'Concentrate' Trait

[Ituralde]

Certain actions have the 'concentrate' trait - e.g. Recall Knowledge, Demoralize, Cover Tracks, Sustain a Spell. I cannot for the life of me find an explanation of how it works in the Core RB.

On p. 630 we're told that 'an action with this trait requires a degree of mental concentration and discipline. Unless 'concentrate' is merely a flavour trait, that explanation is as helpful as the proverbial chocolate teapot.

[Xenocrat]

Concentrate is one of many traits that do absolutely nothing. They instead tag an ability so that it interacts with other abilities that say "do the thing if the other thing has the concentrate trait."

Examples: you can't use concentrate abilities when raging (with some exceptions) and some reactions trigger off concentrate abilities being used.

[Lightwire]

I don’t think the concentrate has any direct effect, much like many other traits. However it does interact with other abilities, much like many other traits. For instance you can’t do any of those while raging. Something that has probably been missed in the case of demoralize by a great many barbarians. Though there is a level 1 class feat to change that.

A lot of the traits are there to interact with other abilities, or possibly future options, not to have an inherent effect of their own.

[Ravingdork]

On its own it doesn't do much, but other abilities, such as barbarian rage, interact with it.

Edit: Ninja'd 'cause I have a day job.

[Ituralde]

Thank you all very much.

[krazmuze]

Not clear to me can you do a concentrate if you are already concentrating on something with the concentrate trait? Or since sustain is just an action, you can concentrate on multiple things?

[Ravingdork]

I'm fairly certain you can concentrate on multiple things. I see no express prohibition against it anywhere.

Sustain spell rules evenheavily imply that you can sustain multiple spells.

[krazmuze]

Great so you can keep multiple plates spinning!

[Particle_Man]

There is a fighter feat that lets you use tracks of opportunity vs concentrate stuff and disrupt them. Disruptive stance, I think it’s called.

[lemeres]

For the most part, you don't use the concentrate tag. There might be a few abilities that interact with it, but that takes a rather specific build. And only a few enemies take advantage of it- most of the enemies with attacks of opportunity and the like are fairly predictable human-ish warrior type things.

But these tags allow you to pick out the abilities for your build. If you decide "I want to punch casters in the face when they try to cast a spell", then you need to look for abilities that punish "concentrate" actions.

Overall- the description is flavor, and the important part is that the tag earmarks that action for other abilities.

[Ravingdork]

Particle_Man wrote:

There is a fighter feat that lets you use tracks of opportunity vs concentrate stuff and disrupt them. Disruptive stance, I think it’s called.

Wow. Learning new things ever day with P2E.

For those who are curious, here are all the actions and feats in the game so far that would trigger Disruptive Stance:

CONCENTRATION ACTIONS
Badger Rage, Borrow an Arcane Spell, Coerce, Command an Animal, Cover Tracks, Decipher Writing, Demoralize, Diviner's Sight (focus spell), Dismiss, Hunt Prey, Identify Alchemy, Identify Magic, Impersonate, Learn a Spell, Lie, Make an Impression, Perform, Rage, Ready, Recall Knowledge, Refocus, Request, Seek, Sense Motive, Sustain a Spell, Track

CONCENTRATION FEATS
Animal Rage, Awesome Blow, Cast Down, Come and Get Me, Command Undead, Conceal Spell, Defensive Recovery, Determination, Dragon Transformation, Dragon's Rage Breath, Echoing Channel, Giant's Lunge, Harmonize, Heroic Recovery, Hunter's Aim, Incredible Aim, Incredible Ricochet, Instant Opening, Knockback Strike, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Mercy, Metamagic Channel, Moment of Clarity, Necrotic Infusion, Orc Superstition, Perfect Clarity, Quickened Casting, Reach Spell, Reactive Distraction, Renewed Vigor, Shake it Off, Silent Spell, Spell Tinker, Spirit's Wrath, Targeting Shot, Trickster's Ace, True Shapeshifter, Unusual Composition, Wild Winds Gust

MANIPULATE ACTIONS
Administer First Aid, Conceal an Object, Craft, Disable a Device, Grab an Edge, Impersonate, Interact, Palm an Object, Pick a Lock, Point Out, Quick Alchemy, Release, Repair, Steal, Treat Disease, Treat Poison, Treat Wounds

MANIPULATE FEATS
Battle Medicine, Bond Conservation, Conceal Spell, Form Control, Harmonize, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Overwhelming Energy, Poison Weapon, Quaking Stomp, Reactive Distraction, Train Animal, Trick Magic Item, Unusual Composition, Widen Spell, Wild Winds Gust

That, my friends, is a LOT of triggers.

EDIT: To say nothing of all the monster abilities that might trigger it!

MONSTER CONCENTRATION ABILITIES
Auras (action to toggle on or off; numerous monsters), Change Shape (numerous monsters), Focus Gaze (Medusa), Free Expression (Lillend), Luminous Fire (Sprite), Masterful Quickened Casting (Pit Fiend), Petrifying Gaze (Medusa), Sandstorm Wrath (Mummy Pharoh), Subserviance (Lemure, but used by other devils)

MONSTER MANIPULATE ABILITIES
Distracting Frolic (Caligni Dancer), Implant Core (Grikkitog)

[shroudb]

Ravingdork wrote:

Particle_Man wrote:

There is a fighter feat that lets you use tracks of opportunity vs concentrate stuff and disrupt them. Disruptive stance, I think it’s called.

Wow. Learning new things ever day with P2E.

For those who are curious, here are all the actions and feats in the game so far that would trigger Disruptive Stance:

CONCENTRATION ACTIONS
Badger Rage, Borrow an Arcane Spell, Coerce, Command an Animal, Cover Tracks, Decipher Writing, Demoralize, Diviner's Sight (focus spell), Dismiss, Hunt Prey, Identify Alchemy, Identify Magic, Impersonate, Learn a Spell, Lie, Make an Impression, Perform, Rage, Ready, Recall Knowledge, Refocus, Request, Seek, Sense Motive, Sustain a Spell, Track

CONCENTRATION FEATS
Animal Rage, Awesome Blow, Cast Down, Come and Get Me, Command Undead, Conceal Spell, Defensive Recovery, Determination, Dragon Transformation, Dragon's Rage Breath, Echoing Channel, Giant's Lunge, Harmonize, Heroic Recovery, Hunter's Aim, Incredible Aim, Incredible Ricochet, Instant Opening, Knockback Strike, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Mercy, Metamagic Channel, Moment of Clarity, Necrotic Infusion, Orc Superstition, Perfect Clarity, Quickened Casting, Reach Spell, Reactive Distraction, Renewed Vigor, Shake it Off, Silent Spell, Spell Tinker, Spirit's Wrath, Targeting Shot, Trickster's Ace, True Shapeshifter, Unusual Composition, Wild Winds Gust

MANIPULATE ACTIONS
Administer First Aid, Conceal an Object, Craft, Disable a Device, Grab an Edge, Impersonate, Interact, Palm an Object, Pick a Lock, Point Out, Quick Alchemy, Release, Repair, Steal, Treat Disease, Treat Poison, Treat Wounds

MANIPULATE FEATS
Battle Medicine, Bond Conservation, Conceal Spell, Form Control, Harmonize, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Overwhelming Energy, Poison Weapon, Quaking Stomp, Reactive Distraction, Train Animal, Trick Magic Item, Unusual Composition, Widen Spell, Wild Winds Gust

That, my friends, is a LOT of...

You forgot one of the most important Concentrate triggers:

Verbal components for spellcasting.

[Ravingdork]

Oh wow! 8O

[Atalius]

shroudb wrote:

Ravingdork wrote:

Particle_Man wrote:

There is a fighter feat that lets you use tracks of opportunity vs concentrate stuff and disrupt them. Disruptive stance, I think it’s called.

Wow. Learning new things ever day with P2E.

For those who are curious, here are all the actions and feats in the game so far that would trigger Disruptive Stance:

CONCENTRATION ACTIONS
Badger Rage, Borrow an Arcane Spell, Coerce, Command an Animal, Cover Tracks, Decipher Writing, Demoralize, Diviner's Sight (focus spell), Dismiss, Hunt Prey, Identify Alchemy, Identify Magic, Impersonate, Learn a Spell, Lie, Make an Impression, Perform, Rage, Ready, Recall Knowledge, Refocus, Request, Seek, Sense Motive, Sustain a Spell, Track

CONCENTRATION FEATS
Animal Rage, Awesome Blow, Cast Down, Come and Get Me, Command Undead, Conceal Spell, Defensive Recovery, Determination, Dragon Transformation, Dragon's Rage Breath, Echoing Channel, Giant's Lunge, Harmonize, Heroic Recovery, Hunter's Aim, Incredible Aim, Incredible Ricochet, Instant Opening, Knockback Strike, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Mercy, Metamagic Channel, Moment of Clarity, Necrotic Infusion, Orc Superstition, Perfect Clarity, Quickened Casting, Reach Spell, Reactive Distraction, Renewed Vigor, Shake it Off, Silent Spell, Spell Tinker, Spirit's Wrath, Targeting Shot, Trickster's Ace, True Shapeshifter, Unusual Composition, Wild Winds Gust

MANIPULATE ACTIONS

Administer First Aid, Conceal an Object, Craft, Disable a Device, Grab an Edge, Impersonate, Interact, Palm an Object, Pick a Lock, Point Out, Quick Alchemy, Release, Repair, Steal, Treat Disease, Treat Poison, Treat Wounds

MANIPULATE FEATS
Battle Medicine, Bond Conservation, Conceal Spell, Form Control, Harmonize, Leyline Conduit, Melodious Spell, Overwhelming Energy, Poison Weapon, Quaking Stomp, Reactive Distraction, Train Animal, Trick Magic Item, Unusual Composition, Widen Spell, Wild Winds Gust

That,

...

Wait a minute, sorry I'm late to the dance here all, but any Verbal Spell will trigger Disruptive Stance? Ie. True Strike?

[HammerJack]

That is correct.

[mrspaghetti]

Ravingdork wrote:

I'm fairly certain you can concentrate on multiple things. I see no express prohibition against it anywhere.

Sustain spell rules even heavily imply that you can sustain multiple spells.

I didn't think there was any doubt about that.

Never would have imagined being able to use Sustain multiple times per round on one spell though, if another thread hadn't brought it up. But it seems you can for some spells, at least (Blink being one example).

[Ravingdork]

mrspaghetti wrote:

Never would have imagined being able to use Sustain multiple times per round on one spell though, if another thread hadn't brought it up. But it seems you can for some spells, at least (Blink being one example).

Wait. WHAT!?

If you can sustain the same spell multiple times in the same round, then flaming sphere is seriously OP.

[Wheldrake]

Ravingdork wrote:

mrspaghetti wrote:

Never would have imagined being able to use Sustain multiple times per round on one spell though, if another thread hadn't brought it up. But it seems you can for some spells, at least (Blink being one example).

Wait. WHAT!?

If you can sustain the same spell multiple times in the same round, then flaming sphere is seriously OP.

That's one of those niggling inconsistencies that need errata or clarification. Like no-touch, no-patch stern gaze battle medicine. <g>