Holding a Spell

[Jcosby]

I know there is a rule out there that allows say a Cleric to cast a healing spell and hold it. Move to a target then release the spell and heal the target. Can anyone point me to the text of that rule? Also, since I haven't read the text the most important part to me is how long can that spell be held? 1 round, 1 day, forever?

Thanks in advance.
JC

 

[Inigo Carmine]

The line of text that allowed that in 3.0 is not existant in 3.5 (at least not in the same place, and not any other place that i've seen).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It can be held forever. The rules are in the combat section, under "Holding the Charge."

Touch Spells in Combat: Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject, either in the same round or any time later. In the same round that you cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) the target. You may take your move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. You can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on yourself, but to touch an opponent, you must succeed on an attack roll.

Touch Attacks: Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity. However, the act of casting a spell does provoke an attack of opportunity. Touch attacks come in two types: melee touch attacks and ranged touch attacks. You can score critical hits with either type of attack. Your opponent’s AC against a touch attack does not include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. His size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) all apply normally.

Holding the Charge: If you don’t discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the discharge of the spell (hold the charge) indefinitely. You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates. Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren’t considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. (If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack.) If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge.

 

[Jcosby]

It can be held forever. The rules are in the combat section, under "Holding the Charge."

Thanks Patryn, this is the text I was looking for. Although your answer isnt' totally correct. You can't hold the charge forever. There are many things that you can do to discharge the spell before you would want too.

"You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates."

The second sentence is what I was looking for. You have to be actively avoiding making ANY contact what so ever with anyone else, including yourself. Any contact and the spell will discharge. Also you will NOT be able to hold the spell and cast other spells. This makes "Holding a spell" much more in line with what I was thinking. If a caster could cast a touch spell when ever they wanted and just hold it "Forever" and discharge it when they wanted no matter what they were doing, that would be completely over powered.

Thanks for you time.

JC

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Although your answer isnt' totally correct.

Actually, it is totally correct. You can, in fact, hold the charge forever. Most people won't, of course, but that doesn't mean you can't.

There's just lots of ways to discharge the spell.

 

[kjenks]

I have a new trick: My sorceress casts Greater Invisibility, designating her raven familiar as the toucher. The raven holds the charge and waits in his Familiar Pocket spell until combat begins.

In the first round, the raven comes out of the Familiar Pocket (a free action), touches someone with the Greater Invis (a standard action), then my sorceress puts him back in the Familiar Pocket again (a free action). Then my sorceress casts her spell(s) and finishes her round.

This lets me get another spell off in the first round of combat. It works well with almost all touch spells, especially touch spells that buff up the caster or another party member. Note that the Familiar Pocket spell can be cast on the rogue's clothing, allowing you to tag him with Greater Invis using this trick.

The master must wait until after the familiar has discharged its touch spell before the master casts any spells, since the master casting a spell is pretty likely to dissipate the familiar's touch spell. Ask your DM.