Calcific touch (rehash)

[Zwordsman]

Howdy. So I read a bunch of the old threads on this. and got some answers but not all of mine (though I could have missed them)

So calcific touch (see bottom). It states once per round you can touch attack.

My question is. Is this a free touch, is it a standard action to touch, or can it replace one of your iteratives (like you can with say chill touch (twf chilltouch is a thing last I knew))?
caasting is a standard action, but usually it nets you a free touch attack with the casting.
but after casting, othter touch spells usually let you touch as part of iteratives..
So I'm gguessing you get 1 touch attack a round, which follows normal touch rules. So I could say slash the hell with a sword, then last attack of my full attack action be a cal touch?

I more or less understand the rest, but the once per round bit threw me, since that means it's not acting like say chill touch.

Does this also disappear if I cast another spell in the mean time? Or is this like a buff, (shield, mage armour etc) and it is not "holding the charge"? I seem to remember someone in the past mentioning that chilltouch isn't holding the charge, the spell itself gives you a new attack you can use.

So thoughts?
Thank you

PFS Legal Calcific Touch
Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 1 (Amazon)
School transmutation [earth]; Level arcanist 4, bloodrager 4, red mantis assassin 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Effect
Range touch
Target creature or creatures touched (up to one per level)
Duration 1 round/level
Description
Your touch progressively transmutes the substance of creatures you touch into stone. Once per round, you may deliver a touch attack that inflicts 1d4 points of Dexterity damage and slows the target (as the spell) for 1 round. A successful Fortitude save negates the slow effect but not the ability damage. A target reduced to 0 Dexterity is petrified permanently. Break enchantment, restoration, or stone to flesh can reverse the effects of calcific touch.

[Meager Rolmug]

What I am sure about..
There is a FAQ that says chill touch is holding a charge, so yes you would be doing so with calcific touch also.

All other rules for holding a charge would also apply, since it is a range=touch spell. So yes the spell would end if you cast another.

Fairly sure about...
You cannot touch the hand to anything else without losing the charge. For most range=touch spells this would end the spell, however with multiple charge spells, only one charge would be lost. I donnot know what would happen if the PC grabbed and held something(creature or object). Raw on chill touch suggests strongly to me that one charge per possible melee touch attack per the time the object/creature is grabbed would be delivered.
Calcific touch SEEMS clearer that one charge per round would be lost, but then also appears to allow touching multiple things per round with that hand while only losing one charge. You could touch an enemy(standard), draw(move) your longsword so you threaten between rounds, but what happens at the beginning of your next round? I believe strongly, a round's charge should be lost into the weapon each round you continue to hold it. Whether an extra(2 in 1 round) charge should be lost when drawing the weapon, appears to be a GM decision. I'd probably rule yes, as I donnot think there should be a side benefit to what was intended to be a limitation to the spell.

As for TWF(charge in one hand, weapon in the other) I have not researched it, but I cannot conceive a reason it would not work. It would incur all the normal benefits and penalties for doing so. Making it a feat intensive build(or maybe a weird multiclass combo) to be really effective.

[James Risner]

You'd use iterative attacks to deliver the touches.
You could use TWF to attack with an offhand weapon in the same full attack.

[Meager Rolmug]

More interesting to me is what happens if you use an attack to deliver a Calcific touch charge, have possible attacks left that round with the same hand and use them with that same hand(spiked gauntlet).

[James Risner]

You can only 1/round Calcific touch.

So if your BAB is +6, you may:
+6 BAB Calcific Touch delivery
+1 BAB Spiked Gauntlet delivery

[Cevah]

Meager Rolmug wrote:

What I am sure about..

There is a FAQ that says chill touch is holding a charge, so yes you would be doing so with calcific touch also.

All other rules for holding a charge would also apply, since it is a range=touch spell. So yes the spell would end if you cast another.

Please link the FAQ.

Chill Touch is an instant spell.
Calcific Touch is a round per level spell.

It makes sense that an instant spell gets dissipated when another is cast. It does not for a spell with duration.

I agree with James Risner that you can use it for one of your iteratives, but not more than one.

/cevah