Combat Casting...is it worth it?

[Asheron]

Just like the title says: Is combat casting worth taking as a sorcerer? If I take it as my 3rd level feat I significantly delay progression in metamagic feats. I really like sculpt spell for that matter, but if I choose combat casting I'll have to wait untill I hit level 9, because of the prerequisite of another metamagic feat....

So Combat casting or another (metamagic) feat?

Grzz

 

[Fenes 2]

I would not take it. With maxed concentration and a decent constitution (12) you have, at level 3, +7 to your concentration check. To cast a level 1 spell - you don't have yet level 2 spells - with defensive casting you need an 9 or better, not too bad odds in case a 5-foot step is not possible. At those levels you also are not too inept at melee combat, so whacking that enemy instead of trying to cast is also a possibility.

In the higher levles, after level 10 or so, defensive casting becomes almost impossible to fail with low level spells (+14).

Unless your campaign features a lot of battles where you need to cast defensively - which does not help against readied action anyway - combat casting is not worth the feat. I'd rather take Skill focus (concentration), +2 or +3, instead, if you need a boost - it will help casting on a horse, or on a ship, or when wounded too.

 

[Lucius Foxhound]

I had it for my Dwarven Evoker. I figured it's part of his character to know combat casting. But the truth is, you probably don't need it as you get to higher levels. Since my dwarf had a 17 Con, he really didn't need it.

But I'm more for taking things that are in character rather than min/maxing. A metamagic feat is more useful, though.

 

[bret]

I agree with Fenes.

It is not really worth it. As you gain levels, it gets easier and easier to cast defensively.

If you want to improve your Concentration, take skill focus. As Fenes pointed out, that helps with all concentration checks. The concentration checks against damage are often the tough ones anyways, any time you take more than 5 damage it is more difficult than casting on the defensive.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Even with a sorcerer who relied on touch spells (Dwarfs are funny that way) I took Skill Focus Concentration (+3 in our game) over Combat casting. Even so I still regreted that choice later as I rarely even came close to failing my concentration checks.

 

[Celebrim]

Well, the answer to the question entirely depends on one thing: "Do you think you can survive to reach a reasonably high level without it?"

Toughness sucks, but it is darn hard for a mage to survive low levels without it. I've even seen wizards/sorcerers resort to starting out as 1st level fighters, before switching over to spell casting classes for the remainder of there career. It actually works pretty well, albeit it slows down thier acquisition of higher level spells. If you only have 10-12 h.p. by third level (or less!), you can find yourself in a world of hurt though. One orc still has a reasonable chance of taking you down, and that is probably not the worst of your worries.

The same sort of thing applies to combat casting. Ok, theoretically you should have better than a 50% chance of succeeeding in defensive casting at 2nd or 3rd level, but that is like playing russian roullette. You don't have the h.p. to risk an AoO, and the loss of a precious spell like sleep or web is probably going to be fatal to someone in the long run. You don't leave things like that up to 50% chances if you can help it. So either Skill Focus (Concentration) if you get a +3 bonus in your campaign or Combat Casting isn't at all a bad idea for a low level spell caster. Heck, it has saved the life of my cleric on at least 2 occassions: versus a flock of cockatrices when I needed to stun them quick and certainly couldn't afford drawing AoO, and versus an ogre when I needed a cure spell and couldn't risk the AoO. Both cases the roll was just low enough to have failed without Combat Casting.

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Definitely Skill Focus instead.

But, by the way, if your DM gives +3 for Skill Focus, he should also give at least +5 for Combat Casting. Otherwise it's really a no-brainer.

 

[Dreaddisease]

I would not take it.
assuming 12 Con and maxing out on Concentration you would have this progression as as sorcerer
% Miss on highest level spell
Lvl Conc w/o CC w/ CC
1 5 0.55 0.35
2 6 0.5 0.3
3 7 0.45 0.25
4 8 0.45 0.25
5 9 0.4 0.2
6 10 0.4 0.2
7 11 0.35 0.15
8 12 0.35 0.15
9 13 0.3 0.1
10 14 0.3 0.1
11 15 0.25 0.05
12 16 0.25 0.05
13 17 0.2 0
14 18 0.2 0
15 19 0.15 0
16 20 0.15 0
17 21 0.1 0
18 22 0.1 0
19 23 0.05 0
20 24 0 0

I think at this level the difference is there but only for the next couple levels. As soon as you have lower level spells to cast with a higher concentration then you should probably cast those when casting on the defense. So many feats are only useful for a few levels.

I would take something that can always be used. Metamagic or item creation.

Edit. Cleaned up my columns, reworded my response.

 

[Crothian]

THe questrion cannot be answered with out knowing the character's con and Intelligence. If you have a high con it's an easier skill for you, and if you havea high Int you will have the skill points to devote to the skill. But if Int only average take the feat, and use your skill points in a different way.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Definitely Skill Focus instead.

But, by the way, if your DM gives +3 for Skill Focus, he should also give at least +5 for Combat Casting. Otherwise it's really a no-brainer.

Agreed. I would never take Combat Casting but I would seriously consider taking Skill Focus, even at a measly +2.

The +2 to all Concentration checks will have value throughout your career.

Once you survive past the low levels, Combat Casting won't be very helpful. Soon you will be hit by effects that will force concentration checks to cast, e.g. Web, and that +2 will look real good.