Multiple Damage during spell casting

[Tobold Hornblower]

If a caster gets hit from multiple Readied Actions, does he make multiple Concentration checks, or does the damage getting added together for one more difficult Concentration check to keep from losing the spell?

2 checks: DC = 10 + Spell Level + 1st damage dealt, then DC = 10 + Spell level + 2nd damage dealt

OR

1 check: DC = 10 + spell level + 1st damage dealt + 2nd damage dealt

 

[Nim]

My call would be that it's two separate checks. My reasoning:

Multiple readied actions (or attacks of opportunity) to disrupt a spell should be resolved in the same way that we would resolve multiple disrupting attacks during the casting of spell with a 1+ round casting time. In the later case, the effect of each attack is resolved as the attack is made (because, if the casting is disrupted by an early attack, characters acting later will likely choose to do something else). So, when we're looking at a spell with a fast casting time, the process should be the same.

Now, if you wanted to reduce the rolling, it'd be an interesting house rule to say that you only make one Concentration check, at the time the casting is completed. It would tend to make the checks harder. But if you went with that style, I think you'd need to apply it to all attacks during spellcasting, not just to readied actions and attacks of opportunity.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Multiple concentration checks.

Each instance of damage is a new distraction.

 

[Artoomis]

Multiple concentration checks.

Each instance of damage is a new distraction.

I tend to agree, though I think it is a far better rule to lump them all together. I think lumping all the damage together more accurately reflects the way the damage is recieved (all at the same time) and makes it harder to get the spell off, which I think is already a bit too easy.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I tend to agree, though I think it is a far better rule to lump them all together.

That's really, really hard to do, however, since the rules for being smacked during a 1 round casting time spell should be the same for being smacked during a 1 action casting time spell.

So, at what point do you stop counting damage and have the wizard roll his Concentration check?

 

[werk]

If more than one type of distraction is present, make a check for each one;

So each distraction is seperate, not culumative. For instance, a high wind wouldn't increase the DC on a Concentration check from damage, as they are seperate distractions...just like multiple damaging attacks.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I tend to agree, though I think it is a far better rule to lump them all together. I think lumping all the damage together more accurately reflects the way the damage is recieved (all at the same time) and makes it harder to get the spell off, which I think is already a bit too easy.

This choice would also make massive damage far more deadly.

 

[Artoomis]

That's really, really hard to do, however, since the rules for being smacked during a 1 round casting time spell should be the same for being smacked during a 1 action casting time spell.

So, at what point do you stop counting damage and have the wizard roll his Concentration check?

Yes, you're right.

 

[Artoomis]

This choice would also make massive damage far more deadly.

No, the massive damage rule is quite clear that each blow is considered indepedent of any other.

 

[Infiniti2000]

I know, but you merely stated that you thought it would be better to lump the damage together. Wouldn't you be consistent and do the same for massive damage?