combat casting, shielded casting, the life of a melee flavoured soul.

[x-Anarion-x]

Hiya all,

Short story long
I've been playing a flavoured soul for some time now and I am the tank of the party. That's great because I'm not the heal battery. Although I do, find my self in situations in which I am in melee and want to cast a spell. Usually I take a 5ft step and cast the spell. Now recently I've been thinking about combat and shielded casting, for obvious reasons. My God is Tyr, so my main weapon is a longsword. i've picked up versitile spellcaster as a feat and force of personality. I am planning on retraining my augmented healer because it's not my main roll in the party. My question is, as written below.

Long story short: are shielded and combat casting worth the feats? If not, which feats do you guys advice?

thanks in advance,
Anárion

[Mirakk]

I mean it's nice and all, but hitting a defensive casting concentration check reliably isn't exactly hard if you prioritize your concentration skill (which you should be). I don't know if I could justify blowing not one, but two feats on that. Especially when one gets vaporized by the other.

The only thing Combat Casting becomes good for at that point is that it gives you the ability to make those checks at a bonus while grappled or pinned. Of course, you'd want to have still spell for those scenarios if you're truly worried about that, and that's a third feat at this point.


It's a matter of preference, I think. If you're truly worried about ever losing a spell, go for it.


The idea does have its merits. I was looking at it for my Favored Soul and decided not to go with it, taking Parrying Shield instead. Getting your Shield AC added to your Touch AC is good bang for your buck and there were no crummy prerequisites.

[heavyfuel]

I second Mirakk.

Spending two feats isn't worth it, specially when concentration checks are incredibly easy to make.

If you're really worried, you're better off spending a bit of cash for a magic item of Concentration. It costs "bonus²*100". So 2500 for a +5 item should make you able to pass all concentration checks (not just defensive casting) even if you roll a 1.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/creatingMagicItems.htm

[x-Anarion-x]

Ah, I already got still spell (character got revived by Tyr after being eaten by a T-rex... he wasn't pooped out or anything... just swallowed whole.) So in the reviving progress he changed a feat to still spell, incase he would be eaten again...

So any other feats you guys might recommend?

[heavyfuel]

Ah, I already got still spell (character got revived by Tyr after being eaten by a T-rex... he wasn't pooped out or anything... just swallowed whole.) So in the reviving progress he changed a feat to still spell, incase he would be eaten again...

So any other feats you guys might recommend?

We'd be able to better answer yourquestion if you posted your character here.

Specifically his level, his feats so far, and how many feats you can retrain

[x-Anarion-x]

One rolled character coming up.

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=47833

Want to retrain the healer feat.

[Agincourt]

Force of Personality is another candidate to retrain. It is not doing much for you. Your wisdom is already a very good 14, and Force of Personality only works on mind-affecting spells and abilities. In those relatively rare situations where you use this feat, it will only give you a +2 to the Will save (equivalent to the Iron Will feat, which is generally considered a bad choice.)

Since you're going the melee route, Power Attack would be a good feat to take.

[Andezzar]

While still spell allows you to cast without somatic components you are paying for that ability with higher spell slots and full-round action casting times. Not sure if that is such a good trade.

Using Shielded Casting would mean that you have to drop or sheathe your weapon to cast spell with somatic components. Think about taking somatic weaponry.

For some reason your Concentration skill is not maxed. Doing that should limit the probability of failure on the concentration check to cast defensively. At level 6 you should have 9 ranks. With your CON 16, you should have a bonus of at least 12, with the aforementioned +5 item of concentration this should allow you to pass any concentration checks for spells you can cast at the moment. Since you only get a new spell level every two levels and concentration can be improved every level it only gets easier as you level up.

[Agincourt]

Using Shielded Casting would mean that you have to drop or sheathe your weapon to cast spell with somatic components. Think about taking somatic weaponry.

Edit: Nope, I'm wrong. Good point.

[Andezzar]

What are the spells the character knows? I cannot find them on the sheet.

[x-Anarion-x]

So far I've only cast spells pre-combat. And Still spell is something i'm gonna use when, or if, I ever get grappled (or eaten again...)

Power attack sounds like a good one, thanks.

Yeah, I'll max concentration next lvl up.

Force of personality really fits the character, also I have a healthy fear of being mind controlled and my Cha will only rise while my wisdom(most likely) will not.

Spell 0
Create water
Detect Magic
IMinorW
Light
Read Magic
Purify foods


Spell 1
Bless +1
CLightW
Divine Favour
Shield of Faith
Comp langu


Spell 2
Hold Person
Divine insight
Curse of ill fortune
Deific Vengeance

Spell 3
Magic vest
Weapon of the deity
Bestow curse

[Xerlith]

I've been playing a flavoured soul for some time now

How's the taste?


I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself (or could I?).

[Darrin]

When you get some spare cash, pick up a Tunic of Steady Spellcasting (2500 GP, MIC) and/or some Githcraft armor (+600 GP, DMGII). Each piece of Gitchcraft armor gives you an untyped +1 bonus on Concentration checks. With a chain shirt, dastana, chahar-aina, and two Dwarven buckler-axes, you can get a +5 bonus on Concentration checks.

If you want to spend a feat on Concentration checks, Shape Soulmeld: Vitality Belt is a better deal than Combat Casting or Skill Focus.

[x-Anarion-x]

The taste is great, thanks.

Thanks for the advice on conc checks, I think the concentration checks will work out.

Any other feats for the character that might prove useful?

[Heliomance]

How's the taste?


I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself (or could I?).

Not great, by the sounds of it. He really should have started with a level of Commoner to pick up the Tasty flaw, if he wanted to play a flavoured soul.