Touch spells reaching into a threatened square

[solo24601]

Does a caster who is reaching INTO a threatened square provoke an attack of opportunity when casting a heal spell on a companion?

eg., Bob is in a fight with an orc. Steve is a healer in Bob's party. Bob and the orc are face to face in squares that threaten each other.
If Steve walks up behind Bob ( who is IN a threatened square ) and reaches INTO that threatened square while HOLDING THE CHARGE of a cure light wounds spell, does Steve invoke an attack of opportunity. Please provide documentation and not just opinion.

Thanks

[Sniggevert]

1)Moving INTO a threatened square does not provoke (it's the leaving of one that does).

2)A caster with a touch spell active is considered "armed", and does not even provoke if attempting to touch a foe, let alone an ally.

[james maissen]

solo24601 wrote:

Does a caster who is reaching INTO a threatened square provoke an attack of opportunity when casting a heal spell on a companion?

Why would reaching INTO a threatened square ever provoke? Please provide documentation.. and not just opinion. ;)

-James

[solo24601]

Appreciate the quick responses but I meant it when I said I needed documented support one way or the other.

"1)Moving INTO a threatened square does not provoke (it's the leaving of one that does)."

Does moving into a threatened square already occupied by an ally provoke?

"2)A caster with a touch spell active is considered "armed", and does not even provoke if attempting to touch a foe, let alone an ally."

I found nothing regarding being armed and touching an ally. Only rules about touching foes. ( as pertaining to this action ).

"Why would reaching INTO a threatened square ever provoke?"

It is presented as being contextually the same as doing many other things that provoke while IN a threatened square. And, technically, at some point, Steve must have some part of his body in Bob's ( poor Bob ) threatened square to touch him. At which point Steve would be

"Performing a Distracting Act: Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle." (from rule book).

Anyway I have a party that is pretty much 50/50 on this so I appreciate the help.

Oh, BTW. Are there moderator's or "judges" that we can get in touch with?

Thanks a ton.

[Riggler]

Reaching into a square to discharge a touch healing spell no more provokes an AOO from someone threatening the square you are reaching into than does reaching into that square with an "armed offensive spell" would provoke from those other enemies that threaten that square.

Providing proof is like proving a negative. There is no "proof". This is why, the AOO section of the rules lists things that provoke and things that don't. But from a rule-writing standpoint you would include anything in the list that would provoke. So if the action or a similar one is not there in the AOO list, you would assume that it does not provoke.

[solo24601]

Thank you, Riggler. And I was just asking for documentation not proof. Now that I have that analogy, I believe that I can come up with enough to provide the party with the requested documentation. There is a list provided.

Perhaps you could help me with another quick one? Or shall I start another thread.

Again, thank you for your quick and attentive responses, all.

[Sniggevert]

Pasted from the PRD: wrote:

Attacks of Opportunity

Sometimes a combatant in a melee lets her guard down or takes a reckless action. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity. See the Attacks of Opportunity diagram for an example of how they work.

Threatened Squares: You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your turn. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you're unarmed, you don't normally threaten any squares and thus can't make attacks of opportunity.

The caster is casting a spell and discharging a spell from outside of the orc's threatened area. Since the orc does not threaten the caster, the orc can not take an AoO against the caster.

[solo24601]

I appreciate the help Sniggevert.

[Archaeik]

Okay, so now I'm curious, does the automatic damage from a swarm affect this caster?

Do they need to make a concentration check, etc?

[Sniggevert]

If the caster is in a square occupied by a swarm at the end of the swarm's turn he'd be affected by it...

If he's in the swarm, he'd have to make his save vs. distraction to cast the spell as normal.

If the caster was outside the swarm, cast the cure, and moved into a swarm to touch Bob there would be no need for a concentration check as he was not distracted while casting the spell only after. There is no concentration needed to hold a touch spell.