Chill Touch

[Camarath]

Note that the same limitation applies to multi-touch spells against allies (e.g. water breathing). You can touch up to 6 friendly character per round as a full-round action. But, nothing allows you to take a full-round action in addition to the standard action for the spell. So, you can cast water breathing on, say, yourself, but you cannot hold the charge (multi-touch spell) to use it next round on 6 allies.

The rule you are referring to is clearly talking about while you are holding the charge of a spell. I do not believe that limits the number of targets one may touch as part of casting the spell.

Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. You can touch as many willing targets as you can reach as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

 

[Camarath]

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.

Is there a rule which states that one may make one attack as part of casting a spell?

Because the only reason I see that one would be able to make any attack as part of casting a spell is that the attack was granted as part of the spell's effect. And if one can gain a single attack as part of casting a spell then I see no limitation on gaining more than one attack part of casting a spell.

 

[Peter Gibbons]

Is there a rule which states that one may make one attack as part of casting a spell?

The rule is that you can make one touch attack in the same round that you cast a touch spell; you are not actually making the attack "as part of casting the spell" (as that would subject you to attacks of opportunity). PHB, pp.140-141.

Because the only reason I see that one would be able to make any attack as part of casting a spell is that the attack was granted as part of the spell's effect. And if one can gain a single attack as part of casting a spell then I see no limitation on gaining more than one attack part of casting a spell.

I can. Full Attack Action.

The rules are simple: you get one "free" touch attack during the same round you cast a touch spell. If you have any "charges" left after that, you can make touch attacks with them as you would any other weapon; to make more than one per round, you must use the Full Attack action.

 

[ARandomGod]

As long as you don't cast another spell of any kind (or indeed do pretty much anything else).

But, Chill Touch is a little different from the typical touch spell. Instead or a single charge, it has one charge per level.


glass.

I've never assumed this was the case. I've seen it as a long lasting spell that affects your hands, a fire and forget type spell. Such that you could indeed cast other spells in between touch attacks that use up these charges. I haven't looked up any relevant rules yet, that's just been how I've interpreted it.

 

[Murrdox]

It seems very obvious to me that "Chill Touch" has a modified "Hold the Charge" mechanic built into the spell. Its effects are clearly spelled out in the spell description.

BECAUSE the effect is clearly spelled out in the spell description, that description trumps the "Holding the Charge" rule. The two rules are similar, but not exactly the same, and thus shouldn't be treated as such. Just because the subsequent attacks granted by "Chill Touch" are very similar to "Holding the Charge" doesn't mean that the caster IS holding the charge. They are not. It is simply a result of Chill Touch.

Because the additional attacks of Chill Touch do NOT follow the "Holding the Charge" rule, and because the Chill Touch text says absolutely nothing about "losing additional Chill Touch attacks if the caster casts another spell before the duration expires" then it is perfectly fine for someone to cast Chill Touch, make an attack, cast something else, and then make another Chill Touch attack.

In fact, what prevents a caster from casting "Chill Touch" in one round, and then casting "Shocking Grasp" the next round, and making one touch attack which delivers two different effects?

Unless there is some rule somewhere that says a touch attack cannot combine two effects, I'd say that this kind of a move is perfectly fine.

 

[amethal]

BECAUSE the effect is clearly spelled out in the spell description, that description trumps the "Holding the Charge" rule. The two rules are similar, but not exactly the same, and thus shouldn't be treated as such. Just because the subsequent attacks granted by "Chill Touch" are very similar to "Holding the Charge" doesn't mean that the caster IS holding the charge. They are not. It is simply a result of Chill Touch.

Because the additional attacks of Chill Touch do NOT follow the "Holding the Charge" rule, and because the Chill Touch text says absolutely nothing about "losing additional Chill Touch attacks if the caster casts another spell before the duration expires" then it is perfectly fine for someone to cast Chill Touch, make an attack, cast something else, and then make another Chill Touch attack.

In fact, what prevents a caster from casting "Chill Touch" in one round, and then casting "Shocking Grasp" the next round, and making one touch attack which delivers two different effects?

Unless there is some rule somewhere that says a touch attack cannot combine two effects, I'd say that this kind of a move is perfectly fine.

Or you could argue that chill touch follows the holding the charge rules apart from where it differs in the spell text

Maybe the designers didn't see the point in adding to the spell description the part about losing the attacks if another spell is cast because they considered that applied to all touch spells anyway.

 

[Infiniti2000]

It seems very obvious to me that "Chill Touch" has a modified "Hold the Charge" mechanic built into the spell. Its effects are clearly spelled out in the spell description.

It is anything but obvious. If anything, it's obvious that it's not intended that way. Other spells with multiple attacks, such as call lightning, have a clearly defined non-instantaneous duration. The fact that chill touch is instantaneous, however, makes it obvious that it does not allow one to hold the charge, much less cast other spells while holding chill touch.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The fact that chill touch is instantaneous, however, makes it obvious that it does not allow one to hold the charge...

Most spells that allow one to hold the charge are instantaneous...?

-Hyp.

 

[ARandomGod]

It is anything but obvious. If anything, it's obvious that it's not intended that way. Other spells with multiple attacks, such as call lightning, have a clearly defined non-instantaneous duration. The fact that chill touch is instantaneous, however, makes it obvious that it does not allow one to hold the charge, much less cast other spells while holding chill touch.

Interestingly enough, I used the exact same data to come up with the exact opposite conclusion. The fact that it's instantanious means that it doesn't allow you to "hold the charge", sure, but that's because it instead creates an effect wherein your next X touches do Y... they're not considered "charged" like other spells which do use that mechanic (say shocking grasp), instead they've explicitly spelled out that this spell uses a completely different mechanic, which is lightly similiar in form.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Most spells that allow one to hold the charge are instantaneous...?

-Hyp.

There are no other multi-hold-the-charge spells. That's what I meant.