Casting on the Defensive?

[Animus]

Hello all,

IMC my 28th level cleric cohort has a Concentration skill of +30. According to the rules, you can cast defensively and not provoke AoO's, and cast your spell provided you make a check of DC 15 + spell level. That means (since you can't fail skills on a 1) that my cleric can assume to cast defensively all the time and cast up to 16th level spells (roll of 1 + 30 skill mod.)! In other words he can cast intensified 9th level spells (or epic spells since they are treated like 10th level spells) on the defensive without provoking AoO's! Am I missing something? This doesn't seem possible. I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around this one. This seems to be a munchkin spellcaster's dream.

Thanx.

 

[dcollins]

Um... you have a 28th level cohort and this is what you find amazing?

 

[Thanee]

Um... you have a 28th level cohort and this is what you find amazing?

This seems to be a munchkin spellcaster's dream.

Wow, my fighter can pick up Improved Disarm and Improved Trip and Improved Grapple and Improved Bull Rush and Improved Sunder and Spring Attack and Ride-By-Attack (and so on) and NEVER EVER provoke an attack of opportunity from all those nifty combat maneuvers...

The point of that is, that having maximum ranks in Concentration is meant to allow you to cast spells safely in combat. You paid the cost for it (many skill ranks or a feat), and that is the benefit (no AoO).

Bye
Thanee

 

[VorpalStare]

Completely true, you can probably cast any spell you know defensively without at roll.

If it makes you feel better, I'm currently playing an 11th level Wizard with a +31 concentration check.

 

[moritheil]

Hello all,

IMC my 28th level cleric cohort has a Concentration skill of +30. According to the rules, you can cast defensively and not provoke AoO's, and cast your spell provided you make a check of DC 15 + spell level. That means (since you can't fail skills on a 1) that my cleric can assume to cast defensively all the time and cast up to 16th level spells (roll of 1 + 30 skill mod.)! In other words he can cast intensified 9th level spells (or epic spells since they are treated like 10th level spells) on the defensive without provoking AoO's! Am I missing something? This doesn't seem possible. I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around this one. This seems to be a munchkin spellcaster's dream.

Thanx.

You are playing a campaign with 30th level characters, so the party could probably challenge minor deities and win. What's hard to believe about their gross mastery of spellcasting?

 

[Animus]

I know, I know, uberpowerful spellcasters should be able to do things like that, but it just seems odd. I could still get a +20 or so Concentration with a high (13+) level spellcaster. I don't remember being able to do this in 2nd edition (and no, I'm not one of those "3rd edition sucks" guys). Of course, now that I think about it there are other reasons not to wade into combat with spellcasters (area spells, anyone?). I guess it's not as bad as I initially thought. It was just so shocking to me because I realized it for the first time last Saturday during my game.

On a different note, having a 28th level cleric cohort is really cool.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

...he can cast intensified 9th level spells (or epic spells since they are treated like 10th level spells) on the defensive without provoking AoO's! Am I missing something? This doesn't seem possible. I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around this one. This seems to be a munchkin spellcaster's dream.

Have no fear, there's nothing munchkin about this. Some skills, particularly those set against static DCs instead of opposed checks, are meant to be "masterable" abilities. Tumble, Ride, Swim, Climb, etc. These are all skills that grant "auto" abilities as you gain ranks in them, just like Concentration. Earn a certain number of ranks, and you gain an ability that never fails. The other skills I mentioned have different abilities available at super-high levels (outlined in the EHL). Concentration just keeps doing what it's always done--adding higher spell levels to the list of "never provokes an AoO."

 

[the Jester]

One thing to watch out for in epic games is Spellcasting Harrier. One of the epic pcs imc has it, and it's proven extremely useful on several occasions.

 

[billd91]

I know, I know, uberpowerful spellcasters should be able to do things like that, but it just seems odd. I could still get a +20 or so Concentration with a high (13+) level spellcaster. I don't remember being able to do this in 2nd edition (and no, I'm not one of those "3rd edition sucks" guys). Of course, now that I think about it there are other reasons not to wade into combat with spellcasters (area spells, anyone?). I guess it's not as bad as I initially thought. It was just so shocking to me because I realized it for the first time last Saturday during my game.

On a different note, having a 28th level cleric cohort is really cool.

Well of course you couldn't do it in 2nd edition. There was no equivalent in 2nd edition because there were no AoO except when a character turned and fled from a fight.
Notice, however, that your 28th level cleric cohort probably spent a large number of his 2 skill points per level on that single skill. Unless he's got a super high intelligence, that counts as a very high premium.

 

[blargney the second]

You know that casting defensively doesn't do squat against readied actions, right?