[IC] Chapter 1-9: Circle of Hate

[DM Surranó]

Yes, the description is like quick draw and what it means implicitly is that you are not unarmed when it's not your round, i.e. you threaten an area (were you not your size) and can use the spell for AOO for example. You continually function as a light source; others can hold torches into your palm to light them up, etc. You can also use more than one attack per round based on your BAB but remember that all attacks reduce duration by 1 minute. Thus, it also means that you cannot throw 14 balls since throwing 12 needs 12 rounds plus it decreases duration by 12 minutes, leaving only 8 rounds left, thus the spell will go out latest after you've thrown the 13th one. If you had BAB +6/+1, on the other hand, you could throw 12 balls in 6 rounds, leaving 14 more rounds, just enough to throw the remaining two balls.

Concerning having the skeletons drop; remember that the center of the circle is not above the guardian's place; it's 20 feet to the west which is juuust outside the armory (30' diameter). Plus, the skeletons may have a word (at least a reflex save) before falling through a chute that's barely wide enough for them to fit through.