[3.5] Lantern Light - Action for rays?

[Luckmann]

Hi there, I just got involved in a 3.5 game, and I'm playing a Priestess of Lathander, and we're doing Spontaneous Divine Casters for a variety of reasons (yes, I requested this myself and it somehow ended me up with no healing spells, but whatever, all is well in the world).

Anyway, I'm not sure how to read a specific spell. It's Lantern Light, from Book of Exalted Deeds, pg. 101:


Lantern Light
Evocation [Good, Light]
Level: Cleric 1, Paladin 1, Sorcerer 1, Wizard 1, Vassal of Bahamut 1,
Components: S, Abstinence
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Rays of holy light flash from your eyes. You can fire 1 ray per 2 caster levels, but no more than 1 ray per round. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit a target. The target takes 1d6 points of damage from each ray.

Abstinence Component: You must abstain from sexual intercourse for 24 hours before casting this spell.

Now, the way I'm reading this, I get 1 ray per two levels, but I can cast only one of these rays each round. So, if I'm level 4, I'm getting two rays, and I've got four rounds to cast them, before the spell wears out. Essentially, my eyes are super-charged for four rounds, but there's only two charges. It's a standard action to cast the spell, and each time I want to fire those rays, I have to do a ranged touch attack.

So far so good.

But what kind of action is it? Is it free? Is it standard? If it's a standard action, I can't attack on the same round that I cast the spell, since the casting of the spell itself is a standard action, but that would be daft. At the same time, I'm feeling like there's going to be an argument if I just assume that it's a free action. But I honestly have no clue.

How is this supposed to be read/arbitrated, and why?

[DeTess]

I reckon it's a free action, because otherwise it would be impossible to fire more than one ray per round anyway. It's also not like this spell would be particularly powerful this way. At CL20, it's only 10d6, over 10 rounds, provided you don't miss any of the touch attacks.

[Luckmann]

I reckon it's a free action, because otherwise it would be impossible to fire more than one ray per round anyway. It's also not like this spell would be particularly powerful this way. At CL20, it's only 10d6, over 10 rounds, provided you don't miss any of the touch attacks.

That's actually a really good point - if it was intended to be a standard action by some sort of default, there would've been no need to clarify that you could only fire one per round, I guess.

[Ashtagon]

Absent a specific rule in the spell description, it defaults to the general rules for spells. I'm afb right now,but I recall it being a standard action to direct a spell, which would seem to apply here.

[AlanBruce]

I'd ask your DM to allow the casting of the spell (standard action), to include the shooting of one of your rays along with it. That way, you haven't wasted a turn supercharging your eyes for some enemy to move in and bash you unconscious, thus making the whole spell moot.

That or some enemy caster attacking from a distance, netting the same result.

Then, on your next round (or however rounds remain before the spell expires), you use a standard action to discharge the remaining ray.

[Crake]

I would actually imagine it being an attack action, meaning you could use it as part of a full attack routine, hence the need to specify that you cannot shoot more than one per round.


Absent a specific rule in the spell description, it defaults to the general rules for spells. I'm afb right now,but I recall it being a standard action to direct a spell, which would seem to apply here.

Directing a spell is a move action.

[Elkad]

My ruling.

Casting can include firing one ray as part of the standard action if desired.
After the casting round, standard action to fire a ray as well.

It's an attack, move action isn't appropriate.

The restriction on one-per-round is kinda odd, but other than that, it's similar to any other spell with multiple charges. Produce Flame, Chill Touch, etc.