Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Shadowdancer 04-24-08, 04:21 AM	My duskblade just reached 13th level. His Arcane Channeling ability now allows him to cast any touch spell as part of a full attack action and have it affect each target hit during the round. Question 1: Does this mean that, if he hits one target with three separate attacks in the round, the spell will affect that target three times? Say he casts Shocking Grasp through his greatsword, attacks one target three times, and hits all three times. Is the damage 2d6 (greatsword) + 5d6 (spell) + Str bonus three times, or 2d6 (greatsword) + Str bonus three times, then add 5d6 for the spell just once? Question 2: Does he get to apply spell damage to an extra attack resulting from the Cleave feat? Question 3: Does he get to apply spell damage to an AoO?
EvilCouch 04-24-08, 07:23 AM	At 13th level, the duskblade’s arcane channeling class feature (Player’s Handbook II, 20) says “you can cast any touch spell you know as part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target you hit in melee combat that round.” If you hit the same creature more than once during the full attack action, does the spell affect it each time you hit? No. The spell affects each target only once.Also, a cleave and an attack of opportunity are, strictly speaking, separate from your full attack action. So, definitely no to the first part and probably no to #2 and #3. One of the great and powerful factionmasters will probably be by in a bit to make an official ruling, though. For more WotC official rulings on duskblades, you might want to check out the FAQ at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20030221a
Skerrit 04-24-08, 11:05 AM	EvilCouch is right as I understand it. The only way you could affect someone more than once with a spell this way is if the spell lasts for multiple charges (like produce flame, not that a duskblade could cast it).
Wuafeeldh 04-24-08, 05:01 PM	Also, a cleave and an attack of opportunity are, strictly speaking, separate from your full attack action. They do, on the other hand (assuming you roll well) add to the number of "target[s] you hit in melee combat that round." I'm slightly dubious about AOOs, but I'd be inclined to say yes (applying an analogy to Power Attack if I wanted a rules parallel, but otherwise just arguing that a full-round action is supposedly taking up all your effort until your next initiative count). And cleave targets seem to me to clearly within the intent of the class feature, not to mention hard to exclude without glaring illogic (if you cleave into somebody after your first attack, don't drop him, and then hit him again with your second attack, why would the spell work the second time you smacked him?).
EvilCouch 04-25-08, 12:15 AM	They do, on the other hand (assuming you roll well) add to the number of "target[s] you hit in melee combat that round." I'm slightly dubious about AOOs, but I'd be inclined to say yes (applying an analogy to Power Attack if I wanted a rules parallel, but otherwise just arguing that a full-round action is supposedly taking up all your effort until your next initiative count). And cleave targets seem to me to clearly within the intent of the class feature, not to mention hard to exclude without glaring illogic (if you cleave into somebody after your first attack, don't drop him, and then hit him again with your second attack, why would the spell work the second time you smacked him?).Fair enough. It makes sense that way, as well.
Vamroc 04-26-08, 04:43 PM	You can cast any touch spell known as part of a full attack action and the spell lasts the WHOLE ROUND so multiple attacks in a round give you multiple uses of that spell. It doesn't provoke AOO's its a standard to cast a spell in that manor if your attack misses the spell remains stored in the weapon until the attack is successful. You can use it with sneak attacks and if you have Sneak Attack and Great Cleave at Thirteenth level you could Blades of Blood as a swift then Shocking grasp on a Sneak Attack with a short sword for Eleven d6 plus strength and Power Attack plus whatever else the weapon can do. No joke played a Warforged Duskblade that had Mithirl Plating and a 16 Dex armed with a Great Sword I cast Blades of Blood then Acane Challened Shocking grasp at fourth level I was rockin 9D6. The DM of the home group said I'm sorry but I just can't allow you to use that combo you can use one or the other but not both so I wrote WOTC telling them IT'S JUST BROKEN and the said yes but it's legal.
JJeff 04-27-08, 09:13 PM	I am sure that the answer to the first part is, as stated above by the brilliant posters, no due to clarification errata given. The answer to Q2 is Yes, the cleave is done on your round, thus the spell damage applies. The answer to Q3 is No. The charge disappears at the end of the round (after you finish your action) and thus unless there's a way you AoO on your turn (possible in certain circumsatnces) you can't AoO with the additional damage. Similar to Scout's skirmish being only on his round, not on AoOs
Vamroc 04-28-08, 01:53 AM	I am sure that the answer to the first part is, as stated above by the brilliant posters, no due to clarification errata given. The answer to Q2 is Yes, the cleave is done on your round, thus the spell damage applies. The answer to Q3 is No. The charge disappears at the end of the round (after you finish your action) and thus unless there's a way you AoO on your turn (possible in certain circumsatnces) you can't AoO with the additional damage. Similar to Scout's skirmish being only on his round, not on AoOs No where does it say that an Arcaned Channeled spell must be on your turn it simply states that it must performed as part of an attack action. So the charactor performs the sneak ATTACK channels the spell and the spell ends if successful and if that attack allows the charactor to cleave in to the next guy he wouldn't get the additional Sneak Attack Damage on the second target but the damage from the spell would still apply because it's the same round (in the case of a thirteenth level Duskblade). It's nothin like Skirmish It's BETTER you can do more damage in more situations and apply different tactics my favorite would be to Sneak Attack and spell channel Dimension Hop. D Hop is pretty cool you send the target in to ANY UNOCCUPIED SPACE THAT YOU CAN SEE so Sneak Attack hope the target fail the Will save and place Mr.Rouge ten feet in the air above Mr. Barbarian.
Hardolaf 04-28-08, 07:38 AM	Actually it states as part of a standard action you can channel it through your attack. And as part of a full-attack, so any other abilities you have that would apply during a one of the attacks. Now for the questions, to the first I would say the spell effects only once unless it can be used multiple times. For the second and third, they would be no because they are not part of the attack.
Malicea 04-28-08, 10:33 AM	Based purely on the wording from the faq, as well as the SRD, it seems there is no clear answer on #3. The FAQ clearly states that the spell is CAST as part of a full round action and takes effect on each target THAT ROUND. Clearly, it will affect a cleave made due to that full attack. However, examining the definition of combat round in the SRD yields: "For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. A round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from one round to the same initiative count in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on" Referring to 'that round' could quite possible mean 'until initiative next counts from the top again', but the SRD wording also allows for the interpretation that it lasts for a round from the time of the full attack. I'd personally argue for logical consistency; that it should last till the beginning of that player's next turn. Having the duration randomly shortened based on the player's turn in initiative order seems a little odd.
Cpttylorx 05-01-08, 04:16 PM	Yeah, during Undermountain I had played an orc duskblade and I just wrecked all three of the modules. Absolutely destroyed them. It was pretty sick times all the way around.
JJeff 05-01-08, 09:10 PM	Referring to 'that round' could quite possible mean 'until initiative next counts from the top again', but the SRD wording also allows for the interpretation that it lasts for a round from the time of the full attack. I'd personally argue for logical consistency; that it should last till the beginning of that player's next turn. Having the duration randomly shortened based on the player's turn in initiative order seems a little odd. Actually, I think it ends at the end of the player's round, meaning after the player finshes his turn it ends. 1) Declare full attack and spell to be used. 2) Chop and hack anything with that full attack and any attack resultant from the full attack with Arcane channeling 3) Declare character finished with his round 4) Effect ends. That's how I have been playing it anyway.
Malicea 05-03-08, 11:08 AM	I've never heard it referred to as a 'player's round.' Certainly not along the lines of 'each player has his own round in each round of combat' or anything like that. From the SRD: When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions.
JJeff 05-05-08, 01:24 AM	Actually, maybe it's because I read "...that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions..." as a character having "his own round" within the entire round of combat. Or maybe it's my own phrasiology.....