Focused Trance's duration after the rounds?

[Myrryr]

So, Focused Trance
( Focused Trance (Ex): You can enter a deep meditation, blocking out visual and auditory stimuli and allowing you to concentrate on a single problem, philosophical issue, or memory. This trance lasts 1d6 rounds, during which time you can only take move actions. During this period, you gain a bonus equal to your level on all saves against sonic effects and gaze attacks. When you come out of your trance, you may make a single Intelligence-based skill check with a +20 circumstance bonus. You may enter your focused trance a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier.)

Doesn't specify a time limit after you spend the 1d6 rounds tranced. How long can you wait before that +20 wears off? Can you take other standard actions during that wait? Such as casting Identify to use it on spellcraft checks for magic items?

[Myrryr]

Bumping for the question!

[dragonhunterq]

I can't find anything to support the argument, but i'm sure you have to start using the skill straight away (while your mind is still calm and focused).

Using a spell that has a skill check as part of the spell would fall well within that ambit in my opinion.

[RumpinRufus]

I think you have to make the skill check immediately upon coming out of the trance. So I don't think it will work in conjunction with Identify.

[darth_gator]

That's an interesting question. The text says you "concentrate on a single problem, philosophical issue, or memory" then, "When you come out of the trance, you may make a single Intelligence-based skill check with a +20 circumstance bonus." To me, it appears the trance is (essentially) part of the skill check you want to make. You can't focus on a "single" topic, then use that bonus for any Int based skill check you'd like. I don't think you can hang around a cast a spell before using the bonus, though. For your identify/spellcraft example, I would say you have to cast Identify first, then enter the trance, then make your skill check. Unless you're second level or lower, you will always have enough time to do this. (Identify lasts for 9 rounds at 3rd level, allowing you to roll max on the rounds required to concentrate and still spend 3 rounds using spellcraft.) At second level, you should be able to pull this off half the time.

In any case, I don't see why you would need to. The DC to identify the properties of a magic item using spellcraft is DC 15+Item's CL. If you have an Int bonus of 2, and are third level, you should have a bonus of +8 to spellcraft checks. Adding +20 through the use of this ability gives you a minimum check of 29 (a caster level 14 item). Why would you need the +10 bonus from Identify (allowing you to auto-id CL 24 items)? Why would your GM possibly start handing out greater than CL14 magic items to a third level party?

[RumpinRufus]

Darth, in order to make a Spellcraft check to identify a magic item at all you have to cast Detect Magic, which requires concentration and thus you could not maintain while you are in a trance.

Also keep in mind that using the Identify spell requires three rounds of study. It doesn't make much sense to me that you'd first go in a trance, then study the object, and figure out what it is that way. However, it would be reasonably to study the object with Identify, use your trance, and then make the check. However, I don't believe that's technically allowed by RAW.

[Myrryr]

The reason for it Darth, is because a player is ultra paranoid about cursed items, which have a DC 10 higher than the normal to identify about the item (normally). So he basically wants to use this, specifically to 'auto-win' against finding any cursed items.

Hence my question of whether it's actually possible.
And IIRC, doesn't Identify also have a Concentration requirement, making casting it prior to Focused Trance worthless?

[RumpinRufus]

Identify does not require concentration, unlike Detect Magic.

[Myrryr]

Ah, ok. So it sounds like it'd work, but only with the Identify spell, and having a duration of at least long for the trance to wear off, or 3rds to study, and max of 1-2 rds of trance then make the check immediately for a CL of 2, or 4-5rds max of trance for a CL of 3, or any duration of trance for a CL of 4 or higher?