Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Psychoray 03-06-05, 04:32 PM	Isn't this a waste of feats if you would start a level 30 character? Improved combat casting seems like just automatic defensive casting. Or does it give any other advantages? If your character always casts on the defense he doesn't need improved combat casting right? (When he has enough concentration to always succeed on the casting on the defense check)
d_nychus 03-06-05, 04:44 PM	There is no point to get either if your Concentration check is high enough. DC 24 is all you have to reliably beat for most cases. If you can get a 24 without these feats, don't both, simply not worth it. Frankly, Combat Casting is an utter waste of a feat. Get Skill Focus (concentration) and you get a +3 to ALL Concentration checks. A much, much better feat. Improved Combat Casting is just dumb, period. In order to get the feat, you need 25 ranks in Concentration. But the only aspect of Concetration that the feat applies to caps out at 24. So, unless you are facing some VERY heavy modifiers (which, admittedly, are possible in an Epic game, though not frequent), you have to have more than enough skill ranks to make the feat worthless in order to take the feat.
Psychoray 03-06-05, 04:47 PM	Ok, thanks for the quick answer :)
Egres 03-06-05, 05:03 PM	Improved Combat Casting is just dumb, period.Unless you are facing an opponent with reach and Mageslayer. But I'll admit that Shielded Casting, in Races of Stone, is faaaar better.
Derren S. 03-06-05, 05:08 PM	The feat (i haven't read it, but I assume it is like Combat Casting with a higher modifier) doesn't apply with mageslayer. It only applies when you cast defensive, not when making a Concentration check when you are dealt damage, and against a mageslayer you can't cast defensive.
beaver1024 03-06-05, 05:25 PM	Improved Combat Casting has been nerfed. It doesn't automatically shield you for AoO anymore. See Complete Arcane. A feat, obtainable at 3rd level, ie Mageslayer will defeat Improved Combat Casting, an epic feat. Another reason not to get Complete Arcane if you don't want your epic caster to be nerfed into the ground.
Egres 03-06-05, 05:31 PM	The feat (i haven't read it, but I assume it is like Combat Casting with a higher modifier) doesn't apply with mageslayer. It only applies when you cast defensive, not when making a Concentration check when you are dealt damage, and against a mageslayer you can't cast defensive. Actually, Shielded Casting negates the AoO provoked by casting while in a threatened area.
Kyuketsukiouji 03-06-05, 10:08 PM	Improved Combat Casting means you don't need to cast defensively. You never take AaO when casting. Period.
beaver1024 03-07-05, 06:43 AM	Improved Combat Casting means you don't need to cast defensively. You never take AaO when casting. Period. It's been errated, read: nerfed into the ground. See Complete Arcane. Basically, you just cast defensively with a bigger bonus.
wonderland666 03-07-05, 06:55 AM	combat casting sucks anyway... it was good under 3.0 but under 3.5 its better to use skill fokus (concentration), because the +3 always apply
Kyuketsukiouji 03-07-05, 09:05 AM	It's been errated, read: nerfed into the ground. See Complete Arcane. Basically, you just cast defensively with a bigger bonus. No, thank you.
Pinky's brain 03-07-05, 09:25 AM	The DC for defensive casting seems to be easy to meet, even for epic spell slots from improved spell capacity ... what is the point to this feat? The only DCs which are going to give you trouble are from damage dealt through readied actions and from mageslayers ... and the feat doesnt do jack for that.
Kheldren 03-07-05, 10:52 AM	Races of the Wild has Battle Casting (or something like that) which I remember as being excellent (but I don't have to hand as I left round at my GM's on Saturday :rant: ) It has Combat Casting as a prerequisite (otherwise it would probably be my next feat).
tarkin 03-07-05, 12:06 PM	Who should consider Improved Combat Casting? People that do not have Concentration as a class skill for all their classes, but still cast spells. In that case it can be very helpfull.
eRaz0r 03-07-05, 12:18 PM	Do you know of any such classes ? Certainly all the core classes with *any* spellcasting ability (including Bards, Paladins and Rangers) all have Concentration as a class skill. They might not spend all their ranks on it, but it's still a class skill. furthermore, as was already pointed out, the Epic Improved Combat Casting requires 25 Ranks in Concentration to be eligble for it - which completely puts it out of the hands of anyone without Concentration as a Class Skill who isn't 50th level. So in other words.. No.
Kyuketsukiouji 03-07-05, 12:41 PM	Who should consider Improved Combat Casting? People that do not have Concentration as a class skill for all their classes, but still cast spells. In that case it can be very helpfull. My Epic spellcasters routinely take Improved Combat Casting. It allows me to cast any spell without ever bothering about attacks of opportunity, without having to bother about DC 25 Concentration rolls for casting Epic spells (or spells heightened to more than level 10), and without finding that, oh, look, that annoying rogue in my face decided to take Spellcasting Harrier (no defensive casting, +4 to hit), Sneak Attack of Opportunity (all AoO are sneaks), Crippling Strike and Lingering Damage (take sneak attack damage again the next round), and I have a round left to live.
Vatras 03-07-05, 01:48 PM	None of all my players since 3.0 came out ever took that feats. They are not much worth to anyone with a maximum concentration skill. In epic levels, when you meet Spell Casting Harriers (epic feat) its usually not needed too (at 30 you have usually a 40 before any roll, so an opponent has to hit you for 50+ to beat your average roll; and with monsters like that +4 isnt meaning much). Edit: I am talking about the 3.5 Spellcasting Harrier, against which Improved Combat Casting is useless (always gets a hit when someone casts in his thereatened areas). There is no 3.5 version of ISC.