Cause fear does not specifically mention that I should succeed in an attack. What about other attacking spells that do not say "make a some-type attack".
Inflict wounds for example? Do I need to succeed in a melee touch attack for that? Would that mean I roll touch attack, then the guy gets an attack of opportunity, then I roll concentration (if I'm at close range), then the guy gets a save?
Too much free style, rules are overwhelming.
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Cause fear has a range of close and does not say you need to make an attack roll.
Inflict light wounds has a range of touch and list the target as creature touched. This mean you do need to make a touch attack to affect the target.
Spells that require an attack roll will state it in the spell somewhere. Things like ray of enfeeblement state it in the description. Things like inflict light wounds state it by listing the target as creature touched.
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If you are going to be using spells with a range of touch, then I highly recommend either having a very high AC, or take feats, traits, etc that increase your concentration check, especially when casting defensively.
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Or Reach Spell metamagic.
Cause fear has a range of close and does not say you need to make an attack roll.
Inflict light wounds has a range of touch and list the target as creature touched. This mean you do need to make a touch attack to affect the target.
Spells that require an attack roll will state it in the spell somewhere. Things like ray of enfeeblement state it in the description. Things like inflict light wounds state it by listing the target as creature touched.
Thank you. So it seems I need to get 4 different rolls going my way to get full damage from inflict... that's not than nice.
If you are going to be using spells with a range of touch, then I highly recommend either having a very high AC, or take feats, traits, etc that increase your concentration check, especially when casting defensively.
Or Reach Spell metamagic.
I'm keeping that in mind. I'm thinking Weapon Finesse, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Reach Spell for starters. AC is pretty high and I got Copycat as move action.
Thanks!
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Don't forget that charges for touch spells can be held.
Cast spell safely and hold charge.
Move to opponent and make touch attack.
No AoO or Concentration required.
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The spells are deceptively light on details like "does delivering a touch spell provoke an AoO?" because such rules are given once so thay each spell doesn't have to restate them in their own descriptions. Certainly review the beginning of the chapter... it answers lots of questions, probably even a few you didn't know you had!
So yeah, as mentioned above, usually it's just one roll deliver a Bad Touch spell: the melee touch attack itself.
In the event you can't cast and then step up, it's still only two rolls. Either:
1) you cast defensively and then make touch attack
Or
2) you take your chances with the spellcasting provoking an AoO, get hit, and then make a concentration check.. then make the melee touch attack.
The spells are deceptively light on details like "does delivering a touch spell provoke an AoO?" because such rules are given once so thay each spell doesn't have to restate them in their own descriptions. Certainly review the beginning of the chapter... it answers lots of questions, probably even a few you didn't know you had!
So yeah, as mentioned above, usually it's just one roll deliver a Bad Touch spell: the melee touch attack itself.
In the event you can't cast and then step up, it's still only two rolls. Either:
1) you cast defensively and then make touch attack
Or
2) you take your chances with the spellcasting provoking an AoO, get hit, and then make a concentration check.. then make the melee touch attack.
I cast defensively? How would that work?
Edit: And do I need the concentration whether I get hit or not? Or only if my opponent succeeds in their attack?
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The spells are deceptively light on details like "does delivering a touch spell provoke an AoO?" because such rules are given once so thay each spell doesn't have to restate them in their own descriptions. Certainly review the beginning of the chapter...
Touch Attacks: Touching an opponent with a touch spell is considered to be an armed attack and therefore does not provoke attacks of opportunity
For OP's reference
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I cast defensively? How would that work?Edit: And do I need the concentration whether I get hit or not? Or only if my opponent succeeds in their attack?
You cast defensively by declaring that you are. If you do then (1) they do not get an attack of opportunity, but (2) you have to make a concentration check of 15 + double the spell level.
If you do not cast defensively then (1) they get a free attack of opportunity and (2) if and only if it hits you have to make a concentration check of 10 + damage + spell level.
At low levels if your opponent doesn't have a good chance to hit you and doesn't do much damage it might make more sense to not cast defensively, as your concentration check for a level 1 spell is 17 if cast defensively, vs. 11+ damage if they hit. They might not hit and they might not roll a 7 or better on damage. (This is just the calculation for getting off the spell, the possibility of taking extra damage from not casting defensively is another negative of that approach.)
At mid-high levels you can make most concentration checks auto-successes for casting defensively, but damage taken can be really high, so you always want to cast defensively.
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How could I do that? I'm starting with wis 19 at lvl 1. By my calculation I'll have auto-success on lvl 1 spell concentration when I reach lvl 11.
At mid-high levels you can make most concentration checks auto-successes for casting defensively, but damage taken can be really high, so you always want to cast defensively.
You wisdom and level will increase. With wisdom 20 (you probably will rise it with your first ability increase at level 4) you have a +5 as your casting stat. With a 22, a reasonable value for a level 8 character with a Headband of Inspired Wisdom +2 you have a +6 and only need to be level 10 to auto succeed at DC 17 concentration check.
Then there are traits that increase your concentration by one or 2 points and the Combat casting feat that give you a bonus of +4, but only for casting defensively.It all depend on how much you want to spend to be able to do it.
Note a very important thing: with all the spells that require a standard action to cast you can cast, move up to your full movement and then deliver the touch. And, barring difficult terrain or other obstacles, you can always make a 5' step after casting a spell.
Even if you are hit in the process, you don't need to make any check to retain the spell once it is cast.
I cast defensively? How would that work?
Casting on the Defensive: Casting a spell while on the defensive does not provoke an attack of opportunity. It does, however, require a concentration check (DC 15 + double the spell's level) to successfully cast the spell. Failure means that you lose the spell.
I hope that will help.
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The concentration check is caster level + caster stat, but there are ways to improve that.
The feat Combat Casting grants a +4 untyped bonus to the concentration check when casting defensively.
Traits can help too, focused mind gives a +2 trait bonus.
So if you had both of these with your 19 wis (+4 mod) you'd have a concentration check of: (Caster level) +1, (Wisdom mod) +4, (combat casting, untyped) +4, (focused mind, trait +2) total 11.
You're success rate for your level 1 spells would be 75%, not automatic but good.
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If you do not cast defensively then (1) they get a free attack of opportunity and (2) if and only if it hits you have to make a concentration check of 10 + damage + spell level.
Small clarification. You only need to make the concentration check if you take damage. A variety of effects can nullify all damage from the hit. The most common being DR and Energy Resistance.
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Thanks for the advice everyone! That was very helpful!
I'll keep combat casting in mind depending on how it goes -other than my PC, the party has got 4 melee PCs and the cavalier's mount- might manage to avoid AoO altogether if I'm careful. My PC isn't human, so he didn't get the extra feat, I wanna pick them well.