Touch Spells Question

[Arksorn]

Reference PHB page 125. It says that you can cast a touch spell, move, then try to touch an opponent.

This means that the touch part is effectively a free action on the round you cast the touch spell.

Is this correct? Has there been any errata I have missed?

On following rounds, touching an opponent (or yourself or a friend [Ref. PHB p. 151]) with a touch spell for which you are holding the charge is an attack and therefore could be a standard action or part of a full round action (if you get more than 1 attack).

Is this correct?

As a full round action you could also touch up to 6 friends no matter how many attacks you normally get.

Is this correct?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Hypersmurf]

All looks good.

-Hyp.

 

[Li Shenron]

It says that you can cast a touch spell, move, then try to touch an opponent.

This means that the touch part is effectively a free action on the round you cast the touch spell.

Everything you say is correct. I would suggest not to try to think too much that the touch part is a free action (or it could be the move, or the casting as well), but rather simply think that the whole cast+move+touch is a full round action, and a special case. The suggesstion is only to prevent further arguments like "AH! It's a free action, therefore... (add whatever munchkinism you can think about)"

 

[Hypersmurf]

Re: Re: Touch Spells Question

The suggesstion is only to prevent further arguments like "AH! It's a free action, therefore... (add whatever munchkinism you can think about)"

Yeah - I had the same thought, but I couldn't come up with any right away

-Hyp.

 

[Grendel]

My first inclination is to say, it makes perfect sense, scine you already cast haste the first round.

however with the dawning of 3e.5 i'm inclined to agree with the Li Shenron and Hypersmurf.

Rather than worry about rewritting the rules too much with free actions and such, or making touch spells less effective (by seperating casting and touch into two seperate actions); I think making touch spells a full round action (not full round spell), that allows a move would be the easiest choice. A similar exception was made for the charge combat manuver.

 

[Arksorn]

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Just for your information, the reason that I am asking is because I am getting ready to run a Living Greyhawk gameday and was just going over the rules to make sure I applied them as written.

One more question, on PHB p 125 it says you can move-cast- touch or cast-move-touch or cast-touch-move. In each of these, can you replace the move with a move equivalent action? Per PHB p 121 "Move-equivalent actions take the place of meovement in a standard action..." So, I believe you can.

Am I correct?

 

[Darklone]

Be careful with touch spells as free action... they are not, the touching is PART of the standard action to cast the spell.

Example: Chill touch. Touching 6 guys in one round is a bit much. Though I would allow someone with several attacks do touch sth. more than once.

ME action: Yes.

 

[Li Shenron]

Thanks for the replys everyone.

Just for your information, the reason that I am asking is because I am getting ready to run a Living Greyhawk gameday and was just going over the rules to make sure I applied them as written.

One more question, on PHB p 125 it says you can move-cast- touch or cast-move-touch or cast-touch-move. In each of these, can you replace the move with a move equivalent action? Per PHB p 121 "Move-equivalent actions take the place of meovement in a standard action..." So, I believe you can.

Am I correct?

In the cases of move+cast+touch and cast+touch+move absolutely yes. Basically the rule about touch spells says that both casting and touching are done at the same time and are a standard action altogether (unless you DON'T want to do both at the same time, in which case casting is SA and touch-attacking is another SA or part of a full-round attack action). You have a MEA + cast/touch, and MEA can go either before or after, as normal.

The other case is a special case and allows you to move between casting and touching, mostly to avoid AoO. I don't think you can have MEA instead of moving. You are basically combining a move with casting, just as when you combine a move with drawing a weapon (works with a move, not any MEA).

Mmm... was it really a MOVE allowed between casting and touching or was it only a 5ft step? In which case it is even obvious.

 

[Darklone]

First

 

[Li Shenron]

Example: Chill touch. Touching 6 guys in one round is a bit much. Though I would allow someone with several attacks do touch sth. more than once.

Actually, you have the possibility of touching "up to 6 friends" in a round, and you are NOT attacking them , they WANT to be touch - at least that's what it means with friends in this case IMO. Anyway, this case is a FRA.

And also by the rules, you CAN touch more than one enemy (or the same more than once) in melee reach if you have high BAB, and if the spell doesn't discharge after the first touch. Given the fact that you may miss the first touch attack, if you have more attacks per round and you haven't taken a MEA yet, you can try again.