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The spell glyph of warding states:

Casting time: 1 hour

[...]

You can store a prepared spell of 3rd level or lower in the glyph by casting it as part of creating the glyph [...] If you create a spell glyph, you can store any spell of up to the same level as the slot you use for the glyph of warding.

(PHB 246)

Can you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 hour or longer as part of casting a 1 hour spell? If yes, would this make the casting time of the glyph 1 hour + the casting time of the stored spell? Or is this a way to shorten casting times for 200gp a piece?

Szega
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2 Answers2

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You can store any spell of the appropriate level in the glyph of warding*

Glyph of warding states (emphasis mine):

When you inscribe the glyph, choose explosive runes or a spell glyph.

[...]

Spell Glyph. You can store a prepared spell of 3rd level or lower in the glyph by casting it as part of creating the glyph.

[...]

If you create a spell glyph, you can store any spell of up to the same level as the slot you use for the glyph of warding.

Any spell means that there is no restriction* (including longer casting times) of what spell can be cast stored in a glyph of warding.

The secondary spell is cast as you are creating the glyph, not as you are casting the glyph. The glyph is a spell effect you inscribe after you cast the spell (it's an effect that can only come into existence as a result of a successful casting).

If we compare this with the wording of Contingency which requires simultaneous casting (emphasis mine):

Choose a spell of 5th level or lower that you can cast, that has a casting time of 1 action, and that can target you. You cast that spell--called the contingent spell--as part of casting contingency, expending spell slots for both, but the contingent spell doesn''t come into effect.

[...]

The wording of Contingency requires the contingent spell be cast (ie casting completed) during the casting of contingency.

As a result, as part of the inscription process, the secondary spell must be cast. This means the total time spent casting spells for a successful spell glyph of warding is 1 hour + the casting time of the spell to be stored.

*That is, provided the spell meets the targeting criteria for glyph of warding holding the spell, which is:

The spell must target a single creature or an area.

illustro
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  • You cast a spell for entire duration of 1 hour, the first sentence of Glyph states "When you cast this spell" which I argue means during not after – Krzysztof Skibiński Jan 20 '20 at 11:19
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    The description starts with: "When you cast this spell, you inscribe a glyph" Not after it. During it. – Szega Jan 20 '20 at 11:23
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    @Szega It does not say when you are casting but when you cast. If it said casting then then would be during the casting of the spell. By using cast instead of casting the casting of the spell has completed, and we are into the effect of the spell. The effect of the spell is to allow you to inscribe a glyph and imbue it with an effect. – illustro Jan 20 '20 at 12:11
  • @illustro Can you show different spells that requires caster's work while casting a spell, like Teleportation Circle but using "When" word? – Krzysztof Skibiński Jan 20 '20 at 12:39
  • Above cited Teleportation Circle explicitly calls for action during casting, while spell Awaken explicitly says after. Other spells like (True) Ressureciton or Hallow say just "You touch" – Krzysztof Skibiński Jan 20 '20 at 12:42
  • @KrzysztofSkibiński I've got a spell in mind that will show the difference explicitly. Just getting some food – illustro Jan 20 '20 at 12:42
  • @KrzysztofSkibiński added Contingency – illustro Jan 20 '20 at 12:59
  • @illustro You may also add Control Weather which uses "When" in the meaning you mentioned. – Krzysztof Skibiński Jan 20 '20 at 13:01
  • We can all agree that "When you eat soup, you put a spoon in your mouth." is correct, no? Yet you put the spoon in your mouth during the meal and not after it. Also, if we would accept your interpretation, we get no info on how long scribing a glyph takes (eg. with explosive runes) and drawing a 10x10ft glyph more than likely takes a significant amount of time. – Szega Jan 20 '20 at 13:15
  • @Szega Read Control Weather description that uses "When" in its second paragraph that unarguably happens after 10 minute casting. – Krzysztof Skibiński Jan 20 '20 at 13:20
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    @KrzysztofSkibiński That refers to an effectively durationless activity, choosing a new weather pattern. "Cast the spell" refers to the instant it takes effect. I have trouble thinking of writing a glyph that covers a 10x10 area of a wall as instantaneous. – Szega Jan 20 '20 at 13:26
  • @Szega eat isn't really a comparable example, because you are using the present tense of the verb (eat vs ate). For cast the present tense is casting and the past tense is cast. So when we read the word cast, the action of casting is now in the past and has completed. This does mean the actual inscribing of the glyph isn't defined and is entirely up to the DM. Also, the glyph does not have to be 10ft x 10ft, it can be any size up to 10ft x 10ft. For example, your glyph of warding could be 1cm x 1cm while mine could be 5ft x 5ft. – illustro Jan 20 '20 at 13:38
  • True, "cast" could be past tense, I concede that. To me its just weird that casting the spell is not actually drawing the glyph, but imbuing yourself with the ability to draw one or the object with the capacity to receive one. re:size I know it can be smaller, but it also can be larger and no distinction is made. The text should make sense with both large and small glyphs. – Szega Jan 20 '20 at 14:45
  • @Szega A related question also dealing with "When you cast" issues; the answer there says that "when you cast" means "when you finish casting": "Does maintaining a spell with a longer casting time count as casting a spell?" – Exempt-Medic Jan 20 '20 at 16:07
  • If this all is true, that means that you can load the spell into the glyph at any point in the future, since it isn't occurring during the casting time. The glyph magic will sit there "Until Dispelled" and you can then put any spell of appropriate level into the Glyph. Meaning you can make a 9th level Glyph one morning and the next morning put Wish into it. There is no requirement for when the glyph needs to be "created". – Sean Jul 23 '20 at 20:16
  • @Sean the very first quote in my answer directly contradicts what you have just said. The body of the spell Glyph of Warding requires that the contingent spell is cast as part of the creation of the glyph itself. – illustro Jul 23 '20 at 23:18
  • @illustro You stated that the creation of the physical glyph itself occurs after the spell Glyph of Warding is cast. As you are "casting [the contingent spell] as part of creating the glyph" not as part of casting the spell. You explicitly came to the conclusion that Glyph of Warding was done being cast before the contingent spell starts, and the contingent spell can only be started when you are creating the glyph. So if you stop after you finish "casting" Glyph of Warding, the spell Glyph of Warding has taken effect, and now it is waiting for the glyph to finish being created and filled – Sean Jul 23 '20 at 23:38
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    @Sean I'm aware of what I wrote. the creation of the glyph is an immediate effect after the casting of the glyph of warding spell is completed. It's an effect of the spell that must be inscribed immediately after the casting of glyph of warding is complete. I do not, anywhere in my answer, say that once cast you can delay the inscription of the glyph to any arbitrary time later (which is what your interpretation would require). – illustro Jul 24 '20 at 00:15
  • @illustro It says you are casting as part of creating. Based on your reasoning that ing means in the act of, it cannot be immediately after, as spells stored can take more than an action to cast, like storing Find Familiar and regardless, it does not specify anywhere that the creation of the glyph has to be immediate. If the creation of the glyph and the casting of Glyph of Warding are separate even by a microsecond, the Spell Glyph of Warding is completely cast and therefore there "Until Dispelled". So you can cast a spell in it later, when you start "creating" the glyph after cast. – Sean Jul 24 '20 at 14:41
  • @Sean there are two sets of casting. Casting of the glyph of warding, and then the casting of the contingent spell as part of inscribing the glyph. D&D 5e is an exceptions based game. There would need to be an exception in the spells effect to allow you to delay the effect beginning immediately after the casting has completed (which in this case is inscribing the glyph). – illustro Jul 24 '20 at 16:58
  • @illustro Incorrect. If the spell Glyph of Warding is "cast" then it stays there "Until Dispelled". That is its description and there is no arguing that, that is the rule of how spells with that duration work. No where does it specify the second spell has to be immediate. Meaning that if the spell can be cast into the glyph after Glyph of Warding is cast, it can be cast in at any point during its duration. If it is "exceptions based", then you would have to find an exception that specifies it can't be cast later, as no where is it specified when the inscribing must begin. – Sean Jul 28 '20 at 14:55
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    @Sean the second casting is contained within the effect that lasts "until dispelled". By your argument, any spell which doesn't say the effect explicitly happens immediately can then be deferred until any time of the casters choosing. That is patently wrong and your argument as a result falls flat on its face. It's also not what my answer is claiming or trying to claim in any way shape or form. – illustro Jul 28 '20 at 15:00
  • @illustro To simplify this, think of what would happen if you Glyph of Warding a Glyph of Warding. You wouldn't cast the third spell as a part of it. You would have to wait for the trigger on the first glyph before you can store the next spell in the second glyph. This means that Glyph of Warding has to allow you to cast the spell into it after it is cast with an indefinite timeframe on when to do so.

    You are saying the effects are seperate. No other spell has a separation like you specified for glyph. So obviously it will be an exception unless your original conclusion is wrong.

     – Sean Jul 28 '20 at 15:00
  • @Sean Glyph of Warding is an invalid spell to be contained within Glyph of Warding. In order for a spell to be contained within a Glyph of Warding it must satisfy this condition: "The spell must target a single creature or an area.". Glyph of Warding does not satisfy those criteria. – illustro Jul 28 '20 at 15:04
  • @Sean Your argument thus far has not convinced me (and the route you are going down is extremely unlikely to). I'm not going to change my answer as a result, so I'd suggest we cease this discussion. – illustro Jul 28 '20 at 15:06
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You can't store spells that take more than 1 hour to cast

Nothing in the spell description says that you can cast Glyph for longer than 1 hour.

[...] by casting it as part of creating the glyph [...]

You won't finish casting longer version of Plant Growth before you finish Glyph, ergo you didn't cast the spell to be stored.

Up to DM if you can store precisely 1 hour casting spell

Glyph of Warding doesn't describe time taken by inscribing a glyph, but GM may rule that it takes signigicant effort, which you won't be able to spend while focusing entirely on casting a stored spell.

Krzysztof Skibiński
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