Can i willingly take more time to cast a spell?

[irdeggman]

I figured out a work-around that I think is arguably legit: use your standard action to ready an action to do the second swift action.
-blarg

That should work, except that the ready action needs "conditions" to kick in and the readied action must be done before your next turn. Otherwise you end up with being able to do 2 standard actions in the same turn by readying an action the previous turn.

And the Rules Compendium now allows you to ready a swift action, a free action, a move aaction or a standard action.

Regardless it won't accomplish what the OP is trying to do.

 

[akbearfoot]

Keep in mind that any attempt at letting players cash in a move action for an extra swift action would also apply to all the multitude of items in the MIC that use swift actions to activate.

I am quite amused to hear someone say that swift action spells are 'hardly powerful'. Greater mirror image, wraithstrike, and a multitude of options from the Bo9S and the psionics books beg to differ. As well as a ton of things in the MIC that use swift actions and thus normally could never be combined with themselves. Quicken Spell costs 4 spell levels and is considered a must have feat for nearly any spell caster. The reason is because extra actions in combat are THE most powerful thing a character can ever get in this game. The only other thing that currently exists that allows more than 2 spells in a round is an epic feat, and it only allows you 1 extra quickened spell per round.


WAY to many strong abilities spells items and class features utilize swift actions, and I think they would have explicitly mentioned if they were meant to be interchangeable with other actions.


The only exceptions to this are those few spells that came out later in 3.5 that could be cast quickly or slowly for increased effect.

 

[irdeggman]

The only exceptions to this are those few spells that came out later in 3.5 that could be cast quickly or slowly for increased effect.

Which ones are those? I would like to see them for reference.

 

[blargney the second]

That should work, except that the ready action needs "conditions" to kick in and the readied action must be done before your next turn.

Regardless it won't accomplish what the OP is trying to do.

He wants to cast a swift action spell as a standard action. Here's how he can do it: as a standard action, ready an action to cast the swift spell as soon as his regular turn is over. (Or trigger just before the next person takes their turn.)
-blarg

 

[Herzog]

Wraithstrike:
Casting time: 1 swift action
Duration: 1 round

So, if you use the remaining time to perform a full attack (I think this is allowed, can't look it up right now) wouldn't you have more profite of this than when you cast another spell?

Unless, of course, there is a combination spell that makes this effect more powerfull than when you get a full attack.

I'm not familiar with the MIC, but if you say the items inthere will become more powerfull if you allow more than one swift action per round (which is what we are doing in a roundabout way) I'll have to take your word for it.

Note that I'm not suggesting increasing the casting time of a spell, but rather substituting a move or standard action for a swift action, just like you can substitute a standard action for a move action.

As a reminder, I think the restriction of allowing only one swift action per round is in reference to free actions, not move or standard actions.

As to extra actions in combat: you're not getting extra actions in combat. You're substituting a move action for a swift action.

 

[irdeggman]

He wants to cast a swift action spell as a standard action. Here's how he can do it: as a standard action, ready an action to cast the swift spell as soon as his regular turn is over. (Or trigger just before the next person takes their turn.)
-blarg

Right but what he really wanted was a way to cast a swift spell after he had already cast one. I have a sneaky feeling that he also wishes to take advantage of the fact that a swift spell doesn't generate an AoO - which would be the next point to discuss.

My assumption is that his PC is a spontaneous caster and thus has a more limited number of spells known.

But I agree that the ready action should grant the ability to cast a swift spell using a standard action.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I wouldn't allow anyone to use a swift action in place of a move action, but I can't think of any reason not to allow a swift action in place of a standard action. (Especially given how trivial it is to use the Ready action to do it anyway.) I personally think the RAW wasn't written to deny the possibility, but rather written without much (if any) consideration of the possibility.

 

[Jhaelen]

Note that I'm not suggesting increasing the casting time of a spell, but rather substituting a move or standard action for a swift action, just like you can substitute a standard action for a move action.

Understood, but you still can't.

The Rules Compendium would have been the correct place to add such a rule if any developer would have thought it was a good idea. Luckily noone thought so. As has already been pointed out, the limitation of a single immediate/swift action per turn is part of the balancing.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

Luckily noone thought so. As has already been pointed out, the limitation of a single immediate/swift action per turn is part of the balancing.

Can you explain how it's unbalanced to allow a swift action in place of a standard action?

 

[Sharkon]

Well lads the event was that : i had only 10 points of life left and in front of me was a barbarian... I had done quick cast using a spell (swift action) but if i did not use something such as invisibility i would have died in the next round and duskblade cannot learn invisibility but only swift invisibility. That was the fact ! (i know i could have done better things than quick casting but anyway)