Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Truwen 02-12-06, 02:37 AM	With call lightening in the players hand book it is unclear as to weather the spell is 1 bolt per round or if I can do my maximum of ten bolts (at level 10+) in a full round. The text seems it could be interpreted both ways. Anyone with experience please clarify the text for me. -Truwen
Nom 02-12-06, 04:49 AM	"Each round after the first you may use a standard action ... to call a bolt. You may call a total number of bolts equal to your CL (max 10 bolts)." (PH pg 207). Where's the confusion? As a standard action, you may call one ("a") bolt. This implicitly limits you to once per round, since you only get one standard action per round. You can do this 10 times or until the duration expires, whichever comes first.
Truwen 02-12-06, 02:25 PM	Thanks for the clarification. The confusion was in the first round. -Truwen
Radijs 02-12-06, 02:44 PM	This makes the call lightning spell a nice candidate for Fell Drain from Libris Mortis.
Nom 02-12-06, 05:35 PM	Ah, yes. The first round. You still only get one bolt in the first round, but it happens just before the second round starts (thanks to the 1 round casting time). Yes, this means that on your second turn you can get a double-hit: one bolt just before your turn starts, and one as a standard action in your turn. The cost is that you've spent an entire round standing there casting waiting for something to happen, so you better hope that no enemies target you in the meantime. Also note that the standard action to call a bolt requires you to "concentrate on a spell", so it provokes an AoO as normal for beginning concentrating on a spell.
Shadowfax7 02-12-06, 10:13 PM	Also note that the standard action to call a bolt requires you to "concentrate on a spell", so it provokes an AoO as normal for beginning concentrating on a spell. Concentrating on a spell is a standard action that doesn't provoke an AoO. Note that the entry for concentrating on a spell in the glossary in the PHB is incorrect.
Nom 02-13-06, 12:49 AM	Concentrating on a spell is a standard action that doesn't provoke an AoO.Not quite. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that doesn't provoke AoO. "If your concentration breaks, the spell ends". This is a completely different situation. Now, if you were to maintain concentration from round to round then I'd let you do it without provoking an AoO. Of course, this requires that you don't threaten (see PH pg 143, cast spell as full round action) while concentrating and any damage taking during this period breaks your concentration (and loses one use of the spell). Redirecting a spell normally does not provoke AoO (pg 143), but then it normally is not a standard action (move action) nor does it require concentration. In contrast, any other ability that requires concentration does provoke an AoO by virtue of this. In fact, a key question in whether something requires a concentration check is whether it provokes an AoO; things that don't provoke AoOs never require concentration checks (PH pg 69). The easiest way to rule this unusual situation is to treat it as an SLA.
Shadowfax7 02-13-06, 10:38 AM	it provokes an AoO as normal for beginning concentrating on a spell. This part was not clear to me. As long as no one damages you or casts a distracting spell on you, no Concentration check is required. That is understood. The fact that you are threatened doesn't incur an AoO as you aren't "casting the spell", you are only using a standard action to "concentrate on the spell". This is straight from the description of the spell. Its' your interpretation that "concentrating on the spell" to call another lightning bolt provokes an AoO and is a fair call, but it's not RAW.
tarkin 02-13-06, 10:52 AM	And your point? RAW is worthless. Look up the condition dead. Now realize that nothing in RAW says you can't cast spells, move, and fight while dead. I would expect: Strict or Loose Game: Using the Standard Action to Call Lightning involves concentrating on it, and triggers an AoO. Power Game/Anything Goes Game: No AoO.