Maintaining concentration while attacking.

[Artifix]

Is it possible to maintain enough concentration to continuously cast a spell while attacking. Or perhaps while taking a move action.

[wraithstrike]

Concentration is a standard action so you can perform other actions.

[Diego Rossi]

Concentration is a standard action so you can take move swift, immediate and free actions. Not standard or full round actions.

[Artifix]

Thank you! This should allow this build to work then (evil grin)...

[DM_Blake]

Cast a spell while attacking? Are you sure you phrased that correctly?

Casting is usually a standard action, and attacking is too, so usually you have to pick one or the other - there is (usually) no way to attack and cast in the same round. Obviously there are exceptions like the Magus or using a Quickened spell.

Did you mean to ask "Is it possible to maintain enough concentration to continuously maintain a spell while attacking?" If so, you still have the same problem since maintaining is a standard action and attacking is a standard action.

You also mentioned just moving (instead of attacking). This you can do, regardless of whether you want to move and cast or move and maintain.

[Jeff Merola]

If you're a Gnome (or Human with Racial Heritage: Gnome) you can use Effortless Trickery to maintain an Illusion spell as a swift (ignore the bit about concentrating on more than one spell at once, that doesn't actually do anything because you still can't cast a spell while concentrating on another one).

I'm unaware of any other way to concentrate faster than a standard.

[Claxon]

If you give us the information on what you are specifically trying to do then we can give you better answers.

As mentioned concentrating on a spell is a standard action, and attacking is usually a standard or a full round action.

Some abilities let you make attacks as other kinds of action.

It is also worth noting, I think while concentrating on a spell you do not threaten squares but I'm not very confidant on that, so maybe someone else can confirm or refute.

[Artifix]

Ok basically I want to use mage hand to wield a whip or dagger.

[Kayerloth]

Short answer no.

Longer answer, no you wouldn't be able to effectively attack it's beyond the ability of the spell. Pick it up and move them yes, maybe convince some foe you might be able to attack (i.e. Bluff) but not actually strike with the speed and strength required to attack. You are limited to a non-magical object of less than 5 lbs (put another way that's the medium encumbrance load for a Str of 1). That's even less than what an "Unseen Servant" can manage load/Strength-wise. And note the limitations placed on what an Unseen Servant can do.

Telekinesis, a 5th level spell, comes closer and has quite a few limitations when compared to a human actually wielding a weapon to attack over the course of a battle.

[bbangerter]

Claxon wrote:

It is also worth noting, I think while concentrating on a spell you do not threaten squares but I'm not very confidant on that, so maybe someone else can confirm or refute.

I'm not aware of anything in the rules preventing this. Being unable to attack (because you are paralyzed, dead, unconscious, etc) is a different thing than choosing to do something else with your standard action each turn. You could have chosen to attack (assuming you are holding a weapon or have IUS) and so threaten as a result.

[kinevon]

Artifix wrote:

Ok basically I want to use mage hand to wield a whip or dagger.

The Universalist Wizard gets an ability like this as something called Hand of the Apprentice, for a limited number of uses each day.