Can you touch multiple allies with a touch spell in 1 round?

[Xexyz]

If you use your standard action to cast communal resist energy, and you have multiple allies in range with one move action, can you touch multiple allies with that move action?

[Rysky]

No, you get multiple touches only from the casting of the spell.

Touch: wrote:

You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. 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. If the spell allows you to touch targets over multiple rounds, touching 6 creatures is a full-round action.

[Azothath]

normally these kind of spells are cast out of combat which facilitates the hand waving of being adjacent or in range and touching. Everyone agrees, caster does it, GM nods.

In combat with initiative it becomes trickier to implement as you have to demonstratively meet the criteria and avoid undesirable consequences (provoking attacks of opportunity, etc). Generally all spell targets are adjacent. The PC can increase its reach with Long Arm(ACG) *grin*.
As Rysky said it's part of the casting (even though the opening statement contradicts the later quote, 8^) ) and the text allows you a move action to get people in range up to 6 willing creatures(besides the caster) but moves can bring undesired consequences.

a move expands the time & opportunity a caster could be forced to make concentration checks, see Table: Concentration Check DCs

[JoeElf]

Rysky, Your quote means that as long as the 6 targets are within 1 move action of the caster (so that it occurs within the one round limit you quoted), the caster can indeed touch them all as free actions, after having cast the spell as a standard action.

[JoeElf]

"Free Action: Free actions consume a very small amount of time and effort. You can perform one or more free actions while taking another action normally. However, there are reasonable limits on what you can really do for free, as decided by the GM."

The free action touches could be done during the move action, so you wouldn't need the entire group of 6 to be together at the start of the casting, or even together at the endpoint of the move action. You could run a line, and tag all those adjacent to it.

[Azothath]

interestingly Cast defensively does not limit (or mention) movement.

[Rysky]

JoeElf wrote:

Rysky, Your quote means that as long as the 6 targets are within 1 move action of the caster (so that it occurs within the one round limit you quoted), the caster can indeed touch them all as free actions, after having cast the spell as a standard action.

Um, no, it says you can touch up to 6 people as part of the casting, not as part of your whole turn. Casting is a standard action (at least for the example spell, and most spells)

[Matthew Downie]

"as part of the casting" doesn't necessarily mean during the casting. The rules also say:

"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."

[JoeElf]

This is still pretty unclear. Do we have a FAQ that relates to touch spells for willing allies? The FAQ I read for the CRB are these:

"Touch Spells: If a spell allows multiple touches, are you considered to be holding the charge until all charges are expended?"
Answer = "Yes."

"Touch Spells: In the Magic and Combat chapters, it says that I can touch a single ally as a standard action or up to six allies as a full-round action and that I can combine delivering a touch spell with a natural attack or unarmed strike. But what if I just want to deliver the touch spell to an enemy? It just says I can do it “round after round.”
Answer = "Making a touch attack against an enemy by touching it, beyond the free action to do so as part of casting the spell, is a standard action. It can’t be used with a full attack."

So, does communal resist energy work on which of these?
6 allies grouped at the point of casting of your movement?
6 allies grouped at the end of your movement?
6 allies in a line up to your movement?
2 allies at the start in round 1, 2 allies in the middle in round 2, and 2 allies at the end in round 3 [by holding the charge until all are expended, or is there no "held charge" on spells like this one]?

[JoeElf]

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/coreRulebook/combat.html#touch-spells-in -combat

Under "Touch Spells in Combat: Many spells have a range of touch. To use these spells, you cast the spell and then touch the subject. 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..."
Under "Holding the Charge:
"If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges." This would be saying you can only do one "touch action" to deliver the spell.
"You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action." This plus the prior quoted line would say to me that you can touch up to 6 targets, but perhaps only at the start or end of the move.

It does not say that you can move and touch 6 friends [I am reading that with a move, you can for sure touch 1, but maybe not 6].
It does not say you can automatically touch 6 friends [I am reading that only 1 is automatic].
But it does say that a touch [at least 1, for at least 1 friend] is a free action, so that ought to be doable at any point in the move action.

[doc roc]

We houseruled it that you can touch 1 person per 5ft of movement.... you just kind of stick your arm out!