Rules Clarifications - Things that tick and things that touch

[Jimmy "Big Daddy" Ho-Chunk]

Hey hey,

So in my game last night, I had a couple of situations come up that I want clarification on to make sure I run them appropriately.

• First, A player (bard) initiated a Song of Healing which grants Fast Healing 2. Would the healing "tick" on the bard's turn or on the recipient's turn?

• Second, a player cast Bull's Strength while out of a target's reach, then 5 foot step in and touch an ally to deliver the Bull's Strength. Is this legitimate as it avoids the AoO of casting a touch range buff within a threatened area.

• Third, does the Bard song Dirge of Doom grant a Will Save? Or is it a case of "You're in it, you are now shaken."?
  

Thank you!

[Jimmy "Big Daddy" Ho-Chunk]

As a follow up to question 2, if you can cast, step and touch, does that apply for ALL range touch spells? If not, what are the exceptions?

[Imbicatus]

Quote:

Touch Spells and Holding the Charge

In most cases, if you don't discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round until the spell is discharged. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can't hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

[Brf]

The OP is not asking about Hold a Charge. It is asking whether you can 5-foot-step and deliver the touch in the same round as the spell is cast, avoiding an AoO for the casting.

[Jimmy "Big Daddy" Ho-Chunk]

Brf wrote:

The OP is not asking about Hold a Charge. It is asking whether you can 5-foot-step and deliver the touch in the same round as the spell is cast, avoiding an AoO for the casting.

Yeah, what Brf said =)

Thank you for the response though!

[Joana]

PRD>Combat>Actions in Combat>Standard Actions>Cast a Spell wrote:

Touch Spells in Combat: 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.

My italics. If you can take a full move action between casting the spell and delivering the touch, you can surely take a 5-foot-step.

[Claxon]

Cast, 5ft step, touch is legal. It is a time honored tradition of avoiding AoO. As is the 5ft step, cast, target something with ranged spell.

[Joana]

As for Dirge of Doom, other bardic performances that allow Will saves, such as Fascinate and Suggestion, explicitly spell it out in the text. Dirge of Doom doesn't list a saving throw so I'd have to assume it's simply an aura of shaken with no save.

[Bigdaddyjug]

For an answer to your first question, the Fast Healing ticks on the target's turn because that is how Fast Healing works.

Oh, and there can be only one Bigdaddy! :p