Ready vs spellcasting and AOO with a reach weapon

[carborundum]

Situation in a Red Hand of Doom game last night and I'm not sure how it 'officially' should work.

The party paladin is facing up to a hobgoblin wizard with a longspear, and he readies a charge should the wizard start to cast.
(For what it's worth, the wizard is hasted.)
The wizard starts to cast and the paladin charges him.
The wizard gets an Attack of Opportunity on the paladin for moving through a threatened square.

Should the wizard have got an AoO while casting?

 

[Thanee]

Not sure, if there is an official ruling, but logically... no AoO, since the wizard should not be able to threaten while casting the spell.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Bagpuss]

Longspear is a two handed weapon, in order to cast a spell he has to take one hand off that weapon (free action) and becomes effectively unarmed, until he completes the spell and put it back (free action). So when you charge him he doesn't threaten, unless he has the Improved Unarmed Combat Feat, or was casting a Still Spell, or a spell with no somatic component.

The wizard being hasted has no bearing.

 

[Kat']

As long as the spell has no somatic components I'd say why not, but it would definitely count as a distracting condition and call for a Concentration check with a DC fixed by the DM. If the spell has somatic components, I'd say automatic spell failure.

 

[Fifth Element]

Not sure about the AoO, but since you can't ready a charge (it's a full-round action), maybe that point is moot?

 

[Bagpuss]

You can if the wizard has cast Slow on you.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

From the SRD:

You only provoke attacks of opportunity when you begin casting a spell, even though you might continue casting for at least one full round. While casting a spell, you don’t threaten any squares around you.

That's from the section on the Full-Round Action Cast a Spell. If it is broadly applicable (i.e., applies to all spellcasting), then the above wizard would not have been able to take an AoO regardless of what weapon he was using.

As it stands, assuming he was casting a spell with somatic or material components ...

To cast a spell with a somatic (S) component, you must gesture freely with at least one hand. You can’t cast a spell of this type while bound, grappling, or with both your hands full or occupied.

To cast a spell with a material (M), focus (F), or divine focus (DF) component, you have to have the proper materials, as described by the spell. Unless these materials are elaborate preparing these materials is a free action. For material components and focuses whose costs are not listed, you can assume that you have them if you have your spell component pouch.

... he'd need at least one hand free, and thus could not use the spear at the same time.

No AoO.

 

[carborundum]

"When casting, you do not threaten" seems to cover it pretty well

Thanks!

PS: Oops - ready a partial charge, I meant.

 

[Fifth Element]

You can if the wizard has cast Slow on you.

Say what now? Readying is a standard action. Under the effects of slow, you can only take a standard action or a move action each turn, not both, and not a full-round action. So not only can you not ready a charge, you wouldn't be able to charge even if you could, since it's a full-round action, and you can't make one of those when under that spell.

In fact, you can't ready an action at all when slowed (which makes sense; how can you quickly react to someone else's action when you're moving more slowly than usual), since the mere act of readying uses up your action that turn. Technically you can ready the action, but when it comes time to use the action, you're out of actions that turn, so you can't do it.

 

[Fifth Element]

PS: Oops - ready a partial charge, I meant.

Are you playing 3.0 rules? I don't think a partial charge is included in 3.5?

And even if you could do a partial charge, you wouldn't be able to ready one, since the act of readying takes your action that turn.