Cast and Touch same Round

[EOL]

Since 3E came out it's been my understanding that a spellcaster can cast a touch spell and make the touch attack from that spell all in the same round. The relevent portion of the SRD:

Use touch spell on one target [Standard][AoO: No]

Description: A combatant may take a move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. A combatant can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on itself, but to touch an opponent, the combatant must succeed at an attack.

However recently I've noticed in certain posts that other people feel that you have to wait till the next round to touch someone, and it always has bugged me that you seem to be taking the equivilant of two partial actions and a move if you cast and touch in the same round. However it also seems that touch attack spells are underpowered if you have to wait until the next round.

What's the orthodox view? Same round or next round?

 

[trentonjoe]

I play same round but do not allow movement more than a 5 foot step.

It's cast, touch w/o a significant move. Two partial actions.

 

[Galfridus]

The "orthodox" view is that you can cast and touch in the same round -- this is a very specific exception to the normal rules about what you can do in one action. If you don't make the attack in the round you cast, the exception no longer applies: the touch attack is like any other attack.

 

[Artoomis]

The rule seems pretty clear. It is an obvious exception to the normal rules for attacking. Basically, a touch attack is very special when you cast the spell.

Them's the rules, clearly.

 

[EOL]

Well then I was right all along, that's good.

 

[Arabesu]

Cast, touch, THEN move.

The key here is to remember that the "Free" touch attack is not disjointed from casting. That is to say you can take it while casting. This prevents things like casting, moving, then touching. To do that (cast, move, touch) you need two rounds or an extra partial action such as from haste. You could however move, cast/touch or cast/touch then move. Clear as mud? Its important to do it this way because it gives a defense against powerful touch spells like Harm. That is to say that casting next to someone usually provokes an AOO giving them a chance to disrupt. Unless they're casting defensively of course which they should be doing.

 

[EOL]

Sorry Arabesu, that's not at all what it says, the SRD says:

or between casting the spell and touching the target

As long as we assume that it can be done in the same round, the text in unambigious.

 

[Arabesu]

Huh?

Huh. I've read the PHB and DMG quite alot and never read that clarification. Could you kindly post where you've seen that (other than the SRD). I'd like to show that to my players so that we can incorporate the change.

Thanks.

 

[EOL]

PHB pg. 125 lower right corner

 

[CRGreathouse]

Re: Huh?

Huh. I've read the PHB and DMG quite alot and never read that clarification. Could you kindly post where you've seen that (other than the SRD). I'd like to show that to my players so that we can incorporate the change.

It's not a change - it's always been that way! Try PH page 125, which reads, in part:

You amy take your mov before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target.

To address the original question, you can cast and touch in the same round; the only time you'd need to take 2 rounds is if you deliver the spell with an unarmed strike, dealing damage in addition to discharging the spell.