So in my game there was a giant squid rocking the ship the party was on. The wizard failed his balance check against the rocking ship and fell down. So, instead of standing up, he started casting summon monster while prone. I allowed it for the time being, but... Should that be possible without penalty?
My idea would to give casting prone an arcane failure rate of 20%, as the wizard could hit his elbow on the ground or make some other maneuver that would ruin the somatic component of the spell. The idea of a wizard lying down in a trench casting fireball would give the wizard some significant boosts versus ranged fire, but seems decidedly un-D&D-like.
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Normally you can cast a spell without any problems if you meet the VSM component requirements (eg. 1 free hand for somatics).
Given your example, a giant squid rocking a ship would qualify for a Concentration check for "Vigorous motion while casting" or "Violent motion while casting", depending on what floats your boat (cheap pun intended, sorry).
Normally you can cast a spell without any problems if you meet the VSM component requirements (eg. 1 free hand for somatics).
Given your example, a giant squid rocking a ship would qualify for a Concentration check for "Vigorous motion while casting" or "Violent motion while casting", depending on what floats your boat (cheap pun intended, sorry).
Well... The way I resolved it is the squid took an action on it's turn to give the boat a violent lurch, which forced everyone to make a balance check. So rather than keeping the boat rocking back and forth... Now if the squid chose to rock the boat while the wizard was casting, sure I would require a concentration check.
I imagine wizards casting while prone all the time. Mostly casting unseen servant while still in bed to fetch breakfast, slippers and the morning paper.
More seriously, you could treat is as like grappled or pinned while casting, but since there is no grappler, the DC of the concentration check is 10 + spell level + 0 (the non-existant grapplers CMB). That's also what you get if you treat being prone as equivalent to vigorous motion.
I've been similarly stuck in the past. I have heard there is, or was in 3.5, a rule about not being able to cast while prone, but I can't recall seeing it myself.
Nothing says a wizard can't cast while prone, kneeling, standing, floating in mid air or in any other position. Basically if it doesn't say there is a problem then there isn't one. A rocking ship is a classic (and specifically covered) instance of needing a concentration check, but that's a concentration check, putting arcane spell failure in the mix doesn't even make sense. The only things that cause arcane spell failure is deafness and armor, everything else is a concentration check.
What will really tickle your noodle -- can a prone character with a perfect fly speed fly without standing up?
Prone: The character is lying on the ground. A prone attacker has a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon (except for a crossbow). A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. Standing up is a move-equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Cannot use a ranged weapon except for a crossbow, which implies the limitations on this game is based off of logic. If both of your hands are free you can cast with something that requires both of your hands. A short or worse, a long bow takes some room to fire so it makes sense that you have to be standing to operate it effectively.
You can also cast spells while grapped, so I imagine you could.
Violent Motion: If you are on a galloping horse, taking a very rough ride in a wagon, on a small boat in rapids or in a storm, on deck in a storm-tossed ship, or being pitched roughly about in a similar fashion, you must make a concentration check (DC 15 + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell. If the motion is extremely violent, such as that caused by an earthquake, the DC is equal to 20 + the level of the spell you’re casting.
Grappling or Pinned: The only spells you can cast while grappling or pinned are those without somatic components and whose material components (if any) you have in hand. Even so, you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the grappler’s CMB + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell.
So in this sense you are pinned which is the same as prone. So yes, you can cast prone the only thing I would have done different is have made him make a concentration check at DC 15 or 20 + Level of spell he is casting.
Their is one big thing people overlook, for as long as the books have been out (Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder) they have been a guide line to be used at the game master discretion, so just make a judgement call and be done with it, its your game.
I'd house-rule that ranged weapons while prone take a floating -4 penalty points placed into attack, (damage + range divider).
Example: -2 attack, -2 damage & 1/2 range, or -1 attack, -3 damage & 1/3 range.
Reasoning: You can shift your body to get a full pull of the bow, but your aim would go out the window, or aim good, but can't get a good pull or good throw with full power.
For casting, I'd just have them take the prone -4 penalty mod to their concentration check.
I'd house-rule that ranged weapons while prone take a floating -4 penalty points placed into attack, (damage + range divider).
Example: -2 attack, -2 damage & 1/2 range, or -1 attack, -3 damage & 1/3 range.
Reasoning: You can shift your body to get a full pull of the bow, but your aim would go out the window, or aim good, but can't get a good pull or good throw with full power.
For casting, I'd just have them take the prone -4 penalty mod to their concentration check.
A coupla things here
1. Only a crossbows and guns can be fired prone without a feat and it is done so at no penalty.
2. as stated above there is no penalty or check to cast while prone.
3. however if you do use these house rules you have officaly made Prone Shooter have merit in your home game.
I would house rule that :
Nothing prevent you from casting a spell while prone but :
- If the spell has no somatic component, then you have no penality.
- If the spell has somatic components then you are hindered by the ground just like being hindered by armor : you get a 5% per spell level of spell failure (1st level spell : 5%, 9th level sepll : 5X9=45%)
An alternative would be a dexterity roll with a DC 5 + the level of the spell he is casting or lose the spell, to make it more dependent on the ability of the character and the complexity of the spell. But i prefer the first option as it is more simple.
To me, the concentration check is best used for something that actively perturbating the casting of a spell. An armor is not doing anything actively, neither is the ground.