Can you coup de grace with an Inflict Wounds spell?

[Tarangil]

Someone had mentioned Monks above. I had a question:

If I were playing a monk/cleric, If I were to cast Inflict light wounds and broke into an attack, would the inflict wounds take effect with the first punch?????

 

[IcyCool]

Someone had mentioned Monks above. I had a question:

If I were playing a monk/cleric, If I were to cast Inflict light wounds and broke into an attack, would the inflict wounds take effect with the first punch?????

I think you get to choose which attack it affects, if any. However, as casting the Inflict is a standard action, you'd have to cast on turn 1 and then attack on turn 2. Unless you quickened it.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

A spell is not a melee weapon unless it specifically says somewhere to treat it as one.

And it does tell you to treat it like one, when it meets the definition of a weapon-like spell.

It must:

1. Have an Attack Roll
2. Do damage (defined as ability damage, hit point damage, or energy drain)

It's the same criteria that tell you when you may apply your sneak attack dice to a spell.

 

[Egres]

Yes, it does. Or, rather, certain spells which use a touch attack mechanic are weapon-like spells, and therefore count as melee weapons - including for such effects as Bard songs.

Source?

The PHB Glossary disgrees with you:

melee weapon

A handheld weapon designed for close combat.

Not to mention, once again, the Spirited Charge feat:


SPIRITED CHARGE [GENERAL]

Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack.

Benefit: When mounted and using the charge action, you deal double damage with a melee weapon (or triple damage with a lance).

Patryn, those replies aren't worth of you.

 

[FireLance]

Someone had mentioned Monks above. I had a question:

If I were playing a monk/cleric, If I were to cast Inflict light wounds and broke into an attack, would the inflict wounds take effect with the first punch?????

Yes. The rules say:

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.

Emphasis mine. So, by the rules, whatever you hit with your next unarmed strike gets affected by the spell.

Of course, it could be argued that the spell discharges only when a spellcaster touches something with his hand, otherwise he could not move without discharging the spell (he would have to touch the ground with his feet), and a monk could therefore make unarmed strikes with his legs or head without discharging the spell. You could interpret it that way if you wish, but I don't think that is in keeping with the spirit of the rule.

 

[Tarangil]

I think you get to choose which attack it affects, if any. However, as casting the Inflict is a standard action, you'd have to cast on turn 1 and then attack on turn 2. Unless you quickened it.

I figgered as much.

I took the standard action thing into account, I was wondering if anyone else has had players ask for such a thing, such as ye olde monk/clerk casting Harm, then next round plowing the victim with the flurry o blows.

I guess the same could be said with a Wiz/monk and any touch spell.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Egres:

Source? See above.

 

[Egres]

Egres:

Source? See above.

?!?

I can't see anything you quoted that proves the Glossary wrong, or that makes a touch spell a melee weapon.

And you are voluntarily skipping my Spirited Charge question.

 

[Bad Paper]

Inflict X Wounds spells are neither fire nor acid, and therefore do nonlethal damage to trolls. Ergo, you cannot perform a CDG on a troll with an IXW spell.

ahh, see, that was my instinct, but as a player, I must accept my DM's ruling.

I thought that trolls take normal damage from spells, and only weapon damage was converted to nonlethal. I guess I was somehow getting this crossed with damage reduction weapons-vs-spells bit. Thanks.

 

[seans23]

Wasn't there a summoned fire elemental that was smacking the unconscious trolls? I thought that was what killed them in the end. I don't even remember the inflict wounds spell.

That was a frustrating session.