A clarification on ranged touch attacks please [Archive] - Wizards Community

A clarification on ranged touch attacks please [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
freack
03-25-06, 05:40 AM What I want to know is if ranged touch attacks fired into melee take a -4 penalty just as ray spells do.

First I said it doesn't becuase they don't say in the PHB or the DMG, but then again I checked the Tomb of blood and the Complete Arcane, and I see Weapon like Spells, where they begin by saying "Any spell that requires an attack roll and deals damage functions as a weapon in certain respects...".

As I have it only Ray spells that you can Crit with takes the -4, but now they say that you can Crit with an Inflict spell or a Fire Orb spell that requires a touch attack or a ranged touch attack... Huh :confused:

So am I reading it wrong or am I just mentaly retarded.

Thanx for all the replies. :)
Evil DM Mk3
03-25-06, 06:02 AM I have allways treaded ranged touch attacks as attacks. That is to say in every way. So flinging a spell into melee takes a penalty.

Tis an attack, so it is treated as an attack.
FEADIN1
03-25-06, 08:08 AM Yes, ranged touch attacks are ranged attacks, they do have a -4 fired into melee.
The_Blob
03-25-06, 05:26 PM warlock + precise shot = veeery niiiiiice.............
jaelis
03-25-06, 08:41 PM And yes, you can crit with any spell that requires an attack roll too.

What about this though- If you had, say, weapon focus(ray), would it apply to the orb spells? Should it really be weapon focus (ranged touch) instead?
FallenArchon
03-25-06, 09:23 PM What about this though- If you had, say, weapon focus(ray), would it apply to the orb spells? Should it really be weapon focus (ranged touch) instead?

No, weapon focus(ray) wouldn't apply to the orb spells or any other non ray touch attack(alchemists fire for example).

Personally I think that the orb spells should qualify for weapon focus(ray) but by the RAW it doesn't. I suppose you could make a feat called weapon focus(orb).

Or if you can convince your DM you could propose this solution. Throwing something which arcs and shooting something that travels in a straight line require different techniques. Maybe it should be weapon focus (ranged touch, spell) and for arching projectiles weapon focus (ranged touch, thrown)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
freack 03-25-06, 05:40 AM	What I want to know is if ranged touch attacks fired into melee take a -4 penalty just as ray spells do. First I said it doesn't becuase they don't say in the PHB or the DMG, but then again I checked the Tomb of blood and the Complete Arcane, and I see Weapon like Spells, where they begin by saying "Any spell that requires an attack roll and deals damage functions as a weapon in certain respects...". As I have it only Ray spells that you can Crit with takes the -4, but now they say that you can Crit with an Inflict spell or a Fire Orb spell that requires a touch attack or a ranged touch attack... Huh :confused: So am I reading it wrong or am I just mentaly retarded. Thanx for all the replies. :)
Evil DM Mk3 03-25-06, 06:02 AM	I have allways treaded ranged touch attacks as attacks. That is to say in every way. So flinging a spell into melee takes a penalty. Tis an attack, so it is treated as an attack.
FEADIN1 03-25-06, 08:08 AM	Yes, ranged touch attacks are ranged attacks, they do have a -4 fired into melee.
The_Blob 03-25-06, 05:26 PM	warlock + precise shot = veeery niiiiiice.............
jaelis 03-25-06, 08:41 PM	And yes, you can crit with any spell that requires an attack roll too. What about this though- If you had, say, weapon focus(ray), would it apply to the orb spells? Should it really be weapon focus (ranged touch) instead?
FallenArchon 03-25-06, 09:23 PM	What about this though- If you had, say, weapon focus(ray), would it apply to the orb spells? Should it really be weapon focus (ranged touch) instead? No, weapon focus(ray) wouldn't apply to the orb spells or any other non ray touch attack(alchemists fire for example). Personally I think that the orb spells should qualify for weapon focus(ray) but by the RAW it doesn't. I suppose you could make a feat called weapon focus(orb). Or if you can convince your DM you could propose this solution. Throwing something which arcs and shooting something that travels in a straight line require different techniques. Maybe it should be weapon focus (ranged touch, spell) and for arching projectiles weapon focus (ranged touch, thrown)