Concentration, Damage, and Spells

[A_Gray_Phantom]

In regards to rolling concentration in response to damage, is it only for damage taken from attacks of opportunity? Or damage taken before your turn in a round?

Example:

Vaarsuvius attempts to cast Fireball, but is struck in the chest by an arrow. V's spell fizzles as a result of his concentration being broken.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0152.html

I'm assuming what happened here is V took damage before it was his turn, and the concentration DC was 10+damage dealt.

However, the D20 SRD makes it seem that it's only damage from an attack of opportunity that would break concentration.

In the 3.5 game I'm running, the spell casters are getting more involved in combat, and it'd be good to know how this is supposed to work.

Thanks for your help!

[MultitudeMan]

I think a better assumption for strip #152 is that the archer readied an action, so that V's casting enabled the archer to take a shot and thus force a Concentration check of 10 + damage taken + level of spell. Damage caused before the beginning of casting doesn't force a Concentration check.

Can Playgrounders confirm that in the big fight of http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html , V is having to make 2 Concentration checks per spell, one for the weather (DC of 5 + spell level) and one for the Tanglefoot bag (DC of 15), which explains why so many of his spells fizzle?

[MisterKaws]

I think a better assumption for strip #152 is that the archer readied an action, so that V's casting enabled the archer to take a shot and thus force a Concentration check of 10 + damage taken + level of spell. Damage caused before the beginning of casting doesn't force a Concentration check.

Can Playgrounders confirm that in the big fight of http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html , V is having to make 2 Concentration checks per spell, one for the weather (DC of 5 + spell level) and one for the Tanglefoot bag (DC of 15), which explains why so many of his spells fizzle?

Likely so. Elves are so lanky their concentration suffers as a result.

[Venger]

It's any source of damage, not just AoOs.

[KillianHawkeye]

Can Playgrounders confirm that in the big fight of http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html , V is having to make 2 Concentration checks per spell, one for the weather (DC of 5 + spell level) and one for the Tanglefoot bag (DC of 15), which explains why so many of his spells fizzle?

V pretty blatantly says as much in the 6th panel, yes.

Also, that'd be 15 + spell level for the entanglement effect. It's pretty much always "+ spell level" if you're Concentrating for a spell.


It's any source of damage, not just AoOs.

Any source of damage taken during the act of spellcasting, so pretty much just from AoOs, readied actions, or effects that apply continuous damage (although only half the continuous damage counts for the Concentration DC).



@OP: reading the footnotes for the table under the Concentration skill explains these things pretty well.

Also note that readying an action to disrupt spellcasters (by shooting them or whatever) is pretty much a standard tactic for intelligent enemies, but it will eventually get invalidated by investing a lot into Concentration. My typical strategy as a Wizard is to have enough Concentration skill to pass any DC even if I roll a 1.

[MisterKaws]

Any source of damage taken during the act of spellcasting, so pretty much just from AoOs, readied actions, or effects that apply continuous damage (although only half the continuous damage counts for the Concentration DC).

You forgot Celerity into Twin Maximized Searing Admixtured Empowered Orb of Fire, the classic mailman strategy.

[KillianHawkeye]

You forgot Celerity into Twin Maximized Searing Admixtured Empowered Orb of Fire, the classic mailman strategy.

Thanks for sharing. I didn't ask.

[MultitudeMan]

Also, that'd be 15 + spell level for the entanglement effect. It's pretty much always "+ spell level" if you're Concentrating for a spell.


Oddly, in D20SRD, the tanglefoot bag is one of the few situations not to add spell level to the DC, in either the general Concentration rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#entangled) or the item description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#tanglefootBag). I had assumed it was a deliberate omission, but they may have just forgot, I guess!

[MisterKaws]

Thanks for sharing. I didn't ask.

Always my pleasure.

[KillianHawkeye]

Oddly, in D20SRD, the tanglefoot bag is one of the few situations not to add spell level to the DC, in either the general Concentration rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/castingSpells.htm#entangled) or the item description (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/goodsAndServices.htm#tanglefootBag). I had assumed it was a deliberate omission, but they may have just forgot, I guess!

Did you read the Concentration skill? Entangled is on the table, and all the DCs on the table add spell level when appropriate.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm

[MultitudeMan]

Did you read the Concentration skill? Entangled is on the table, and all the DCs on the table add spell level when appropriate.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm

Ah, so the errors of omission were in the links I posted, fair enough.