One of my characters uses a Great Sword and casts. Generally this is not a problem as he will shift his sword to one hand to cast and then return his grip on the other hand after casting. However I would like to make use of a Quickened metamagic rod which will be stored in a Spiked Gauntlet with Aroden's Spellsword. Considering that Aroden's Spellsword requires a weapon to be wielded in order to benefit from the properties of the magical rod I am wondering if it would be possible to cast a quickened spell from the hand wearing the spiked gauntlet. Is the Spiked Gauntlet considered to be wielded at the time of casting? I am looking for a RAW answer if possible.
|
LOL. "Wield" is one of the worst defined words in Pathfinder.
If I get what you say correctly, the rod is stored in the spiked gauntlet with Aroden's Spellsword and you want to get the bonus to hit of the gauntlets, plus other eventual bonuses, to the attack roll of the spell?
From what I get, Aroden's Spellsword will allow you to use the Qucken metaqmagic rod to cast a spell, but it will not give you a bonus to hit.
Read the benefits:
For the spell’s duration, (1)a character wielding the transmuted weapon is also considered to be wielding the rod or staff as well. (2)If the rod or staff can be used to make attacks, you can attack normally with the weapon or use the weapon as if it were the merged rod or staff. (3)If the effect created by the rod or staff requires an attack roll to successfully strike a foe, you can make the attack roll as if you were making an attack with the weapon at its highest bonus (including any bonuses the weapon would normally receive) rather than just a normal attack with the rod or staff—doing so does not allow you to add the weapon’s damage to the attack, but instead allows you to use your skill with the weapon to boost your chance of hitting with the rod or staff’s attack, spell, or effect.
Reading (1) I would say that if your intent is to wield the rod, having the gauntlet ready to be used is enough.
But for the attack bonus (2), the rod should be able to be used to attack. Metamagic rods aren't part of the rods that are weapons.The last ability (3) require the rod to generate an effect that requires a to hit. The metamagic rods affect a spell you cast, they don't generate directly an attack.
If I get what you say correctly, the rod is stored in the spiked gauntlet with Aroden's Spellsword ...
From what I get, Aroden's Spellsword will allow you to use the Quicken metaqmagic rod to cast a spell ...
Right. The character is a Bard so I am looking at combining effects like quickened Confusion, Cure Serious Wounds or Mirror Images with a full melee attack. I am not interested in adding any bonuses or really even attacking with the Spiked Gauntlet at all.
I am looking to see if the hand wielding the Spiked Gauntlet (with a quickened rod stored inside) could a) Be used to cast a spell and b) Be used to cast a quickened spell.
|
|
I would say yes to both.
While, AFAIK, there is no official rule, the general consensus in this forum is that you can use the hand that wields a metamagic road to make the somatic movements for a spell. And with Aroden's Spellsword the gauntlet is the rod.
Obviously, your GM has the final say, as "general consensus" isn't a hard rule.
If your GM doesn't agree, you can consider making your character an Arcane Duelist. The Arcane bond feature will resolve the problem.
Or you can use a bastard sword instead of a greatsword (I suppose you will spend a feat to learn to use the greatsword, so using it to learn to use a bastard sword instead will not have you pay an extra cost).
so, this might be me getting the spell wrong, but why are you not just casting it on the greatsword itself?
that way you take one hand off. the other hand still hold the sword(can't attack though until re-gripping) -hence you are wielding the metamagic rod as well, and the free hand can do the gestures. no gauntlet needed.
(i mean it's called "Spellsword")
That falls into a little bit of a quandary. You need 2 hands to wield the two-handed sword. You count as wielding the rod/staff if you wield the weapon. You take one hand off the sword to cast and your two handed sword doesn't have the proper amount of hands to wield it. So you should lose access to the rod as well.
Gauntlets fall into a strange grey area. You wear them. Are you wielding them? If you want to use a different weapon do you stop wielding the gauntlets? This brings up the question of what even is wielding? Shouldn't wielding the gauntlets prevent you from using that hand to wield a second weapon? Should it take an action to prepare the gauntlets to be used? Should wearing/wielding gauntlets prevent a spellcaster from using that hand to cast spells?
Gauntlets and cestus are a weird edge case. The rules aren't clear when it comes to how they interact with anything besides use as a weapon.
Very elegantly put. Dealing with thorny rule issues is like the experience of eating very spicy food. You suffer but you enjoy the suffering nevertheless.
I am looking at clear cut options at combining two handed weapons and metamagic rods without using additional limbs. Here are some scenarios in an attempt to combine the GS and a metamagic rod without losing action economy.
1. Begin holding the metamagic rod. Use the rod. Drop the rod as a free action. Quick Draw a GS as a free action.
2. Begin holding the metamagic rod. Use the rod. Drop the rod as a free action. Use a glove of storing in the other hand to retrieve the GS as a free action. Grip the sword with the other hand as a free action and attack.
3. Begin with a metamagic rod inside the gauntlet (Aroden Spellsword).
Also you will have you GS inside the glove of storing. Now you should be able to cast using the hand wearing the glove of storing and then retrieve the sword to attack. Or if you have the GS in both hand you should be able to drop the gauntlet hand as a free action. Shrink the GS into the glove of storing as a free action and then cast using the hand which is wearing the glove of storing.
Any comments or ideas would be welcome.
Alternatively: swap the greatsword for a bastard sword, cast spellsword on that. Taking one hand off the bastard sword to cast still allows it to be definitely "wielded" in the remaining hand.
In general, a rod-wielding hand cannot, er, somatickate. Though I've toyed with houseruling that.