Concentration and casting defensively

[Jhulae]

Now, you could house rule it <shudder> so that if a caster fails their concentration check that they have the option of drawing an AoO and trying to get the spell off that way.

That'd be a very harsh house rule.

"So, you're casting in a manner to avoid AoOs? Aww, you didn't make the concentraton check and lost your spell? Too bad. NOW TAKE AN AOO, SUCKER!"

 

[Scion]

That'd be a very harsh house rule.

"So, you're casting in a manner to avoid AoOs? Aww, you didn't make the concentraton check and lost your spell? Too bad. NOW TAKE AN AOO, SUCKER!"

I 'think' he meant that if you fail the concentration check you can try to cast the spell normally 'instead' of losing it. Could be wrong though

 

[Jhulae]

I 'think' he meant that if you fail the concentration check you can try to cast the spell normally 'instead' of losing it. Could be wrong though

Oh, yeah.. but that doesn't even make sense as a house rule either, because a caster takes a standard action to cast on the defensive. But if they fail that standard action, they get a second standard action to cast a spell 'non-defensively'?

 

[Scion]

Sure, I guess it'd be like holding your hands at your side and trying to keep your balance. When you feel like you are about to fall, and you know you will fall, you put your hands out to regain your balance.

I dont think it is a bad houserule. If I was the caster in question I think I'd rather be given the option of losing the spell directly or taking the aoo and maybe getting it off rather than always losing the spell.

 

[Jhulae]

Sure, I guess it'd be like holding your hands at your side and trying to keep your balance. When you feel like you are about to fall, and you know you will fall, you put your hands out to regain your balance.

I dont think it is a bad houserule. If I was the caster in question I think I'd rather be given the option of losing the spell directly or taking the aoo and maybe getting it off rather than always losing the spell.

I suppose. But, a caster worth her casting ability is going to most likely max out concentration. Taking the AoO is most risky at low levels (where a caster has the fewest HP). At higher levels, making the concentration check is almost a given. Even at level 7, with a moderate con (14) the skill check has a +12 to the roll, and with a boost to con from a buff, that's +14.

And, really, it's no different than any other need of concentration checks (such as motion) and such that don't allow a reroll.

 

[Scion]

Many mages wont want the aoo, but losing that whole spell can make or break a combat.

Like I said, it doesnt sound like a bad houserule at all. Definately not raw however.

 

[werk]

That'd be a very harsh house rule.

"So, you're casting in a manner to avoid AoOs? Aww, you didn't make the concentraton check and lost your spell? Too bad. NOW TAKE AN AOO, SUCKER!"

I think the key word that you are overlooking in my post is 'allow' as in, the player may choose to ____. No 'haha sucker!' in there.

I wouldn't use it, just extrapolating.

 

[Staffan]

Sure, I guess it'd be like holding your hands at your side and trying to keep your balance. When you feel like you are about to fall, and you know you will fall, you put your hands out to regain your balance.

I see that as a pretty good analogy to what happens, except the other way around. You try to do two things at once: in your example it's "keep hands at your side" and "keep your balance", when casting defensively it's "cast a spell" and "avoid AoO". When you figure out that that's not going to work, you instinctively go with the defensive one: in your case, "keep your balance", when casting spells it's "avoid AoO".

 

[Scion]

I see that as a pretty good analogy to what happens, except the other way around. You try to do two things at once: in your example it's "keep hands at your side" and "keep your balance", when casting defensively it's "cast a spell" and "avoid AoO". When you figure out that that's not going to work, you instinctively go with the defensive one: in your case, "keep your balance", when casting spells it's "avoid AoO".

in other words, you choose to fail at one and succeed at the other. But in normal d&d you dont get to make the choice of which to fail and which to succeed at, it chooses for you.

hence what werk said with the houserule, having the choice instead of the game choosing.