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I've seen threads go either way on this one, so I wanted to check if there was a clarification from the devs that I might have missed.
An enemy caster is at range with no cover/concealment; he's about to cast something nasty. The party doesn't have a melee near him to AoO and disrupt his spellcast, but I have my gun out. Can I ready an action to try shooting him instead?
CRB 331 suggests yes: "You are most at risk of taking damage while casting when a spell’s casting time is 1 round or longer, you have provoked an attack of opportunity, or a foe readied an action to attack you when you began to cast."
CRB 249 suggests no: "If the readied action is not a purely defensive action, such as shooting a foe if he shoots at you, it takes place immediately after the triggering event."
For me, the best way for both of these passages to mesh is that "begins to cast" is a valid trigger for my readied action. My shot will go off immediately after that trigger, but before the spell itself, thus having a chance to disrupt it.
Is this right? If not, is there any way for a noncaster to disrupt a spell at range?
It is correct and confirmed that readying to shoot a spellcaster hits them after the spell, if it is a standard action cast or less. Readying for "begins to cast" will interrupt a one round spell. I suppose you could see a grey area for full-round magic missle, but otherwise, readying to interrupt does not work. At all. It only punishes after the fact.
Otherwise, no one would ever get a spell off again.
Thanks for the reply! So readying to interrupt doesn't work on standard action spells? You said it was confirmed - could you show me where?
Actually I would like to see that as well.
They give an example of a defensive action as "shooting a foe if he shoots at you,...". I would think shooting a foe about to blast a spell at you is the same.
Thanks for the reply! So readying to interrupt doesn't work on standard action spells? You said it was confirmed - could you show me where?Actually I would like to see that as well.
They give an example of a defensive action as "shooting a foe if he shoots at you,...". I would think shooting a foe about to blast a spell at you is the same.
Actually its the other way around.
Shooting a foe if he shoots you is offensive, and thus happens immediately after they shoot you.
If your readied action is purely defensive, such as choosing the total defense action if a foe you are facing shoots at you, it occurs just before the event that triggered it. If the readied action is not a purely defensive action, such as shooting a foe if he shoots at you, it takes place immediately after the triggering event.
So if you replace "if he shoots at you" with "if he casts a spell", we get:
If the readied action is not a purely defensive action, such as shooting a foe if he casts a spell, it takes place immediately after the triggering event. Thus after he casts the spell.
Actually its the other way around.
You know your right. I totally misread the quote. I AM getting old.
Try these previous threads:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2um5y?Casting-spells-in-combat
http://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5ljv8?Five-Differences-Between-Star finder-Rules-and#29
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Made the links!
Try these previous threads:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2um5y?Casting-spells-in-combat
http://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo5ljv8?Five-Differences-Between-Star finder-Rules-and#29 <<--- This one is the official ruling.