Spellstrike ammo timing?

[lordredraven]

Can you cast the spell on the ammo ahead of time? How long will the spell hold on the arrow?

[shroudb]

RAW it lasts until fired.

you cast the spell, spend the RP (or focus in the resonance test), and then when and if the ammunition hits with an attack, the spell goes off affecting only the target.

so, RAW, you can charge them all in one day, and fire them off a year later.

[Xenocrat]

shroudb wrote:

RAW it lasts until fired.

you cast the spell, spend the RP (or focus in the resonance test), and then when and if the ammunition hits with an attack, the spell goes off affecting only the target.

so, RAW, you can charge them all in one day, and fire them off a year later.

Unfortunately not. I also used to think this, but:

Activated Ammunition, pg 377 wrote:

Many pieces of magic ammunition must be activated before being fired. Once you activate this type of ammunition, you must shoot the ammunition before the end of your turn. Otherwise, it deactivates (though it isn’t consumed) and you must activate it again before you can use it. If you use this type of ammunition without activating it, it functions as nonmagical ammunition of the same type and is still consumed.

The activation for spellstrike ammo is casting the spell, so you have to fit in your spellcasting actions (so 2 or less actions) followed by your attack action in one round. If you don't fire you waste the spell slot but can reuse the spellstrike ammo at a later date by casting a new spell.

[shroudb]

Xenocrat wrote:

shroudb wrote:

RAW it lasts until fired.

you cast the spell, spend the RP (or focus in the resonance test), and then when and if the ammunition hits with an attack, the spell goes off affecting only the target.

so, RAW, you can charge them all in one day, and fire them off a year later.

Unfortunately not. I also used to think this, but:

Activated Ammunition, pg 377 wrote:

Many pieces of magic ammunition must be activated before being fired. Once you activate this type of ammunition, you must shoot the ammunition before the end of your turn. Otherwise, it deactivates (though it isn’t consumed) and you must activate it again before you can use it. If you use this type of ammunition without activating it, it functions as nonmagical ammunition of the same type and is still consumed.

The activation for spellstrike ammo is casting the spell, so you have to fit in your spellcasting actions (so 2 or less actions) followed by your attack action in one round. If you don't fire you waste the spell slot but can reuse the spellstrike ammo at a later date by casting a new spell.

nice, i've totally missed that.

[Joey Cote]

Wow, nice catch. Doesn't make these useless, but makes them far less useful then I thought they were.