Chill Touch

[B4cchus]

It would be nice if it wasn't for the pesky thing about imbue with spell ability only allowing cleric spells of the abjuration, divination, and conjuration (healing) schools. No wizard spells, and no necromancy spells.

Ah yes, forgot about that. Still nice to put into a cheap magical item for the monk.

I don't agree on the part where you loose the chill touch when you cast a new spell. If it required concentration of some sort i'd agree.

A touch from your hand, which glows with blue energy, disrupts the life force of living creatures. Each touch channels negative energy that deals 1d6 points of damage.

Emphasis mine.
Touching anybody (else) would discharge a chill touch imo, not just a touch attack in which you choose to discharge one. So no buff spells or healing spells on fellow party members when this sucker is still active

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Except that touch spells automagically go away when you cast another spell.

Touch Spells in Combat: Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject, either in the same round or any time later. In the same round that you cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) the target. You may take your move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. You can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on yourself, but to touch an opponent, you must succeed on an attack roll.

Touch Attacks: Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity. However, the act of casting a spell does provoke an attack of opportunity. Touch attacks come in two types: melee touch attacks and ranged touch attacks. You can score critical hits with either type of attack. Your opponent’s AC against a touch attack does not include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. His size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) all apply normally.

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.

 

[B4cchus]

Yer absolutely right.

automagically

Was that a pun? please tell me it wasn't.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Not so much a pun as a bon mot.

 

[Camarath]

I believe that Chill Touch allows you to touch one target per level as a part of its effect.

Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: In most cases, if you don’t discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.
Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can’t hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

 

[Murrdox]

What Camarath said, except chill touch doesn't specify that you must touch all the targets in the same round.

With Chill Touch, you are not "Holding the Charge". Those rules don't apply. The spell allows for multiple attacks depending on your level. Thus, there is no rule stating that you cannot cast additional spells as much as you want while Chill Touch is in effect. (at least, I can't find any)

There doesn't seem to be any duration whatsoever to how long the charges on Chill Touch will last. As long as you don't touch anything living, the charges will stay right where they are, for minutes, hours, maybe even days.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

What Camarath said, except chill touch doesn't specify that you must touch all the targets in the same round.

In fact, it's usually impossible to do so.

With Chill Touch, you are not "Holding the Charge". Those rules don't apply.

Yes, you are - as with any undischarged touch spell. You get one free shot in the round you cast it. The only difference between Chill Touch and most touch spells is that you can use it multiple times without fully discharging it.

There doesn't seem to be any duration whatsoever to how long the charges on Chill Touch will last.

Like all touch spells, the duration for which you can hold the charge is indefinite, but is ended as soon as you touch something else (except Chill Touch lets you get away with this a few times) or cast another spell.

 

[ChefOrc]

Chill touch

I just found the key passage from the SRD in the "Spell description - duration" section.

Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can’t hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

This almost always means that you will "waste" charges because most casters will have more levels than attacks. The spell is discharged at the end of the round, no matter what. If you could cast another spell during the round in which you attack with the Chill touch (with quicken spell for example), it would not affect your remaining charges.

 

[Infiniti2000]

This almost always means that you will "waste" charges because most casters will have more levels than attacks. The spell is discharged at the end of the round, no matter what.

But, you get no additional attacks (you're not taking the full attack action), so technically you could only touch one target anyway -- the 'freebie' as part of casting the spell.

 

[ChefOrc]

Chill touch

you're not taking the full attack action

You are right, I forgot about that. So I am confused ... what situation could allow one to make multiple attacks with this spell?