Can you attack and cast a non-quickened spell in the same round?

[Craer]

I had no idea my group has been doing this.

Apparently, they all believe it to be legal, rules-wise, for a character to attack and cast a spell in the same round as long as the spell's casting time is a standard action.

I believe that's about as wrong as you can get. The only way you can attack *and* cast a spell in the same round is if the spell is quickened, or some other similar situation.

So, assuming a dearth of quickened spells and supermagic weapons - who's right?

 

[Trainz]

Casting a non-quickened spell is a standard action, unless otherwise noted in the spell description. In a round, you can either do one move equivalent action and one standard action or a full attack action (only attacks with weapons).

And that's that. You are right, your group is wrong.

 

[Alzrius]

I had no idea my group has been doing this.

Apparently, they all believe it to be legal, rules-wise, for a character to attack and cast a spell in the same round as long as the spell's casting time is a standard action.

I believe that's about as wrong as you can get. The only way you can attack *and* cast a spell in the same round is if the spell is quickened, or some other similar situation.

So, assuming a dearth of quickened spells and supermagic weapons - who's right?

You are. Free actions such as quickened spells notwithstanding, there are only a set number of action combinations that can be taken during a round:

You can take two move actions, a double-move.

You can take a standard action (such as one attack, or one spell), and a move action.

You can take a full-round action, such as a full attack action.

 

[Hypersmurf]

They may possibly be confused with the rules for touch spells, which allow you to move, cast the spell, and make the touch attack all in the same round.

For example, with Shocking Grasp, I can move, cast, and touch, or cast, mvoe, and touch, or cast, touch, and move, all in the same round.

-Hyp.

 

[Alzrius]

I'm guessing that they're confused due to the nature and number of actions you can take in a round.

For example, the logic they might be using could conceivably be:

"In one round, you can make a standard action and a move action; in one round, you can make two move actions; ergo, a move action is equal to a standard action; thus, you can make two standard actions per round."

Heck, I used to think that myself.

 

[BSF]

As already stated above with special attention paid to Hypersmurf's point of the touch spells. Ditto with ranged touch spells. Just because you need to make an attack roll does not mean that you used a spell and an attack in the same round. The attack roll for some spells is part of the spell sequence.

You can get an spell & an attack with Haste though.

 

[Oscar carramiñana]

The touch/ranged attack are made into the spell sequency you cannot make another attack in the same round if you already cast a spell

 

[Hypersmurf]

The attack roll for some spells is part of the spell sequence.

Except it's not quite that simple, since you can cast, then move, then touch; the attack roll can be divorced from the casting by an entire move action.

-Hyp.

 

[Thanee]

Except it's not quite that simple, since you can cast, then move, then touch; the attack roll can be divorced from the casting by an entire move action.

We also play it as part of the spellcasting action, usually.
p.140 is actually quite clear about it, however.

Bye
Thanee

 

[AuraSeer]

You can get an spell & an attack with Haste though.

Not anymore you can't. In 3.5 you no longer get an extra partial action.

If you take a full attack while hasted, you get one extra attack at your full BAB. Other than that, you get no extra actions of any kind.