"Call Lightning" Spell Question...

[evilishmael]

The spell description for "Call Lightning" reads as follows.

Call Lightning

Immediately upon completion of the spell, and once per round thereafter, you may call down a 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long, vertical bolt of lightning that deals 3d6 points of electricity damage. The bolt of lightning flashes down in a vertical stroke at whatever target point you choose within the spell’s range (measured from your position at the time). Any creature in the target square or in the path of the bolt is affected.

You need not call a bolt of lightning immediately; other actions, even spellcasting, can be performed. However, each round after the first you may use a standard action (concentrating on the spell) to call a bolt.
You may call a total number of bolts equal to your caster level (maximum 10 bolts).

If you are outdoors and in a stormy area—a rain shower, clouds and wind, hot and cloudy conditions, or even a tornado (including a whirlwind formed by a djinni or an air elemental of at least Large size)—each bolt deals 3d10 points of electricity damage instead of 3d6. This spell functions indoors or underground but not underwater.

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Now the question I have is this.... The description says...

"You may call a total number of bolts equal to your caster level (maximum 10 bolts). "

Does this mean... a 10th level druid could call down 10 bolts per round for the duration of the spell?

Or...

does it mean... a 10th level druid can call down a total of 10 bolts over the entire duration of the spell?

 

[Dandu]

What do you think the word "total" means?

 

[Theroc]

Does the caster have 10 standard actions available per round?

 

[evilishmael]

ok, so you guys are saying... it's one bolt per round. no more... up to a maximum of caster level. got it.

 

[Corsair]

I am assume you managed to skip the first sentence of the spell.

"Immediately upon completion of the spell, and once per round thereafter, you may call down A 5-foot-wide, 30-foot-long, vertical bolt of lightning..."

A = This is a singular pronoun.

bolt = notice the lack of an "S" which would signify pluarl.

For the people asking if he had extra standard actions, the once per round precludes that, even if you were using, say, a Belt of Battle or had used Shapechange to become a Chronotrynn.

 

[NewJeffCT]

Does the caster have 10 standard actions available per round?

While I agree that it is 1 bolt/round, I think the poster was confused because he thought he could call 10 bolts as a single standard action... though, that would be an awfully powerful 30d6 damage for 10th level caster (avg 105 points) and way more powerful than a 10d6 lightning bolt, which could not be maximized by level 10, so empowered to 15d6, or average of 62.5.

 

[evilishmael]

While I agree that it is 1 bolt/round, I think the poster was confused because he thought he could call 10 bolts as a single standard action... though, that would be an awfully powerful 30d6 damage for 10th level caster (avg 105 points) and way more powerful than a 10d6 lightning bolt, which could not be maximized by level 10, so empowered to 15d6, or average of 62.5.

yup, I was confused. Got it now though.