Attack of Opportunity while Summoning?

[Ben Fleuter]

That is to say that if you are summoning or casting any other spell that has a 1-round casting time, and someone tries to move through your space or otherwise would normally provoke an attack from you, can you take it?

[DM_Blake]

In the Combat chapter, under Attacks of Opportunity, it says"

"An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. "

In the Combat chapter, under Full Round Actions, the entry for Casting a Sepll says:

"While casting a spell, you don't threaten any squares around you."

Since you don't threaten any squares and since the AoO rules require you to threaten squares, then you can never take an AoO while you're busy casting spells.

[ZomB]

Also the sentence before is relevant: "You only provoke attacks of opportunity when you begin casting a spell, even though you might continue casting for at least 1 full round."

[Hendelbolaf]

A couple of quick questions on concentration that are related.

#1 To piggy back on the previous comment, what if I take a hit after my turn when I just cast a 1 round casting time spell? I would assume that I am still in the process of casting it so that I would need to make a Concentration check at any point that I am hit from my turn on round one when I begin casting to just before my turn on round two when the spell effect occurs.

#2 Do I threaten squares when I am just concentrating to maintain a spell and not in the middle of casting it?

[DM_Blake]

#1. Correct. Any damage you take after beginning to cast the spell until you finish it causes a concentration check, failure of which means you blow the spell (lose it as if you had cast it but with no effect).

#2. Concentration to maintain a spell is just a standard action. It does not require any "full-round" concentration. You can take any kind of standard action (spell, attack, move, play pattycake) and still be free to make AoOs on other people's turns as long as you are wielding a melee weapon to threaten adjacent squares.

[Seriphim84]

1. Yes you are still in the process of casting it until the beginning of your next turn. When you are hit while casting you must make a check right before you finish the spell. You total the damage you take and add 10+spell level. Getting hit while casting is very dangerous for a caster and vital for a combatant.

2. Because it only takes a standard action to maintain concentration on a spell you continue threatening.

[Ben Fleuter]

Awesome. Thanks for the clarification, all!