More than one Cure in a round?

[phillipjp]

This seems kind of silly, but one of my players pointed out this obscure reference in the PHB. PHB p151 under the section Touch Spells and Holding the Charge, what exactly does this sentence mean?

The character can touch one friend (or the character can touch his or her self) as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action.

Does that mean you can hit 6 friends with one cast of a friendly spell, like Cure Light Wounds? For example, some spells have a Target of "One creature", but others like Cure Light Wounds simply state "Creature touched".

Please explain this badly worded reference.

 

[Caliban]

It means that if you have multiple touches available, you can touch up to six friendly targets at once, if they are in reach.

An example of this would a paladin with his Lay on Hands ability.

 

[Krystoff]

Another example would be the Water Breathing and the Water Walk spells. Both of these can be divided amongst friends.

From the SRD:
*******************************************
Water Breathing

Transmutation
Level: Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3, Water 3
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creatures touched
Duration: 2 hours/level (see text)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The transmuted creatures can breathe water freely. Divide the duration evenly among all the creatures the character touches.

The spell does not make creatures unable to breathe air.

*******************************************
Water Walk

Transmutation
Level: Clr 3, Rgr 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Targets: One touched creature/level
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The transmuted creatures can tread on any liquid as if it were firm ground. Mud, oil, snow, quicksand, running water, ice, and even lava can be traversed easily, since the subjects’ feet hover an inch or two above the surface. (Creatures crossing molten lava still take damage from the heat.) The creatures can walk, run, charge, or otherwise move across the surface as if it were normal ground.

If the spell is cast underwater (or while the subjects are partially or wholly submerged in whatever liquid they are in), the subjects are borne toward the surface at 60 feet per round until they can stand on it.

 

[Fade]

It says 'creature touched', not 'creatures touched.

 

[Staldin*Freefall]

It says 'one creature/level', not 'one creature'

 

[DerekDyer]

Irregardless cure light wounds is discharged as soon as you touch *anything* so as soon as you touch your second friend, there is nothing there but a pat on the back...

 

[Staldin*Freefall]

And maybe a hug, is a hug a standard action?

 

[DerekDyer]

I would probably call hug a grapple...

 

[Someguy]

Group HUG!

I houseruled that you can divide upo the amount you are curing, so if you rolled 27 of of curing, you had to gice half of it munis 1 to one guy, half of what is left minus 1 to another guy...ect...until the sixth person...and only if all six were near you. This makes it easier to treat multiple people, but limits the efretcs of healing making healing one person at once much better.

 

[Hejdun]

Can't

Cure only effects one person. As soon asy ou touch one person, the 'charge' is gone. It's mainly used for spells that let you touch multiple creatures per casting.