quickened touch spells?

[Plane Sailing]

Take 2 (the browser wonked out on me the first time).

If a character moves, casts a touch spell and uses it, then casts a quickened touch spell, does he get to make the touch attack to deliver that quickened spell in the same round?

Does the "quickening" of the spell give him the chance to get that extra spell-slap in?

(with non-touch spells I've not had any problems with the quickened spell just going off, but I'd not thought about the quickened touch spell issue until something on another thread sparked the thought)

So what do the rules say? Which rule trumps which - the only one attack when you get a standard action (having already moved) or the quickened spell happening as a free action?

Would you expect to end the round with the spell ready, charge held, but not discharged yet or what?

Cheers

 

[mikebr99]

Touching someone in combat is still considered s STD. action... So, I would say that the spell is charged and ready to go for next round.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

A quickened touch spell does get the chance for the touch that round.

The rule you are looking for is the one on touch spells in the spells section of the PHB. When you cast a touch spell, you are allowed to "touch" with it that round.

You were reading the Harm + Quickened Inflict thread, eh? Yeah, that's one of the big reasons people want to limit harm. One cleric with quicken spell can kill anything if he can beat SR.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Where are you getting that information, Cloudgatherer?

As mikebr said, touching someone in combat is a standard action. You cannot cast a touch spell (standard action), touch someone ( standard action combined with standard action for no cost as special case), cast a quickened touch spell (free action), and then touch someone (standard action). At best, that's two standard actions plus a free action, which is NOT possible in a round unless you're hasted.

IOW, I seriously doubt that you can combine a touch with a quickened touch spell to get a touch attack as a free action.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I suspect that Cloudgather is getting his information from the description of touch spells in the beginning of the spells section of the PHB under Range: touch.

 

[Shalewind]

IOW, I seriously doubt that you can combine a touch with a quickened touch spell to get a touch attack as a free action.

It is as CloudGatherer said. The Touch is a standard action but there is a special stipulation for quickened spells. It isn't specificly stated, but you do get to make the touch in the same round regardless. Quicken spell lets you get off a second touch spell THAT round. (i.e. why HARM equals DEATH).

I don't have my PH out right now (at work) so I can't get you the page, but I have just read it in reference to the harm discussion. Elder-Basilisk is correct for the section though.

 

[mikebr99]

Quickening only reduces the casting time of a spell... it doesn't haste you to also give you an extra partial action in which to touch someone... The std. amount of time is still required to dodge around in combat to get through the guy's defences to actually deliver a solid "touch".

 

[0-hr]

Casting a touch spell includes a "free" touch attempt as part of the casting. If the casting is quickened, then so is the touch attempt.

 

[AuraSeer]

IMC, I'd allow you to deliver two touch spells in one round, but only if you have iterative attacks.

If you're a 12th-level wizard, you have BAB +6/+1, so go ahead and make that second touch attack (at your lower bonus). A Wiz11 could cast his quickened second spell, but wouldn't be able to touch with it until the following round.

I see no reason that quickening a spell's casting should give the wizard a free iterative attack at no BAB penalty.

 

[mikebr99]

Casting a touch spell includes a "free" touch attempt as part of the casting. If the casting is quickened, then so is the touch attempt.

That is because the actual casting of a touch spell is almost so short as to be a free action already... The spells were designed to be very quick casting anyway so there was still time to touch someone in the same round.

The only benefit of Quickening a touch spell IMO... would be to eliminate the AoO from casting.