Touch Spells while wielding 2-handed bonded item


Rules Questions


Hi -

How do touch spells work when the caster is wielding a 2-handed weapon?

For example, if I’m a Wizard with a Quarterstaff for a bonded item, and I want to cast Shocking Grasp, is it assumed that the quarterstaff is in my other hand when I cast and there are no penalties needed to deliver the touch spell?

I ask because I’m working on an Eldritch Knight build for Core PFS. I’m picturing him decked out in Full Plate wielding a Great Sword. Maybe not optimal but I love the image. Anyways, I want to be able to cast Shocking Grasp, Vampiric Touch, and maybe some other touch spells from time to time and want to ensure it’s feasible within the rules, especially since it’s PFS.

Appreciate the input as always.


Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Arcane Bond wrote:

If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be held in one hand.

This line PREVIOUSLY (at least as of the third printing) said:

If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be wielded.

The change was made just so you can do what you're asking.

So long as you have one hand free to HOLD your greatsword, you may cast your spells and use your OTHER (free) hand to touch your target(s). While doing so, your greatsword is HELD but not WIELDED (so you won't be able to make AoOs with it until you're done with that held charge in your other hand).


Going between one handing and two handing a weapon is a free action and is only limited in number of times per round by GM discretion. You can release with one hand as a free action, cast the spell as a standard action, touch the enemy as a free action, then regrip with your hand as a free action.

As stated above, if somebody somehow provokes an AoO during your turn while you are casting the spell, then you would be unable to take an AoO with your 2h weapon since you only have one hand on it. But I don't think I've ever seen somebody interrupt a spell and then subsequently provoke an AoO from the caster that they interrupted. I wouldn't worry about it. Using a 2h weapon and spellcasting is very easy.


SlimGauge wrote:

Arcane Bond wrote:

If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be held in one hand.

This line PREVIOUSLY (at least as of the third printing) said:

If the object is an amulet or ring, it must be worn to have effect, while staves, wands, and weapons must be wielded.

The change was made just so you can do what you're asking.

So long as you have one hand free to HOLD your greatsword, you may cast your spells and use your OTHER (free) hand to touch your target(s). While doing so, your greatsword is HELD but not WIELDED (so you won't be able to make AoOs with it until you're done with that held charge in your other hand).

Use a bastard sword instead of a greatsword and you get the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, it's at the cost of the exotic proficiency feat.

Then again, with a blackblade magus you get automatic proficiency with your blackblade weapon...

Shadow Lodge

Wouldn't you simply take a non proficiency penalty on attack rolls and deal only strength*1 on the attack for one handing a greatsword? you should still be able to AoO.


Gol Zayvian wrote:

Wouldn't you simply take a non proficiency penalty on attack rolls and deal only strength*1 on the attack for one handing a greatsword? you should still be able to AoO.

You cannot wield a 2h weapon with 1 hand. It's not a question of proficiency. If you want to wield a 2h weapon with 1 hand, try looking at the titan fighter or titan mauler archetypes.


Gol Zayvian wrote:

Wouldn't you simply take a non proficiency penalty on attack rolls and deal only strength*1 on the attack for one handing a greatsword? you should still be able to AoO.

No, it's too big to wield one-handed. You simply can't do it.

It's similar to how a large light weapon becomes a one-handed weapon (for a medium creature), a large one-handed weapon becomes a two-handed weapon, and a large two-handed weapon cannot be wielded because it's too large.

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