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Do monsters, affected by player character spells such as Faerie Fire, Prayer and/or Glitterdust (not the blindness obviously, but the penalty to stealth regardless of save) have to make Concentration checks to cast spells due to penalties from ongoing effects?
According to the PRD, Table: Concentration Checks DCs - Affected by a non-damaging spell while casting. Concentration Check DC is DC of the spell + spell level.
PRD...
Spell: If you are affected by a spell while attempting to cast a spell of your own, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell you are casting. If the spell affecting you deals damage, the DC is 10 + the damage taken + the level of the spell you're casting.
If the spell interferes with you or distracts you in some other way, the DC is the spell's saving throw DC + the level of the spell you're casting. For a spell with no saving throw, it's the DC that the spell's saving throw would have if a save were allowed (10 + spell level + caster's ability score).
No. I'd say "affected" means "having a spell cast on you" - otherwise every wizard with mage armor would need concentration checks, too. Being under a spell's effect is not the same as being affected by a spell.
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I'm one of the instigators of this question, as I'm one who disagrees with the assertion that Prayer causes an enemy caster to be affected in a way to be "distracted" while casting a spell. I think this is the first disagreement I have with Cronge...sorry Cronge!
I agree, that if they cast casts a ray spell that their targeting will be harder while under the effects of Prayer, but the casting itself was not harder.
For Glitterdust, perhaps if he's actively trying to not be blinded and making saves to do so might be a distraction.
However, if there's nothing actively interfering with the caster, I'm not sure how he would need a concentration check.
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@Cronge: Distraction would be something that interferes with their ability to cast.
If the spell interferes with you or distracts you in some other way, the DC is the spell's saving throw DC + the level of the spell you're casting. For a spell with no saving throw, it's the DC that the spell's saving throw would have if a save were allowed (10 + spell level + caster's ability score).
So, does Prayer interfere with the caster? Not for spellcasting, and only in some, fairly limited, ways with the cast spell. For instance, does Prayer, in any way, interact with a spell like Magic Missile?
You bring special favor upon yourself and your allies while bringing disfavor to your enemies. You and each of your allies gain a +1 luck bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks, while each of your foes takes a –1 penalty on such rolls.
Magic Missile:
-1 Luck penalty to attack rolls? No interaction-1 Luck penalty to weapon damage rolls? No interaction
-1 Luck penalty to saves? Again, no interaction
-1 Luck penalty to skill checks? Unless the caster is using a scroll with a version of the spell that is higher caster level than he is, or trying to UMD a wand or some such, no interaction.
For, say, Scorching Ray, it would give the penalty to the attack and damage rolls, but no need for a concentration check, as it doesn't interfere with the spellcasting.
On the other hand, if someone had set a Flaming Sphere spell off, and the caster were in the same square as it, even if they had saved, I would count that as a distraction for casting purposes.
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TriOmegaZero and kinevon are basically right. -1's just don't count as a "distraction" except under the harshest reading of the rule.
A swarm would, toxic smoke would, itching dust would - something like that.
I am really curious to hear what the devs have to say about this.
This is the wrong way to look at it, and I'm getting the impression you're probably going to stick with your perspective of it until a dev says otherwise. Devs almost never reply to these kinds of rules questions, certainly not when all the replies are in agreement/disagreement.
The rules are intended to be read with a level of commonsense to them. The best thing to do is look at it from the other side, see if there's a possibility of that being right, and go with the community majority perspective (assuming there is a majority - sometimes there isn't).
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Ok, so I had to go flip through my rule book to check on this one. My interpretation is that a concentration check is required for non-damaging spells only if it hits you while you are casting the spell the same way you only have to make a check for attacks that hit you while you are casting a spell. So that means it only comes up if someone uses a readied action or a spell with a full round or longer casting time is being used. So, as I see it, prayer would for you to make a concentration check, but only if it comes into affect as you are casting the spell.
I want to add that part of my reasoning is that the rule is meaningless or overpowered otherwise. Consider a spell like gliterdust. If a spell caster had to make a concentration check each round that he was under the effect of it, that would be to many concentration checks. However, if we say on going effects are not the cause for the rule, then we have to say that it applies to when the non-damaging spells affect you as you are casting or there will never be a need for that concentration check.
The problem with just using common sense here is that what counts as "distracting enough" is completely subjective and will vary from person to person.
While there may be some effects almost everyone can agree will or will not cause a concentration check, there's a LOT of things that fall between these extremes.
Players and GMs should have clearer guidance for this, imho.
I'm inclined to agree with this, but Avatar-1 is also right that we're not likely to get any official clarification from the devs until/unless this gets an official FAQ. And given Paizo's track record on FAQing things...
Do monsters, affected by player character spells such as Faerie Fire, Prayer and/or Glitterdust (not the blindness obviously, but the penalty to stealth regardless of save) have to make Concentration checks to cast spells due to penalties from ongoing effects?
According to the PRD, Table: Concentration Checks DCs - Affected by a non-damaging spell while casting. Concentration Check DC is DC of the spell + spell level.
PRD...
Spell: If you are affected by a spell while attempting to cast a spell of your own, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell you are casting. If the spell affecting you deals damage, the DC is 10 + the damage taken + the level of the spell you're casting.
If the spell interferes with you or distracts you in some other way, the DC is the spell's saving throw DC + the level of the spell you're casting. For a spell with no saving throw, it's the DC that the spell's saving throw would have if a save were allowed (10 + spell level + caster's ability score).
That rule is for when you are affected by a spell while casting a spell. As an example if you were hit by magic missile while casting you would use the damage formula. If you were hit hit by slow you would use the noncasting formula.
The only formula for ongoing/continuous affects is when a spell does damage. There is no formula for making a concentration check just because you have a an affect on you, unless that specific status affect, such as grapple is called out by the rules.