missile.
Work it out with your DM beforehand.

[Stworca]

What about the last question, can you re-shape (using mastery of shaping) emanation spells that last longer then 1 round? I couldn't find a rule about that.

[GawainBS]

There's no rule for it. Going by what's written, I'd say you're stuck with what you have shapen when you casted it at first. Ruling that you can re-shape it via a Swift Action seems fair to me.