Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mage_guy 03-17-07, 08:12 PM	I've played a spellcaster before, and I've had to use ray spells, and I like them. However, I was always confused between the difference between a ranged touch and a ranged attack in combat. I know that a ranged attack takes a -4 penalty for firing into melee, but I can't find any rules for firing a Ranged touch attack in combat. The only restriction that I or my DM ever imposed was you had to have a line of effect. Any info on this? Cheers, RM
Centauri 03-17-07, 08:18 PM	I know that a ranged attack takes a -4 penalty for firing into melee, but I can't find any rules for firing a Ranged touch attack in combat. The only restriction that I or my DM ever imposed was you had to have a line of effect. Well, I don't think it's ever spelled out that the same rules apply to ranged touch attacks as apply to ranged attacks, but I think if they didn't the rules would mention this exception. Therefore, the same rules should apply.
The_sleeper1 03-17-07, 08:43 PM	A ranged touch attack is a ranged attack so any basic rules that apply to ranged attacks apply to ranged touch attacks. So if your fireing in to a melee and you dont have percise you get a -4 to hit. The main differance between the two is when you figgure out your touch versus normal ac not on the attack end.
Cold Napalm 03-17-07, 09:05 PM	except that that ranged touch attacks don't draw AoO...I hate D&D rule writers sometimes and very inconsistant and contricdictory rules.
Centauri 03-17-07, 10:50 PM	except that that ranged touch attacks don't draw AoO... Really, I didn't know that. Where's that stated?
Morwen 03-17-07, 10:54 PM	except that that ranged touch attacks don't draw AoO...I hate D&D rule writers sometimes and very inconsistant and contricdictory rules. Most of the time casting the spell itself would draw an AoO though.
RavenDrake 03-18-07, 03:11 AM	Really, I didn't know that. Where's that stated? It's not, the person above is stating a contended point. While ranged touch attacks are regarded as touch attacks in most cases(which point out they don't provoke attacks of opportunity as an unarmed attack usually does since they're considered "armed" attacks), they are ALSO regarded as ranged attacks. Which means that, like all other ranged attacks, they should provoke attacks of opportunity when used. Unless, of course, someone wants to state that lineing up an attack with a net and throwing it, or hurling phails of alchemist's fire don't provoke attacks of opportunity....
SALDAR 03-18-07, 11:56 AM	The ranged touch attacks made for a spell are part of the casting of the spell. They are not seperate actions for the purposes of Attacks of Opportunity. You are not casting a spell and then making a ranged touch attack, you are simply casting a spell, nothing more.
Centauri 03-18-07, 02:03 PM	You are not casting a spell and then making a ranged touch attack, you are simply casting a spell, nothing more. If there aren't spells that let you "hold the charge" for a ranged touch attack I'm certain there are prestige classes or feats that let you cast touch spells as ranged touch attacks. Still, the "ranged" part of them would provoke an attack of opportunity, so the result is still the same.
SALDAR 03-18-07, 02:36 PM	The "ranged" part of the spell is still part of the spell, but only during the casting of the spell. If you cast one round and hold the charge until the next round then you are casting a spell one round and attacking with a ranged weapon the next, which would provoke an AoO. They use different actions to provoke so they are different, although either action results in an AoO. One is an AoO for casting a spell while the other is an AoO for attacking with a ranged weapon. AoOs are provoked by actions. Subsuming ranged touch attacks into the Cast a Spell action is not an inconsistency within the rules. It actually follows the rules for AoOs. You are taking a single Cast a Spell action which provokes. You are not taking multiple actions so you are not provoking multiple AoOs.