Quickcast Action - Planning Phase Spells

[Steelhorns]

Rulebook page 7:  "The Spell must be a quick action spell, and must have been prepared during the Planning Phase. Remember: this action can only be used to cast spells, it cannot be used to move, or make attacks."

Rulebook page 12 it reads: "The Wizard could use his qickcast action to cast his qick spell 'Arcane Zap', printed on his ability card. This special attack counts as a quick spell."

Rulebook page 25: "The bound spell can be cast as if it was one of the spells you prepared during the Planning Phase."

To make an attack means I attack the target with a melee or ranged attack and cast no spell, so I do not have to pay mana, i guess. But as the wizards Arcane Zap was definitely not prepared during Planning Phase, is each quick spell that I can get my hand on castable in my Quickaction Phase? My quick spells bound to my wand are also castable in my Quickcast Action?

[Gewar]

To make attack means to follow attack steps.
Casting Attack Spell counts as making attack (you follow spellcasting steps and then attack steps).
Arcane Zap counts as Attack Spell. So we have this part clarified

About "must have been prepared during the Planning Phase" - I gues this rule is there to ephasize that you are not allowed to take a spell from your spellbook at that moment. But this is just wild guesing :]

[Arcanus]

Hi Steelhorns,

I am not sure precisely what your question is, so forgive me if I missed the mark here.  Let me know if this helps:

A quick spell is any spell that can be cast with a quick action (it will have the lightning bolt symbol printed on the spell in the top left corner, OR it will say "this counts as a quick spell").  Examples of quick spells include:
[ol]
  [li]A quick spell you pulled out of your spellbook and planned for during the planning phase.[/li]
  [li]A quick spell bound to a wand.  Spells bound to a wand count as a spell planned during the planning phase.[/li]
  [li]Special abilities which say "this counts as a quick spell". The Wizard's Arcane Zap is a built-in quick spell ability.  The Staff of Beasts can be used as a quick spell. Changing out spells on a wand counts as a quick spell.[/li]
[/ol]


A quick spell can be cast using the normal action marker and taking a quick action.  For example, a Mage or Familiar could use their action marker to move, and then take a quick action and cast a quick spell.

A Mage also gets a special action, the Quickcast, which allows him to cast one quick spell per round. So any of the above actions which count as quick spells, could be performed using the Quickcast action, including Arcane Zap.

An attack is basically any attempt to deal damage to an object. It includes built-in attacks printed on creature cards, attack spells, some spells which make an attack as a side effect (such as Explode), bashing into a wall which blocks passage, attacks granted by equipment (weapon) or enchantments (Circle of Lightning), etc.  

BTW, Direct Damage is not an attack, and is the only way to deal damage without making an attack.  Examples include Ghoul Rot and Idol of Pestilence.

So Arcane Zap counts as an attack, and as a quick spell, and can be cast using the Quickcast action.

Let me know if any of the above helped or I missed the mark. If I missed, please clarify how I can help.

Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Steelhorns]

Well the problem was, that in rules it is clearly stated that the spell that I want to cast during my Quickcast Action has to be prepared during my Planning Phase (p7). On the other hand the rules give the example of the wizard who is casting his Arcane Zap during the Quickcast Action (p12). The Spell is neither beeing selected during the Planning Phase nor is it a quite peacefull Spell, but rather would be considered as an attack, which seems to be forbidden by the rules (p7: "Remember: this action can only be used to cast spells, it cannot be used to move, or make attacks").

Same with the Elemental Wand. The Spell is to be regarded as selecetd during Planning Phase, ok. BUT am I allowed to cast an attack spell during the Quickcast Action?

Performing a quick action melee attack (for example using Lash of hellfire or Staff of the Arcanum) is forbidden, since this would not be regarded as casting a spell, right?

Please accept my apologies for my poor English, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

[Arcanus]

Ahhh!  Got it!  That makes sense.  I think I see what's happened.

Page 7 is part of the Walthrough. This section was designed to be just a quick example of how to play, and is not intended to be used for hard rules. In the example, there are no other spells available other than those you had planned, and the attacks it refers to are melee attacks. It was greatly simplified in order to walk a player through the game without overwhelming him with too many concepts or choices. I would recommend ignoring the walkthrough as far as reference material for the rules, and just look at the rest of the rule book.

Go ahead and follow the rules for the Quickcast as explained on page 12.  It can be used to cast any quick spell, including the Wizard's Arcane Zap.  Remember, an attack can be a spell too. For example, Fireball and Lightning Bolt count as both spells and attacks.  To help clarify this we created an entire subclass of spells called attack spells.  So, yes, you may cast an attack spell using the quickcast action, as long as it is a quick attack spell.

Yes, you are correct, you cannot use Lash of Hellfire or Staff of the Arcanum with the Quickcast action, since their attack is not casting a spell.  However, you can use the special ability of the Crown of Protection or the Staff of Beasts with the Quickcast action, since they specifically say they counts as a quick spell.

Hope this helps!

[Steelhorns]

Yeah, now I think I've got it! I can cast every quick spell available to me in my Quickcast Action! No matter if it is a incantation, enchantment or attack spell. Btw - great game and great rulebook!!! For a game of this complexity everything works quite fine!

So cheers, have a nice day!

[Arcanus]

Thank you!