Spellcraft Vs. Tumbling

[Ughbash]

Tumbling was changed to 15+BAB or 20+BAB so that by midlevel it was not an automatic action to tumble by anyone. This changes it so that if you are fighting a 20th level warrior, you would have to make a 35DC tumble check to get around him without facing an attack of opportunity.

Should not Spellcraft work the same way? 12+spell level+BAB to avoid an attack of opportunity from someone you are facing? As it is after about 10th level (earlier of you focus or get a custom magic item) you fight defensivsly almost automatically. Perhaps your bobbing and weaving might work on a level 1 warrior (just like a simple tumble might) but against a Master swordsman (level 20) it should be significantly more difficult. He is more apt to notice the slight opening you left and take advantage of it.

By reducing it to 12+Spell Level+BAB it makes it slightly easier at low level. A 3rd level spell would be equivalent to tumbling by an opponent and a 8th level spell would be the equivalent of tumbling through an opponent.

[awp832]

Personally, I've run and played in a lot of games in which Spellcrafting to cast defensively (or, Concentration as it was) was an auto-success. And to tell you the truth, I didn't mind it. There is nothing worse than being the group's cleric, running up to heal your bud and screwing up the spell beause of an AOO. I think the mechanics are just fine if casters basically never provoke AOOs for spellcasting.

[chavamana]

The auto-casting in melee without a spellcraft check is what I have Combat Casting do. It really does work nicely.

[aurdraco]

awp832 wrote:

Personally, I've run and played in a lot of games in which Spellcrafting to cast defensively (or, Concentration as it was) was an auto-success. And to tell you the truth, I didn't mind it. There is nothing worse than being the group's cleric, running up to heal your bud and screwing up the spell beause of an AOO. I think the mechanics are just fine if casters basically never provoke AOOs for spellcasting.

I agree as long as the caster isn't attacking someone right next to them. However, I like the idea of a scaled check, using BAB to modify the DC to represent an intelligent bad guy's ability to guage when he could interrupt your concentration, when the caster is trying to slap a spell on an enemy who threatens him. Imo, it should be harder to avoid an AoO for casting when trying to slap-and-tickle (not in the good way) a 20th level fighter than a 1st level commoner.