For the first time, I ticked "Pause when enemy spotted". Interestingly, combat music starts as soon as you spot it (or perhaps because it spotted you?). Anyhow, my BB priest can at this point activate her Healing aura on the entire party, for instance, but my Chanters' aura don't get activated. Instead, I get the message, "Your party must be in combat". Funny thing is, next pause tick in combat, because of the first attempt to attack someone, then the Chanters can have their chants fire up (as shown by the snake light effect encircling that icon).

 

I vote for having that chant get auto-activated at enemy spotted, or at least that we can get to activate it manually by clicking on the icon. If the BB priest can do her aura, the Chanters should be able to do their auras. I just want all things fair in this department - no teacher's pets, please.

+1

 

I think it happens sometimes, but only after you manually activate it the first time.