I really feel like this MUST have been addressed before but I couldn't find it.
Casting a spell while defending from a melee opponent requires a 12+ concentration roll. That's a starter.
How do you rule casting a touch spell on an unwilling recipient? Do you allow an attack roll on the same round as casting the spell? If so, with what penalties or what concentration target?
Do you allow (without specific virtues) just keeping the spell ready until the next round when the attack is done?
If there really are no possibilities, then why are there examples of offensive touch spells in the ArM5? (see: The Falcon's Hood p.119)
One would think that searching "touch spells combat" would turn up the relevant threads, but apparently not...
So that did help, but only partially.
If touch spells in combat are not supported by the RAW, how is a magus supposed to use the touch-range attack spells in the core rulebook? Falcon's hood, Curse of the Leprous flesh, Kiss of Death: are those spells only designed for surprise or treachery?
we always assumed thaqt you can touch rather easily. The only problem is that you get in harm's way while doing so. Our magi do not attack with a weapon in the turn they use a touch spell, even if they use the weapon to actually touch the target. Only defence allowed. If you attack, you must fast cast to use magic
I agree with Xavi. If you try to touch your targets, you're going to lose the ability to be defended by your grogs. I might, if the talisman is a staff or something that allows for an extended reach allow for the spell to be cast, and the caster retain his defenders.
Also, keep in mind that the spells could stand to be redesigned for combat effectiveness. Certainly the Curse of the Leprous Flesh is not a combat spell, its effect happens primarily after combat would have ended. And there are several very effective PeCo combat spells. Kiss of Death could still be cast as a formulaic increasing the range to Voice...
It's a good thing to address. I play a Flambeau of the School of Ramius, most of his spells are touch, but buffs, so there's no need to worry about hitting, but he does have a spell that causes direct damage that he wants to deliver through his Talisman (a stafff). He's certainly got the skills and Virtues to do it, but it still likely requires some kind of roll, and would he need to make contact with skin? Would intervening armor and clothes provide protection?
