Bless & Spiritual Weapon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bless & Spiritual Weapon [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
NeSoDak
10-22-04, 06:49 PM Forgive me if this has been asked before.

A couple of ways to look at this:
1) A cleric casts bless on a group and then a couple rounds later, when bless is still active, he or another cleric casts spiritual weapon. Does the spiritual weapon get the bonus to attack from bless?
2) Does bless work on a spiritual weapon already cast before the bless?

The reason this came up, is that a player of mine argued that the spiritual weapon gets "your attack roll". Since bless adds to "your attack roll", then wouldn't the spiritual weapon get the bonus also? The other part of his argument was that, no where in spiritual weapon does it say that you must roll a die for the attack. It only says that you add your base attack bonus and wisdom modifier. It also specifically says you can't add bonus' from feats, but it doesn't say you can't add bonus' from spells. If you can't add bless to the die roll, then you shouldn't roll, since it doesn't say you get a die roll. I don't want to make this too long, so I'll end here and hope that you understand what I'm trying to say. If it isn't good enough I'll edit it later. :confused:
cwslyclgh
10-22-04, 06:56 PM spiritual weapon doesn't use "your attack roll" it gets your base attack bonus+your wisdom modifier as its attack bonus, nothing else effects its attack bonus, and no bless will not affect it. only a spell at actually affects your base attack bonus (such as divine power or Tenser's transformation) or a spell that affects your wisdom modifier (such as owl's wisdom) will affect the spiritual weapons attack modifier.

hope that helps.
cwslyclgh
10-22-04, 07:01 PM from the SRD:

Spiritual Weapon
Evocation [Force]
Level: Clr 2, War 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Magic weapon of force
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A weapon made of pure force springs into existence and attacks opponents at a distance, as you direct it, dealing 1d8 force damage per hit, +1 point per three caster levels (maximum +5 at 15th level). The weapon takes the shape of a weapon favored by your deity or a weapon with some spiritual significance or symbolism to you (see below) and has the same threat range and critical multipliers as a real weapon of its form. It strikes the opponent you designate, starting with one attack in the round the spell is cast and continuing each round thereafter on your turn. It uses your base attack bonus (possibly allowing it multiple attacks per round in subsequent rounds) plus your Wisdom modifier as its attack bonus. It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so, for example, it can damage creatures that have damage reduction. As a force effect, it can strike incorporeal creatures without the normal miss chance associated with incorporeality. The weapon always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the weapon. If the weapon goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers.
Each round after the first, you can use a move action to redirect the weapon to a new target. If you do not, the weapon continues to attack the previous round’s target. On any round that the weapon switches targets, it gets one attack. Subsequent rounds of attacking that target allow the weapon to make multiple attacks if your base attack bonus would allow it to. Even if the spiritual weapon is a ranged weapon, use the spell’s range, not the weapon’s normal range increment, and switching targets still is a move action.
A spiritual weapon cannot be attacked or harmed by physical attacks, but dispel magic, disintegrate, a sphere of annihilation, or a rod of cancellation affects it. A spiritual weapon’s AC against touch attacks is 12 (10 + size bonus for Tiny object).
If an attacked creature has spell resistance, you make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against that spell resistance the first time the spiritual weapon strikes it. If the weapon is successfully resisted, the spell is dispelled. If not, the weapon has its normal full effect on that creature for the duration of the spell.
The weapon that you get is often a force replica of your deity’s own personal weapon. A cleric without a deity gets a weapon based on his alignment. A neutral cleric without a deity can create a spiritual weapon of any alignment, provided he is acting at least generally in accord with that alignment at the time. The weapons associated with each alignment are as follows.
Chaos: Battleaxe
Evil: Light flail
Good: Warhammer
Law: Longsword,

the parts that I have bolded all tell you that an attack roll is required.

it sounds like the player was just being difficult... I would have told him "fine, you don't have to make an attack roll"... and then proceeded to tell him the weapon missed each round.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
NeSoDak 10-22-04, 06:49 PM	Forgive me if this has been asked before. A couple of ways to look at this: 1) A cleric casts bless on a group and then a couple rounds later, when bless is still active, he or another cleric casts spiritual weapon. Does the spiritual weapon get the bonus to attack from bless? 2) Does bless work on a spiritual weapon already cast before the bless? The reason this came up, is that a player of mine argued that the spiritual weapon gets "your attack roll". Since bless adds to "your attack roll", then wouldn't the spiritual weapon get the bonus also? The other part of his argument was that, no where in spiritual weapon does it say that you must roll a die for the attack. It only says that you add your base attack bonus and wisdom modifier. It also specifically says you can't add bonus' from feats, but it doesn't say you can't add bonus' from spells. If you can't add bless to the die roll, then you shouldn't roll, since it doesn't say you get a die roll. I don't want to make this too long, so I'll end here and hope that you understand what I'm trying to say. If it isn't good enough I'll edit it later. :confused:
cwslyclgh 10-22-04, 06:56 PM	spiritual weapon doesn't use "your attack roll" it gets your base attack bonus+your wisdom modifier as its attack bonus, nothing else effects its attack bonus, and no bless will not affect it. only a spell at actually affects your base attack bonus (such as divine power or Tenser's transformation) or a spell that affects your wisdom modifier (such as owl's wisdom) will affect the spiritual weapons attack modifier. hope that helps.
cwslyclgh 10-22-04, 07:01 PM	from the SRD: Spiritual Weapon Evocation [Force] Level: Clr 2, War 2 Components: V, S, DF Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Effect: Magic weapon of force Duration: 1 round/level (D) Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: Yes A weapon made of pure force springs into existence and attacks opponents at a distance, as you direct it, dealing 1d8 force damage per hit, +1 point per three caster levels (maximum +5 at 15th level). The weapon takes the shape of a weapon favored by your deity or a weapon with some spiritual significance or symbolism to you (see below) and has the same threat range and critical multipliers as a real weapon of its form. It strikes the opponent you designate, starting with one attack in the round the spell is cast and continuing each round thereafter on your turn. It uses your base attack bonus (possibly allowing it multiple attacks per round in subsequent rounds) plus your Wisdom modifier as its attack bonus. It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so, for example, it can damage creatures that have damage reduction. As a force effect, it can strike incorporeal creatures without the normal miss chance associated with incorporeality. The weapon always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the weapon. If the weapon goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers. Each round after the first, you can use a move action to redirect the weapon to a new target. If you do not, the weapon continues to attack the previous round’s target. On any round that the weapon switches targets, it gets one attack. Subsequent rounds of attacking that target allow the weapon to make multiple attacks if your base attack bonus would allow it to. Even if the spiritual weapon is a ranged weapon, use the spell’s range, not the weapon’s normal range increment, and switching targets still is a move action. A spiritual weapon cannot be attacked or harmed by physical attacks, but dispel magic, disintegrate, a sphere of annihilation, or a rod of cancellation affects it. A spiritual weapon’s AC against touch attacks is 12 (10 + size bonus for Tiny object). If an attacked creature has spell resistance, you make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against that spell resistance the first time the spiritual weapon strikes it. If the weapon is successfully resisted, the spell is dispelled. If not, the weapon has its normal full effect on that creature for the duration of the spell. The weapon that you get is often a force replica of your deity’s own personal weapon. A cleric without a deity gets a weapon based on his alignment. A neutral cleric without a deity can create a spiritual weapon of any alignment, provided he is acting at least generally in accord with that alignment at the time. The weapons associated with each alignment are as follows. Chaos: Battleaxe Evil: Light flail Good: Warhammer Law: Longsword, the parts that I have bolded all tell you that an attack roll is required. it sounds like the player was just being difficult... I would have told him "fine, you don't have to make an attack roll"... and then proceeded to tell him the weapon missed each round.