How exactly does Blood Crow Strike work?

[Sean H]

I just found this spell Blood Crow Strike, which sounds cool but I can't actually figure out how it works.

Based on the spell block, this looks like a spell that you hit an enemy creature with:

Quote:

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell resistance yes

Yet the spell description itself sounds much more like a buff spell you would cast on an ally:

Quote:

Your unarmed strikes release blasts of energy in the form of bolts of fire or glowing red crows, which fly instantaneously to strike your target. You can make unarmed strike or flurry of blows attacks against the target as if it were in your threatened area; each successful attack deals damage as if you had hit it with your unarmed strike, except half the damage is fire and half is negative energy (this negative energy does not heal undead).

To complicate matters further, this is a 4th-level Cleric spell, which means you must be at least 7th level to cast it. However, the example given uses a 14th-level Monk, and I don't believe characters can go up to 21st level.

This further reinforces the idea that this would be a buff spell that you cast on an allied Monk, but since the duration is instantaneous I don't have any idea how this would work, unless you are permanently imbuing them with the power to make ranged Unarmed Strikes, which seems... incorrect.

[Eltacolibre]

very simple the key sentence here is this:

. You can make unarmed strike or flurry of blows attacks against the target as if it were in your threatened area;

Yeah you are making unarmed strikes and flurry of blows 100 ft + 10 ft/cl...so you are hitting the enemy 180 ft away for 1 round.

[He'sDeadJim]

I think it was mainly meant for the Anime crowd...and for the Monk archtype that casts spells with his Ki. Cleric/Monks are common builds I understand too.

[Eltacolibre]

it's an evocation spell...its not a buff at all. You are the one shooting the blood crows. As for getting 14 level of monk...guess it would be possible, if you are rocking some candles of invocation exclusive to divine caster so they can cast and prepare spells as if they are two level higher. 14 monk/5 cleric with candles of invocation could use them but frankly why would you do that?

[BadBird]

I think Blood Crow Strike probably began as a Qingong Monk Power that they had to create a spell to reference to. What I wonder is whether every unarmed strike is a ranged touch attack, or whether its literally all unarmed strikes with the usual melee rolls and penalties.

[Ninja in the Rye]

So here's one.

You cast the spell in Round 1, it finish casting right at the start of round 2. Does the spell now allow you to make a 'free' Flurry of Blows attack as part of finishing casting the spell, or does require you to use your actions for round 2 to make the FoB attack?

[Mojorat]

The spell is instsntnious. Round to cast then right at the start of your turn you get the spells effects. Giving yu the flurry. You then doyour normal turn.

Im pretty sure tis and several other sells are all fir quigong monks.

[Kazaan]

Here's how I've figured to interpret it:

1) You designate your target and start casting. It takes 1 round of casting. The target must stay within the spell's range from start to finish and you must maintain LoS; if they move behind cover or into full concealment, you lose targeting and stop casting.

2) The spell completes just before your next turn. It's instantaneous duration so you must take advantage of the effect on that turn or its lost. On the turn immediately following the completion of the spell, you may deal Unarmed Strike damage (as half fire, half negative energy) to the target "as if they were in your threatened area". This means that, no matter where they are at this point, your attacks hit them as if they were standing adjacent to you. This means that, if you moved away and interposed cover, your attacks would still hit them so long as your movement didn't put them into a condition of Total Cover relative to you (nearly a non-issue).

3) After your turn, whether you made any attacks or not, the effect no longer applies.

So it's not a buff that you put on yourself or an ally; it's a debuff that you place on the intended target. Once placed, you have one turn (not round, turn) to take advantage of it before it is no longer applicable.