Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Trailstalker 05-08-07, 08:05 PM	Ok all, I've read my Players Guide (3.5 Edit.) about a dozen times trying to find the answer, but can't find it to save my soul. What does a Wizard roll to cast a spell? Concentration? What? I'm going nuts. I know it has to be in here, but damned if I can find it. If possible, can someone site the page where I can find this? Help?!
Archangel_James 05-08-07, 08:08 PM	You don't need to roll anything. Just say you're casting the spell and mark it off your Spells Per Day List. (If the spell allows the target to get a saving throw, they will have to roll that, and if the target has spell resistance, you'll have to roll 1d20+your caster level to overcome that.)
Tempest Stormwind 05-08-07, 08:28 PM	Ok all, I've read my Players Guide (3.5 Edit.) about a dozen times trying to find the answer, but can't find it to save my soul. What does a Wizard roll to cast a spell? Concentration? What? I'm going nuts. I know it has to be in here, but damned if I can find it. If possible, can someone site the page where I can find this? Help?! http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/magicOverview.htm You don't need to roll to cast a spell any more than a fighter needs to roll to swing his sword. EXCEPTION: Difficult circumstances, such as casting while on horseback, continuing to cast a spell despite being hit by an attack, or casting a spell without dropping your guard (that is, without provoking an attack of opportunity), or if you are under the influence of particular spells or conditions (such as grappling) may require a Concentration check. The DC of that check is given in the skill description. If it isn't a circumstance listed in the Concentration skill, then the spell effect you are under will mention the check required and the DC (if any). EXCEPTION: Certain spells may require an additional skill check. Minor Creation, Major Creation, and Fabricate require Craft checks some of the time, for instance, while Disguise Self involves a Disguise check. If such a check is required, it is called out in the spell's description. EXCEPTION: Spell resistance. This is effectively magical AC, and it applies if and only if the creature you target has SR and the spell you are casting says "Spell Resistance: Yes" in its parameters. That's it.
Nom 05-08-07, 08:38 PM	[url]You don't need to roll to cast a spell any more than a fighter needs to roll to swing his sword.Actually, that's why it's so confusing. The fighter does need to roll to evaluate the effect of the sword swing. However, the caster usually doesn't roll to evaluate the effect of a spell. Either the target rolls a saving throw or nobody rolls anything. When I started with 3rd edition, it took me about 3 months to get out of the habit of waiting for an "attack roll" when my cleric cast a spell.
Tempest Stormwind 05-08-07, 08:46 PM	Actually, that's why it's so confusing. The fighter does need to roll to evaluate the effect of the sword swing. However, the caster usually doesn't roll to evaluate the effect of a spell. Either the target rolls a saving throw or nobody rolls anything. When I started with 3rd edition, it took me about 3 months to get out of the habit of waiting for an "attack roll" when my cleric cast a spell.Well, in truth, the spells that require saves often are subject to SR, while those that do not often involve an attack roll themselves -- typically a melee touch or ranged touch. However, those are part of the spell's effect, not part of casting the spell. A more appropriate analogy would be "does the fighter need to roll to draw his weapon?". A caster does not need to roll to cast a spell (which may very well last for as long as the fighter keeps his sword in his hand!) except in certain conditions (i.e. grappling -- you have to roll to draw a weapon there, too). Both of them do need to roll to guide their weapon/spell if what they're doing requires an attack, though -- and conversely, if the spell is targeted or if the fighter activates his sword's Flaming property, neither requires a roll to do that (again, barring special circumstances).
The White Sorcerer 05-08-07, 08:50 PM	What does a Wizard roll to cast a spell? Nothing.
Loki5654 05-09-07, 01:45 AM	Actually, that's why it's so confusing. The fighter does need to roll to evaluate the effect of the sword swing. I think Tempest was referring to swinging a sword, not attacking with one. All in all, the answer really comes down to: It depends on which spell you are casting and the conditions you are casting it under.
Nom 05-09-07, 03:00 AM	Doesn't change my core point: - make an attack: you roll - make a skill check: you roll (or the DM does on your behalf) - cast a spell: varies. For ranged touch spells, you roll. If the target gets a save, the target rolls. For utility spells, no-one rolls. Sure, there's SR, but that's not that usual. The point is that unlike skills and attacks, an attacking spellcaster often isn't the one to roll. And that can be non-intuitive until you get used to it. Pithy comments like "you don't have to roll to swing a sword" just obfuscate the real issue.