Combat Casting

[RFLS]

I'm looking for feats for a melee mage to cast either without provoking AoOs or without having to take a concentration check. I'm aware of the combat casting feat, but this doesn't feel like enough on its own for me to be regularly casting in combat.
Suggestions?

[al'Lan Mandrag]

depending on your skills you could take the Conceal Spellcasting skill trick from complete scoundrel (or maybe complete adventurer, I confuse them), which means that if your Sleight of Hand roll beats their spot roll they get no AoO. That's what I use with my beguiler.

[Averis Vol]

if pathinder: the Magus. if 3.5: the Duskblade allows you to channel spells through your blade, not sure if thats what you want, but it works.

EDIT: if you don't want duskblade, spellsword also gets channel, its also a metamagic feat.

[Bakkan]

The Steady Concentration feat from Races of Stone allows you to take 10 on Concentration checks, so you only need a 5+highest spell level bonus to auto-succeed. Needs 8 ranks in Concentration, so you'll likely pick it up at 6th level, at which point you're casting level 3 spells, so you need a +8 bonus, which you'll have even with +0 Constitution.

[Greyfeld85]

depending on your skills you could take the Conceal Spellcasting skill trick from complete scoundrel (or maybe complete adventurer, I confuse them), which means that if your Sleight of Hand roll beats their spot roll they get no AoO. That's what I use with my beguiler.

Alternatively, Races of Stone allows you to do the exact same thing without limit, and without wasting any skill points on buying the skill trick.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Shielded Casting does this, but it requires you have a shield out.

[RFLS]

The skill trick looks like my best bet so far. I'm playing a homebrew class that's essentially a monk with arcane casting, so I can't use the shield thing. @Greyfeld- can you point me at where in Races of Stone the thing is that allows you to do what the skill trick does without wasting two points?

[Greyfeld85]

The skill trick looks like my best bet so far. I'm playing a homebrew class that's essentially a monk with arcane casting, so I can't use the shield thing. @Greyfeld- can you point me at where in Races of Stone the thing is that allows you to do what the skill trick does without wasting two points?

It's in the Skills section of the Character Options chapter, on page 133. To quote the text:
Sleight of Hand is a well-known skill of rogues, thieves, and street magicians everywhere. It also has a practical use to the magic-using world, allowing spellcasters to cast their spells while avoiding the notice of others.

Check: When casting a spell, you may make a Sleight of Hand check to make your verbal and somatic components less obtrusive, muttering magic words under your breath and making magic gestures within your sleeves. Your Sleight of Hand check is opposed by any observer's Spot check. The observer's success doesn't prevent you from casting the spell, just from doing it unnoticed.
Here's the thing... the Conceal Spellcasting Skill Trick specifically states, "The observer cannot make an attack of opportunity against you for casting, nor can it attempt to counter your spell." The text in Races of Stone doesn't have this clause, but the rest of the description is almost exactly the same, hiding your movements from prying eyes.

So, by RAW the description in Races of Stone doesn't actually circumvent AoOs like the skill trick does... but I think most DMs would rule that it works the same way.

[RFLS]

Yeah, my DM's pretty reasonable. Most days. Anyway...now I just have to figure out how to add sleight of hand as a class skill.

[KicktheCAN]

Yeah, my DM's pretty reasonable. Most days. Anyway...now I just have to figure out how to add sleight of hand as a class skill.

The Flexible Mind feat from Dragon #326 will make two skills of your choice permanently class skills.

[navar100]

Combat Casting + Skill Focus Concentration + 14 CON + max Concentration skill = always make the defensive casting roll even on a Natural 1 for your highest level spell starting at level 4.

If play a human, get both feats out of the way at 1st level and Concentration is where you put your extra skill point as you level. You can afford not putting a rank into Concentration for a level or two when you gain a character level but not a new spell level if you need the skill point elsewhere starting about level 10 to be safe. You can make it up later if you need to.

[Red_Dog]

Havoc Mage lets you attack and cast at the same time, while holding things in your hands & just doesn't provoke attacks. This is NOT casting defensivly so Mage Slayer is completely useless against it.
Granted, only one attack, but you can PA up to max with a THW and wraith strike as swift action.

Others have said that shield casting does this too.

=>Bonus note! On same page of races of Stone, there is a combat style called Spellrazor. It needs Combat Casting[again *rollseyes* of WotC you silly!], Exotic Weapon[Quick Razor] and TWF. [4 feats total, yeah its hungry]

This essentially, combined with Havoc Mage and some Sneak-Attacky[Sudden Striking?]+Iaijustsu Focus build could be rather fun. You will loose caster levels, but gain style points ^^. Doing this with a Charisma focused base [Sorc/Battle Sorc/Bard? a Spell thief could be there somewhere perhaps?] can be fun as it boosts your Iaijustu skill.

Sort of a Spell Ninja if you will. ^^ It is however, will be not TOO practical. So, if you want something different, this might be a fun build ^^.

[Big Fau]

Combat Casting + Skill Focus Concentration + 14 CON + max Concentration skill = always make the defensive casting roll even on a Natural 1 for your highest level spell starting at level 4.


Or you can use Shape Soulmeld and get Combat Casting+. Because Combat Casting doesn't help against vigorous motion, damaging effects, or readied actions.

@Op: A better way to avoid AoOs when casting is to simply not cast spells when in melee range. Gishing it up can be done by buffing before combat begins instead of during combat, and spells that deal HP damage usually aren't worth the action for a Gish.

[bs1653]

If you were a bard, you could take Melodic Casting [Complete Mage 43] which allows you to use Perform instead of Concentration and cast spells/use magic items while you sing (combining effects).

Why a bard as a melee mage? Throw in the Seeker of Song prestige class from Complete Arcane [56], and you can essentially cast a spell while using Inspire Greatness and Inspire Courage at level 12 or one of the AWESOME damaging effects of singing the Seeker uses.