Paladin Spell Casting

Hello,

How the paladin spellcasting looks in combat when wielding longsword and heavy shield? As I see in somatic description, I need one hand free to cast paladin spells. So, am I correct that everytime i want to cast a divine spell in combat, I need to drop the sword/shield, cast the spell, grab it back from floor?

Sadly, yes if the spell has a somatic component. I agree it doesn't make much sense for a Paladin, but fortunately most of the time they will be casting spells before or after combat rather than during. You could also take the 'Still Spell' meta-magic feat or try to get a magic item which provides that effect.

Sadly, yes if the spell has a somatic component. I agree it doesn't make much sense for a Paladin, but fortunately most of the time they will be casting spells before or after combat rather than during. You could also take the 'Still Spell' meta-magic feat or try to get a magic item which provides that effect.

Thank you for your answer. Indeed, it doesn't make much sense, but true that it did not bother either. Clerics have bigger problem with that, though.

You could also take the 'Still Spell' meta-magic feat or try to get a magic item which provides that effect.

Won't help much.

CBDunkerson wrote:

You could also take the 'Still Spell' meta-magic feat or try to get a magic item which provides that effect.

Won't help much.

.
A metamagic Rod will occupy one of your hands... which does not exactly alleviate the problem.
And the 'still' Feat increases the spell level by +1. Which is quite crippling for a 4-level progression.

Maybe some different idea? Or no praying at combat I guess? ;-)

You can use a small shield or buckler. With the buckler you have a free hand and you can cast without any problem.
With the small shield you can hold a item in your hand, so you need to switch your weapon to the shield hand, cast, and grip again your weapon with your main hand.

Or you can can do like the iconic paladin of 3.X D&D and use a bastard sword. You can hold it with one hand while casting and then wield it with 2 hands for combat.

It make perfect sense. No class ha the "right" to get the best of two worlds, using heavy shield and weapon and casting without any trouble at the same time.

PS: a cleric, inquisitor or oracle has the same problem.

Buckler is the way, except the fact that after casting you're losing entire AC Bonus from Buckler for one turn. But guess you can't eat the cake and have it at the same time :)

In general, casting should be done before actual combat starts. The paladin can usually do better things than casting a spell and getting hit in combat while at an attempt to cast a spell is generally not a good idea (since his/her concentration check will generally be sub par with other spellcasters).
So a light shield/buckler it is!

Greatsword or polearm etc. would work the same way considering what Diego posted, just sayin'.

Ruyan.

Midnight_Angel wrote:

CBDunkerson wrote:

You could also take the 'Still Spell' meta-magic feat or try to get a magic item which provides that effect.

Won't help much.

.
A metamagic Rod will occupy one of your hands... which does not exactly alleviate the problem.
And the 'still' Feat increases the spell level by +1. Which is quite crippling for a 4-level progression.

Maybe some different idea? Or no praying at combat I guess? ;-)

In most cases you're either casting or swinging. For the swift self heal lay on hands, I've always imagined it as requiring no somatic gestures so that's good as it is.

Weapon cord.

Some of the best combat spells for a paladin are V only and swift/immediate actions to boot. Such as Grace, Hero's Defiance or Paladin's Sacrifice.

The real problem is lay on hands, which specifically requires a free hand (and you will want to use that in combat)

Hello,

How the paladin spellcasting looks in combat when wielding longsword and heavy shield? As I see in somatic description, I need one hand free to cast paladin spells. So, am I correct that everytime i want to cast a divine spell in combat, I need to drop the sword/shield, cast the spell, grab it back from floor?

In our campaign, we removed the somantic component of all divine spells, but we also do not allow wands or scrolls to be made of divine spells either. Its worked out pretty well and has helped further seperate the line between magic-weilders and those who pray for their spells.

Some of the best combat spells for a paladin are V only and swift/immediate actions to boot. Such as Grace, Hero's Defiance or Paladin's Sacrifice.

The real problem is lay on hands, which specifically requires a free hand (and you will want to use that in combat)

I'd say that since when you're using it on yourself and the action type is changed from standard to swift, I'd just fluff to say that it operates differently as a result. It's clearly the design intent that you use the swift self heal while you're fighting so fluffing it that way only serves to help clear your head and move on to more interesting things to argue.. DISCUSS! about..

As Maxximilius noted, a weapon cord might be helpful (can drop sword as free action, cast as standard, recover weapon as swift). However, the SRD text says that "Unlike a locked gauntlet, you can still use a hand with a weapon cord, though a dangling weapon may interfere with finer actions." It is unclear if "finer actions" include spellcasting. Anyone know a firm ruling?

As I've seen it in a few years of Pathfinder society play, in-combat spellcasting by paladins is rare, and casting by clerics, whatever they are wielding, is usually allowed. For clerics, the Birthmark trait allows a divine focus that doesn't need a hand. A friend who plays many melee-and-shield divine casters says that the weapon cord solves most problems on the slice-and-spell front for Society judges.