So I just wanted to reach out and get the consensus on this although I suspect I know the answer.
When a spell caster completes a spell that can be delivered with a 'touch'. They can move after casting the spell and deliver the spell as a free action. If the player is delivering the spell to an ally, does this provoke an AoO?
I understand that if it's against an enemy, you do provoke unless your unarmed attacks don't normally provoke. (i.e. Monk or Improved Unarmed Strike Feat)
But does delivering a touch spell to an ally, provoke?
no it doesn't
no it doesn'tSo I just wanted to reach out and get the consensus on this although I suspect I know the answer.
When a spell caster completes a spell that can be delivered with a 'touch'. They can move after casting the spell and deliver the spell as a free action. If the player is delivering the spell to an ally, does this provoke an AoO?
I understand that if it's against an enemy, you do provoke unless your unarmed attacks don't normally provoke. (i.e. Monk or Improved Unarmed Strike Feat)
But does delivering a touch spell to an ally, provoke?
And using a melee touch spell against an enemy does not provoke either. You are considered "armed" when you are attempting to attack with the touch spell.
Both the responders are right. Here's your relevant RAW:
Touch Spells in Combat[/b]]Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject. In the same round that you cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) as a free action. 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 come in two types: melee touch attacks and ranged touch attacks. You can score critical hits with either type of attack as long as the spell deals damage. Your opponent's AC against a touch attack does not include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. His size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) all apply normally.
So I just wanted to reach out and get the consensus on this although I suspect I know the answer.
When a spell caster completes a spell that can be delivered with a 'touch'. They can move after casting the spell and deliver the spell as a free action. If the player is delivering the spell to an ally, does this provoke an AoO?
I understand that if it's against an enemy, you do provoke unless your unarmed attacks don't normally provoke. (i.e. Monk or Improved Unarmed Strike Feat)
Actually delivering touch spells to opponent does not provoke attacks 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 spells make you 'armed' for the purpose of provoking AoO unless you are holding the charge and want to make an unarmed attack and deliver the spell - then you provoke normally.
But does delivering a touch spell to an ally, provoke?
Rather not, unless you are using full-round action to touch up to six allies in single round which is marked as AoO Yes in action table.
EDIT: Sentack, as far as I understand while holding the charge you are still considered armed when you try to deliver the spell with touch attack. Only when trying to use unarmed attack to deliver spell and deal unarmed damage you provoke attack of opportunity from the target.
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While we're on the subject, what about touch attacks for spell-like abilities? For instance, the cleric's Chaos Domain grants an SLA that lets you make a melee touch attack against an enemy. Does it provoke? Or does it mimic spells so closely that you "cast" it first and can then deliver as a free action? Or is it entirely AoO-free?
They work just like the spells.
The casting provokes. The touching does not.
They work just like the spells.
The casting provokes. The touching does not.
Correct, except in this case with the Chaos special ability, there is no "casting." The cleric simply thinks about it and then does it (a number of times per day).
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Correct, except in this case with the Chaos special ability, there is no "casting." The cleric simply thinks about it and then does it (a number of times per day).They work just like the spells.
The casting provokes. The touching does not.
You make it sound like the Chaos special ability and other touch-based spell-like abilities would be different from each other. If so, how would one tell the difference?
You make it sound like the Chaos special ability and other touch-based spell-like abilities would be different from each other. If so, how would one tell the difference?Correct, except in this case with the Chaos special ability, there is no "casting." The cleric simply thinks about it and then does it (a number of times per day).They work just like the spells.
The casting provokes. The touching does not.
Sorry that was not my intent. I just meant that there are different circumstances for different special abilities. Some are standard actions, some are free, some do provoke AoO's some don't, etc.
with the Chaos special ability, there is no "casting." The cleric simply thinks about it and then does it (a number of times per day).
It's a standard action spell-like ability. It provokes. It's pretty much exactly like casting a touch spell without VSM components.
Are you saying you wouldn't let the cleric hold the charge if he missed with the initial attack?
with the Chaos special ability, there is no "casting." The cleric simply thinks about it and then does it (a number of times per day).It's a standard action spell-like ability. It provokes. It's pretty much exactly like casting a touch spell without VSM components.
Are you saying you wouldn't let the cleric hold the charge if he missed with the initial attack?
I guess I might have a flawed understanding of these abilities then. I get that it's a standard action, but I never thought you were actually "doing" anything other than taking the time to "harness" the energy. It's a standard action because you have to "summon" the energy and that takes time, but, even as you say it's like casting a spell without the VSM components. What else is there to casting a spell except concentration? If I'm "casting" a spell that requires nothing but me to concentrate am I really letting my guard down enough for an AoO? After that, applying the touch part of the attack, as mentioned above is considered an armed attack, so it doesn't provoke.
I always understood the language of the spell like abilities to mean that they functioned "like" magic in that they use magical energy, thus they can be dispelled, don't work in antimagic fields, etc. Not that they were actually the character "casting" anything.
Like I said, I could have a wrong interpretation. Also, I would let them hold the charge.
Edit: To further clarify, I've always considered spell-like abilities to be much like activating a magical item. You have to concentrate, sometimes you even have to say something in order to activate it, but even the raw says activating a magical item does not provoke an AoO.