Restoration - 3 round casting time?

Quasqueton · Aug 7, 2004

Why does the resoration spells have a 3-round casting time? What's the design purpose for that?

Quasqueton

hong · Aug 7, 2004

So you can't cast them in the middle of a fight.

Quasqueton · Aug 7, 2004

So you can't cast them in the middle of a fight.

Why shouldn't the PCs be able to cast them in a fight. What's wrong with healing ability damage in a fight?

Why not just give them a 1 minute casting time, like other non-combat spells? Spells like raise dead and ressurection have 1 minute and 10 minutes casting time respectively.

3 rounds seems like a tease for combat casting. It's short enough to actually get used in combat, but so long that it takes the caster out of the fight for half the battle time.

Even remove curse and remove blindness take only 1 standard action to cast. Healing 2d8+4 hit points damage with a cure moderate wounds spell is one action, but healing 1d4 ability damage with a lesser restoration takes 3 rounds?

I just don't get it.

And what's the difference between "3 rounds" for restoration and "3 full rounds" for regenerate?

Quasqueton

hong · Aug 7, 2004

Don't ask me hard questions at 1 am, mang.

Scharlata · Aug 7, 2004

Quasqueton said:
[...] a tease for combat casting. It's short enough to actually get used in combat, but so long that it takes the caster out of the fight for half the battle time. [...]

That's it

Kind regards

Tessarael · Aug 8, 2004

Note there is a Potion of Lesser Restoration. I believe this only takes a standard action to use.

Hrmmm, what about reading a scroll of Restoration or Greater Restoration? Does it take the full casting time, or only a standard action? If the latter, it makes the scroll very useful.

If not, for a quick restoration fix in combat, Limited Wish, Wish, and Miracle start becoming good options.

nhl_1997 · Aug 8, 2004

Tessarael said:
Hrmmm, what about reading a scroll of Restoration or Greater Restoration? Does it take the full casting time, or only a standard action? If the latter, it makes the scroll very useful.

From p. 213 of the 3.5 DMG
"However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, whether it's a scroll, a wand, or a pair of boots, unless the item description specifically states otherwise."

In other words, scrolls cannot be used to bypass long casting times.

Potions might be able to be used in this fashion, but I'm not certain. A potion or oil "can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute." (DMG p. 229) Would a Lesser Restoration potion take longer to drink than a cure moderate wounds potion?

Scharlata · Aug 8, 2004

nhl_1997 said:
[...]In other words, scrolls cannot be used to bypass long casting times.

Correct

nhl_1997 said:
[...] A potion or oil "can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute.

Drinking a Potion of Lesser Restoration doesn't consume more time than drinking any other potion.

Kind regards

Chronosome · Aug 8, 2004

I like the 3 round casting time idea. It lends it self to some dramatic maneuvering.

One minute? Forget it.
One round? Too easy.
3 rounds? You just might pull it off in a fight.