DM Rulings that nailed my Sorcerer

Arcanus · Apr 14, 2002

Do you lose your dexterity bonus to saving throws OR armor class at any time that you are concentrating on a spell?

My sorcerer lost his ability to add dex bonus to a Reflex save because I was concentrating on a detection spell. There was no ememy in line of sight that I could see anyway.

Where is the written rulings on this, if any?

If a spell caster takes damage when it isn't his turn does he need to make a concentration check when it is his turn on initiative to cast a spell?

I thought that if I provoked an AoO I needed to, or if I was taking repeated damaged from a Melfs Acid Arrow, or if someone readied an action to hit me when I started casting I needed too.

My DM says that I need to whenever I took damage in the same round I want to cast a spell. So if I always when initiative I would never have to worry about it, unless I provoke AoO's or readied actions etc..

I don't know if there is a page number I could look it up on to show him or if I am wrong.

CRGreathouse · Apr 14, 2002

No, you don't lose your Dex bonus. The rules say you get them when not flatfooted (etc.), and there's nothing to take them away. Your DM is wrong.
The only time damage outside of your turn counts for spells is contiinuous damage (Melf's) and spells with castingtime longer than one round (e.g. summon swarm).

Soldarin · Apr 14, 2002

Try the Concentration skill description, and the chapter on spells, about duration/concentration. Also same chapter on distractions during spellcasting.

Arcanus · Apr 14, 2002

Thanks I have looked it up since his ruling while we gamed but wanted to know if I read it wrong.

DarkJester · Apr 14, 2002

1) You should not get any penalty to saving throws or armor class on the account of casting [concentrating on] spells.

2) I think its only for damage you take while casting the spell (such as caused by an AOO or an readied action) The exception to this would be a spell with 1 round casting time,you would make a check for all the damage done that round.See page PHB the concentration section for the details.

Veldrane · Apr 15, 2002

1) You're absolutely right: read the chapter about defensive casting

2) Download the FAQ and show it to your DM... ...it's stated very explicitly that you have to make Concentr. checks only if s/one damages you in your turn while you're casting the spell...

Enjoy

and remember your DM that he doesn't win the game if he manages to kill you all

Henrix · Apr 15, 2002

You don't loose your Dex bonus to AC for concentrating on a spell, but, I almost get the impression that your character was not aware of the enemy nor the attack. That would make you loose your Dex bonus.

You never loose your Dex bonus to your saves, however.

Magus_Jerel · Apr 15, 2002

2) I think its only for damage you take while casting the spell (such as caused by an AOO or an readied action) The exception to this would be a spell with 1 round casting time,you would make a check for all the damage done that round.See page PHB the concentration section for the details.

The "exception" does not exist

q: Do you lose your dexterity bonus to saving throws OR armor class at any time that you are concentrating on a spell?

A: no - concentrating on a spell does not make you flat-footed

q: Where is the written rulings on this, if any?

A: Concentration skill - PHB, Sage FAQ

Q: I thought that if I provoked an AoO I needed to, or if I was taking repeated damaged from a Melfs Acid Arrow, or if someone readied an action to hit me when I started casting I needed too.

A: Yep, yep, yep

My DM says that I need to (make a concentration chekc?)whenever I took damage in the same round I want to cast a spell. So if I always when initiative I would never have to worry about it, unless I provoke AoO's or readied actions etc..

False. ALL damage, unless explicitly stated as a "continuous round to round situation" e.g. Melf's acid arrow; occurs instantaneously.

Pielorinho · Apr 15, 2002

Magus_Jerel said:
2) I think its only for damage you take while casting the spell (such as caused by an AOO or an readied action) The exception to this would be a spell with 1 round casting time,you would make a check for all the damage done that round.See page PHB the concentration section for the details.

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The "exception" does not exist

Magus, I'm not following you around, but I gotta disagree with you here. Actually, I gotta disagree with both of you.

If you cast a spell with a 1 round casting time, any damage you take during the round requires a concentration check to avoid losing the spell. Note that each source of damage provokes a separate check: if 5 kobolds throw 15 shuriken at you while you're casting a 3rd-level spell, then you make 15 concentration checks (DC 14), not one concentration check (DC 28). This is an exception to the general rule that you only suffer damage while casting a spell when the damage comes from a continuous source, a readied action, or an AoO.

As for concentrating on a spell: this is a standard action, meaning that it can be combined with a Move action (or a MEA action). Absent any rules-cite that concentration on a spell requires a concentration check whenever the caster is damaged, ruleswise it's a nonissue, I think.

Daniel

The Souljourner · Apr 15, 2002

Pielorinho is right. If you're casting a spell that takes a full round to complete (not just one action like most spells) then any time you're damaged after you've started to cast the spell and before you complete it (which happens right before your next action), you have to make a concentration check.

For most spells, their casting time is 1 action, in which case you can only be disrupted by an AoO caused by your casting, or by someone who had readied an action to attack you when you started to cast a spell.

As for spells that require concentration to maintain (for example, Wall of Fire), they can be disrupted any time during the concentration the same way as when they're being cast. From the SRD:

Anything that could break the character's concentration when casting a spell can also break the character's concentration while the character is maintaining one

This is actually something I didn't know until I looked it up just now.

-The Souljourner