Spell Storing Confusion

[Umbral Reaver]

Let's say my budding eldritch knight scores a critical hit with her spell-storing falchion. It's got a nice 3d6 vampiric touch stored in it!

What happens?

A. Her falchion does 2x damage plus 6d6 negative energy damage (and corresponding temporary hit point gain).

B. Her falchion does 2x damage plus 3d6 negative energy damage (and gains temp hp accordingly).

C. Her falchion does 2x damage. Then she rolls a touch attack as a free action. If it hits, she does 3d6 negative energy damage (and gains that much temp hp). The spell can crit on its own attack roll.

D. Something else?

[LazarX]

The magic in the spell storing blade does not crit because the magic is applied in a decision AFTER the strike not as part of it as it would be with spellstrike.

[Umbral Reaver]

Could you explain that step-by-step? I'm not entirely sure what you said there.

[Some call me Tim]

LazarX wrote:

The magic in the spell storing blade does not crit because the magic is applied in a decision AFTER the strike not as part of it as it would be with spellstrike.

The way it is written spell storing doesn't actually say that you hit with the spell. It merely says: "the weapon can immediately cast the spell on that creature as a free action." I'm pretty sure that it was intended to automatically hit, but where does that leave critical hits? Touch spells (such as the vampiric touch only threaten a critical hit on a natural 20 and only deal double damage. What happens with spell storing scimitar or spell storing scythe?

It does seem kinda meta-gamey to allow you to see the attack roll before deciding to use it. But then again if you just impaled a guy's kidney with your sword, you might kinda get the idea it was hit badly.

I would say that on a natural 20 (regardless of weapons critical range) you could decide to release the spell. This decision would have to be made before rolling for confirmation of the critical. If the critical was confirmed you deal double damage regardless of the weapons critical multiplier.

[David Thomassen]

Spell Storing:

"Spell Storing: A spell storing weapon allows a spellcaster to store a single targeted spell of up to 3rd level in the weapon. (The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action.) Anytime the weapon strikes a creature and the creature takes damage from it, the weapon can immediately cast the spell on that creature as a free action if the wielder desires. (This special ability is an exception to the general rule that casting a spell from an item takes at least as long as casting that spell normally.) Once the spell has been cast from the weapon, a spellcaster can cast any other targeted spell of up to 3rd level into it. The weapon magically imparts to the wielder the name of the spell currently stored within it. A randomly rolled spell storing weapon has a 50% chance to have a spell stored in it already."

So the decision to cast the spell can only happen after the damage is done, it is not multiplied by the critical.

[Bobson]

So is it really possible for a weapon you just hit the guy with to fail a touch attack roll?

[Some call me Tim]

Bobson wrote:

So is it really possible for a weapon you just hit the guy with to fail a touch attack roll?

Rules-as-written seem to suggest so. A weapon of spell storing says: "the weapon can immediately cast the spell on that creature as a free action." No where does it say that it hits automatically or negates any saving throw.

[Tarlane]

Off topic, am I the only one who thought this was going to be about storing the spell 'confusion' in your weapon?

Trying to be more on topic, in a purely opinion based statement. I can see either of the latter two options being pretty legitimate calls. I think that I would most likely make the ruling that if you crit with the weapons the spell goes off and automatically hits, however I would probably give the player the option to roll for the spells touch attack if desired. It means there is a chance they will miss it, but a chance they could crit the spell as well.

[Kaiyanwang]

Tarlane wrote:

Off topic, am I the only one who thought this was going to be about storing the spell 'confusion' in your weapon?

You are not alone :)

OT: In my opinion, David Thomassen is right.