I'm one of the players in a large group which has a novice DM. As the person with the best grasp of the Pathfinder rule set, part of my role in the group is to help the DM with rules issues. Generally I can manage, but in this case I'm not 100% sure I've got it right. I thus turn to the community to make sure I'm not missing anything.
So! Otto the Oracle has just acquired communal protection from energy. He has caster level 12, which means he could protect up to 12 different people for 10 minutes each. He casts communal protection from energy as a standard action. As part of casting the spell, he can touch up to 6 people. Otto still has his move action left. Otto finishes the round and holds the charge so he can protect more people next round.
This brings me to my first question: If I'm casting a touch spell with a single target, I can cast the spell with my standard, move up to the target with my move action, and touch my target with a free action. If I have any movement left, I could keep moving. I assume the same logic holds here: Otto can cast his spell and move around the battlefield, touching targets as he goes, until he either runs out of movement or has touched 6 targets (after which he may still move if he has any movement left but cannot protect any more people). Do I have this right?
Next round comes around. Otto can take a move action and, as a standard action, can protect one additional ally. Alternatively, Otto can touch 6 more people as a full round action. When he chooses to do so, he cannot move, aside from taking his 5' step. Still right?
Unfortunately, the group has 7 characters, and I have this sinking feeling that we'll be seeing an awful lot of Otto trying to protect all 7 of us so he can feel free to throw fireballs around indiscriminately, as is his wont.
Just because you have the caster level that says he can make 12 touches that doesn't mean he is allowed to move in order to do so.
Touching up to 6 allies is a full round action once the 2nd round starts, so he move and touch one or stand still and touch up to 6.
If Otto is a 12th lvl caster, his C/PfE has a duration of 10min/lvl. That's 120 minutes- instead of trying to cast in combat, a good scout or scryer should help determine what energy types you could be facing- and Otto will cast the spell before the pertinent combat. Cast C/PfE, and it'll last ~20 min per member.
If he likes to throw Fireballs into combat, there are Rods and Crystals of Metamagic. Get him some Selective metamagic items.
Selective metamagic is an overlooked metamagic, as people want bang for their buck so empowered/maximized are more oft prioritized.
tl;dr- Cast C/PfE outside of combat- if able, invest in Metamgic Rods/Crystals.
wraithstrike wrote: Just because you have the caster level that says he can make 12 touches that doesn't mean he is allowed to move in order to do so.
Touching up to 6 allies is a full round action once the 2nd round starts, so he move and touch one or stand still and touch up to 6.
Right. The second round, I'm solid on not being able to move apart from the 5' step. I'm a little shakier on whether he can move on the 1st round and touch whilst on the move.
Let me clarify that a little: From the prd I see two relevant rules:
prd wrote: "You can touch up to 6 willing targets as part of the casting", here"In the same round that you cast the spell, you may also touch (or attempt to touch) as a free action. You may take your move before casting the spell, after touching the target, or between casting the spell and touching the target. You can automatically touch one friend or use the spell on yourself," here (bolding mine.) The most obvious reading to me given these two rules is that when you cast the spell, you can touch up to 6 people as part of the standard action used to cast the spell, which would mean they would all have to be within your reach.
I hope that reading is wrong. But it's not clear to me that the clause about being able to touch as a free action applies to the case of being able to make multiple touches. After all, it explicitly references being able to target one person, so presumably it was written for the case of a single-target touch spell. The question becomes: does it also apply to multi-target touch spells?
Selvaxri, your point is of course well taken and even Otto's player, who doesn't have a lot of experience with casters, has grokked that she should be using her long-duration buffs out of combat. But respectfully, I'm not convinced that "if you're doing it right, this will never come up" really helps answer the question of how it works if it does come up. =)
On the first round you can touch people as part of the casting. You are also allowed to move and then deliver the touches as a free action. The limitation on the first round is that you much touch them by the end of the round. Even if you cast and then move you still have the option to touch 6 people because the round is not over yet.
Quote: You can touch up to 6 willing targets as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell. I think the problem is that they didnt update the "Free touch" after the move action in the combat chapter to include more than one person.
I think it needs an FAQ, but the magic chapter saying you have until the end of the round means to me that you are still allowed the touches, even if the caster has to move.
The rules allow you to move either before or after doing the touch, but not both. So while the touch itself is a free action it still limits the move action. Casting the spell, moving in and touching 6 targets you can reach from your new position should be fine. Touching targets on your way there doesn't seem to be supported by the rules, not even during the first round.
Lintecarka wrote: The rules allow you to move either before or after doing the touch, but not both. So while the touch itself is a free action it still limits the move action. Casting the spell, moving in and touching 6 targets you can reach from your new position should be fine. Touching targets on your way there doesn't seem to be supported by the rules, not even during the first round. I do agree that touching on your way there may not have been the intent. I see the six touches as part of one free action. I was never saying you can just tag people while walking by them.
Yeah, I think you guys are right about that on actually rereading the rules. Would've been nice otherwise, but I also concur that at best you can cast, move, and then touch up to 6 people.
Thanks for the help.
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