What use is the Beguiler ability "Surprise Casting"?

[0-hr]

Surprise Casting: ... your target is denied its Dexterity bonus (if it has one) to AC for the next melee attack you make against it or the next spell you cast...

I'm looking at the Beguiler spell list and there are not any 0 or 1st level spells that require an attack. You get Surprise Casting at 2nd level, but is there actually any use for it?

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well, you won't have Improved Feint yet by then anyway unless you're a human. It is mostly for the higher-level stuff.

 

[Victim]

It's to go with their Cloaked Casting ability to pump up their SR or spell pen against denied dex targets.

 

[EyeontheMountain]

If you go up to 6th level in the class and then go Rogue, it is awesome. Free action rolls means full attacks, especially if you can get a bit of two weapon fighting going also.

 

[green slime]

Flavour?

 

[Kurotowa]

It's to go with their Cloaked Casting ability to pump up their SR or spell pen against denied dex targets.

This is the right answer. The Beguiler is all about Illusion and Enchantment spells, pretty much all of which are save to negate. Even their combat spells, the Whelm series, are mostly save to negate. After you feint with Surprise Casting, Cloaked Casting will pump the save DC by a point or two when you hit them with Hold Person or Dominate or Overwhelm. Also, as the class feature points out, because they're flat footed they don't get an AoO and you can save yourself a defensive casting roll.

By itself Surprise Casting isn't very useful. But really it's the other half of Cloaked Casting, given a separate entry to simply the rules.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Also, as the class feature points out, because they're flat footed they don't get an AoO and you can save yourself a defensive casting roll.

That's odd. The one I'm reading specifically calls out that they are not, indeed, flat-footed and that they can make AoOs if you don't cast defensively. Are you reading errata, or is that just wishful thinking?

 

[0-hr]

Thanks for the information - I hadn't though about the synergy with Cloaked Casting. I guess I'll have to put points into Concentration after all (my PHBII says they still get an AoO).

 

[Kurotowa]

That's odd. The one I'm reading specifically calls out that they are not, indeed, flat-footed and that they can make AoOs if you don't cast defensively. Are you reading errata, or is that just wishful thinking?

No, I'm just reading too quickly on a bad night's sleep and getting my negatives crossed.

Well, the rest of it stands. Those DC increases are the main point of it all.

 

[Rystil Arden]

No, I'm just reading too quickly on a bad night's sleep and getting my negatives crossed.

Well, the rest of it stands. Those DC increases are the main point of it all.

Right, it's mostly for all the cool high-level goodies that come associated with Surprise Casting--at the very upper end, they get no SR--woohoo!