Spells: Difference between revisions
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===Touch Spells in Combat=== | ===Touch Spells in Combat=== | ||
Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject. | Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject. As part of the same action used to cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) one creature. This is a free action, and you may take your move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. You can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on yourself, but to touch an opponent, you must succeed on an attack roll. | ||
:* '''Touch Attacks:''' Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The act of casting a spell, however, does provoke an attack of opportunity. | :* '''Touch Attacks:''' Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The act of casting a spell, however, does provoke an attack of opportunity. Touch attacks come in two types: [[melee touch attacks]] and [[ranged touch attacks]]. Touch attacks are resolved against the target's regular Armor Class (AC), but they always hit on a roll of 16 or better on the die. You can score critical hits with either type of attack as long as the spell deals damage, but only a natural 20 on the die can threaten a critical (unless you have some class feature, feat, or ability that improves this). If confirmed, the hit point damage (if any) inflicted by the spell is doubled. Non-damaging effects of a spell that critically hits are unaffected by a crit, unless the spell specifically states otherwise. | ||
:* '''Holding the Charge:''' If you don't discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, refer to the spell description for how the magic behaves. Some spells allow you to maintain | :* '''Holding the Charge:''' If you don't discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, refer to the spell description for how the magic behaves. Some spells allow you to maintain an offensive charge over time. If you cast another spell that lays a charge, the touch spell dissipates. | ||
:* '''Getting Touchy:''' You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. Alternatively, as a standard action you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren't considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack normally doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack. If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, the spell continues to act as it is described. | :* '''Getting Touchy:''' You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends within your reach as a full-round action. Alternatively, as a standard action you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren't considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack normally doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack. If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, the spell continues to act as it is described. | ||
:* '''Ranged Touch Spells in Combat:''' Some spells allow you to make a | :* '''Ranged Touch Spells in Combat:''' Some spells allow you to make a [[ranged touch attack]] as part of the casting of the spell. These attacks are made as part of same action as casting the spell and do not require a separate action. Ranged touch attacks provoke an attack of opportunity, even if the spell that causes the attacks was cast defensively or as a swift action with a feat. Unless otherwise noted in the spell description, ranged touch attacks cannot be held until a later turn. As a note, casting the spell and making a ranged touch attack with that spell can never provoke two attacks of opportunity, since no creature can make more than one attack of opportunity as a result of a single action, even if the action appears to provoke AOO's multiple times. | ||
===Using Metamagic Feats=== | ===Using Metamagic Feats=== |