Please perform your best knowledge (3.5 rules) check and help clarify the “holding the charge” spell to a rather befuddled DM and player alike. As I read them, I think I have interpreted the rule as written correctly, but would like your insights and guidance. Thanks for your attention and input.
From Hypertext d20 SRD:
Holding the Charge
If you don’t discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the discharge of the spell (hold the charge) indefinitely. (1*) You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.
(2*) Alternatively, 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 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, you are still holding the charge.
(1*) If I am interpreting this situation correctly does it mean the spellcaster can miss on a touch attack and not discharge the spell? For example, a halfling wizard with a melee touch attack attempts to touch an enemy orc with a shocking grasp spell, he has a melee touch bonus of +3 and the touch AC of the orc is 12. In the first round, the halfling wizard rolls a 4 and misses, the spell is not discharged and the halfling wizard attempt to touch the orc, or any other opponent, in subsequent rounds and decide to discharge the spell only when “contact” (he succeeds on the touch attack) is made. Is this accurate? Can said spellcaster also decide not to discharge the spell if “contact” was made? I understand that the spellcaster would still provoke an attack of opportunity if he was using an unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell would automatically discharge is he chose to instead hurl a dagger at his opponent.
(2*) How can you continue to make touch attacks round after round, when “if you touch anything while holding a charge the spell dissipates”, would not the spell dissipate after the first friend was touched? Please clarify how the six friends as a full-round action is performed.
Keep in mind that the rule is trying to cover all the bases for a wide number of different kinds of touch spells. So some touch spells can be used on a group of characters - say all or or lots of an adventuring party. I'd say that the characters would have to be in reach for the spell user to touch them all as a full round action (probably allowing a 5 foot step in the process) but otherwise there is not much more too it. Up to six people can be effected - you got to be able to get to them and it takes a full round.
That said most touch spells don't allow you to touch multiple people and 'holding the charge' does not grant spells new and unusual abilities. If the spell only effects one person you can't make it effect more then one by 'holding the charge'. It would effect the first target and that's it.
1.)You have it correct. Holding the charge for a subsequent attempt to touch after missing is probably the most common use of 'holding the charge'. As you note the rules say the spell discharges if the wizard touches something or someone so, yes, if the mage throws a dagger then the spell goes poof. I think the 'behind the curtain' point of this rule is to keep mages from casting touch spells and wandering around with them all day 'just in case'. You can try and touch bad guys over and over again until it works and that's mostly it.
2.)You can't under most circumstances (and exceptions will be explained in the spell description). If you hit you spell goes off – end of story, go cast another one or throw a dagger or something. The whole second section is basically stating the fundamental part of the whole rule which is – if you miss you can try again next round.
Thank you Jeremy. After reviewing the various mass spells, I understand what the multiple touch mass applications are referring to.
Please consider:
A player was speculating that a monk/wizard for example could in fact decide not to discharge the touch spell when he hit an enemy target if he was holding the charge until he decided to for as long as he desires. I stated that the my interpetation was that was incorrect, that the monk/wizard would automatically discharge them spell (whether he wanted to or not) once he made contact on a successful hit.
Any and all thoughts are welcomed.
Thank you Jeremy. After reviewing the various mass spells, I understand what the multiple touch mass applications are referring to.
Please consider:
A player was speculating that a monk/wizard for example could in fact decide not to discharge the touch spell when he hit an enemy target if he was holding the charge until he decided to for as long as he desires. I stated that the my interpetation was that was incorrect, that the monk/wizard would automatically discharge them spell (whether he wanted to or not) once he made contact on a successful hit.
Any and all thoughts are welcomed.
Your ruling seems essentially correct on all counts, save for a minor caveat. The only way he could hold a charge and still attack is to use his feet (or some other body part) to attack, which I believe a Monk is allowed to do. He could not then discharge said touch spell through his feet, but I believe he could hold a charge on his hands while fighting with his feet. From SRD:
{emphasis mine}At 1st level, a monk gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A monk’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a monk may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a monk striking unarmed. A monk may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes
I recently had an issue related to the spell "Spell Flower" used in conjunction with "Girallon's Blessing" (both Spell Compendium Spells) that caused me to re-examine this oft-overlooked and cautiously worded rule. I believe that if he hits someone, or for that matter uses the hand with the charged touch spell to pick up an item, give someone a high five, etc (ie: touches anything) the spell discharges and/or dissipates if it doesn't have a valid target.