Duskblade, arcane channelling

[Question]

When you gain arcane channelling(full attack), does it mean that your touch spell applies to -every- target you hit in a round, or on -every- attack? So if you hit a target with 3 attacks would your touch spell affect him 3 times? The only way i see a duskblade being able to hit more than one attack in a round is with advanced spring attack feats or whirlwind attack....maybe AOOs.....

 

[Archmage]

Arcane channeling

The way I read it, the touch spell applies to every attack in the full attack. So at 13th level (when you get arcane channeling:full attack), your full attack is 3 attacks (base +13/+8/+3). Each attack that hits does normal weapon damage + touch spell damage.

The most devastating use I can see for it is with vampiric touch. If all 3 attacks hit, your opponent takes 18d6 (6d6 x 3) damage with no save, and you get the same number of temporary hit points. If the bad guy is still alive, do it again next round (at 13th level you have 6 + Int bonus 3rd level spells).

It seems to me there should be some limit on the number of times per day a duskblade should be able to use arcane channeling, tied either to level or Int bonus. With the huge number of spells per day a duskblade can cast, I can see the ability getting out of hand. I love the class, and I really like this ability, but I am concerned about arcane channeling and game balance.

Rob

 

[Caliban]

It says every target, not every attack. So hitting the same target multiple times wouldn't do any additional damage from the spell, just from the weapon itself.

 

[Particle_Man]

Also, I thought temporary hit points didn't stack, but overlapped.

 

[Archmage]

That will teach me...

...to post without my books handy. Yes, the arcane channeling says "affects each target" and not "each attack," so you'd have to attack 3 different creatures to have the spell "go off" 3 times. And I suppose temporary hit points falls under the "same effect with differing results" section on p172 of the PH.

I do still have reservations on unlimited usage of arcane channeling with the huge number of spells per day the duskblade gets. Am I just being paranoid because I really like the class (and may in fact, have a character in an ongoing campaign switch to duskblade because it fits his original concept better than eldritch knight, his current build). As co-DM of our group, I"m trying to work with the current DM to proactively address any potential balance problems.

Rob

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

...to post without my books handy. Yes, the arcane channeling says "affects each target" and not "each attack," so you'd have to attack 3 different creatures to have the spell "go off" 3 times. And I suppose temporary hit points falls under the "same effect with differing results" section on p172 of the PH.

It says "each target", but that still reads to me to mean that you can target the same creature 3 times. It just means he is the target 3 times. At least that seems to be the way it's written.

As for the temporary hit points from vampiric touch. No, they don't stack with each other, so you just get the highest amount for the whole round of attacks.

It's powerful, but I don't think broken. You can do close to the same thing with a shocking grasp.

 

[Question]

If its each target isnt it limited in use though? A duskblade doesnt have much chance to attack more than one target a round.

 

[Caliban]

If its each target isnt it limited in use though? A duskblade doesnt have much chance to attack more than one target a round.

It should be limited in use. That's a very powerful ability.

Besides, they get a fighter BAB, so they get extra attacks at the same rate as a fighter, and can use feats or spells to increase their number of attacks.

 

[Particle_Man]

Whirlwind Attack sounds tempting...

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Well, pretty much, the way I see it, that's their entire ability and flavour.

They get no other powers, so all they do is run it, use a touch spell and hit an enemy with it over and over again. Although, it DOES sound very ambiguous whether you can affect the same target multiple times in a round.

Plus, if you CAN hit the same target more than once a round have good synergy with their Spell Power ability.