Monk/PsyWar clarification

Suppose a Monk/PsyWar activates their Dissolving Touch ability. Can they then use their flurry of blows to deliver multiple acidic hits to an enemy?

I.e., can you get the 4d6 bonus (or more if augmented) on each successful melee attack?

If you can, WOW!

Wow indeed. Unfortunatly, it is not the case. The duration of Dissolving Touch is "Instantaneous" and delivered with a single melee touch attack and is therefore discharged on your first attack. Still, that first attack is a doozy if it hits.

See also Shocking Grasp for a similar arcane effect.

Edit: Manifesting this power is a standard action, so you won't be able to attack with a flurry or anything else that round, barring being Hasted or the like. One would have to manifest, then flurry in the next round, doing the extra damage on the first attack. Bummer.

It does say that the acid lasts until 1 round after use, now does that mean on the creature, on your 'weapon', or some other random state that doesnt matter?

If it is on the creature, does it deal continuous damage and so hinder spellcasting?

If it is on the 'weapon' then why would it not be able to strike someone multiple times?

Sounds interesting

It lasts until you hit someone once. If you don't hit someone within one round, the acid dissipates.

C'mon; nice try, but if this was intended to work differently than every other spell/power and be the uber/massive acidic dissolving superpower, don't you think it would have been mentioned?

while I understand what you are saying, and probably would rule as such in my game as well, please point out the part people are reading incorrectly

SRD:
Dissolving Touch
Psychometabolism [Acid]
Level: Psychic warrior 2
Display: Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature or object touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Power Resistance: No
Power Points: 3
Your touch, claw, or bite is corrosive, and sizzling moisture visibly oozes from your natural weapon or hand. You deal 4d6 points of acid damage to any creature or object you touch with your successful melee touch attack. Acid you secrete denatures 1 round after use, losing all efficacy and ability to deal damage. You are immune to your own acid.
Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power’s damage increases by 1d6 points.


Chill touch is mostly the same, except it can last over multiple rounds with many attacks, so it lists it as 1 touch/level.

The above power says that the acid denatures 1 round after use. This would seem to give a full round with which to use it.

As this would generally amount to around 3 attacks with it at the most (and it would mean being unable to use it in the round it is manifested, so hurting that round) it doesnt sound horribly overwhelming.

Interesting, possibly too strong, but it does seem to read that way.

Except that the power is a standard action to activate. Because it's a touch power you can make a touch attack as part of the manifestation, but unless you can manage to a full-round action as well as a standard action in the same round, there won't be a flurry of blows - or even multiple attacks.

One full round later, at the beginning of your next turn, the acid denatures.

Now if you let off a quickened dissolving touch, I might see it.

The duration of the power is Instantaneous. That means the effect goes off immediatly on use. In this case, it's a touch attack kind of power, like Shocking Grasp, and therefore is discharged on the first touch.

The bit about the acid denaturing after 1 round is, to me, a bit of extra information meant to clarify that the stuff dosen't hang around to burn a big hole in the ground or continue to deal damage indefinatly but rather dissipates after dealing the damage. I would have just left it out and saved everybody this discussion.

Looking at it from a design perspective, would *you* allow a power that deals 4d6 elemental damage on every hit for a full round as a second level power?

Consider also Dissolving weapon, its armed equivalent. Exactly the same except you use it on a weapon. It also rephrases Dissolving Touch and specifically says that it discharges on *a* successful attack. Does anybody honestly think that the designers would have thought that the power is balanced being able to do it multiple times unarmed, but only once armed while keeping all other things equal?

Scion said:

Acid you secrete denatures 1 round after use, losing all efficacy and ability to deal damage. You are immune to your own acid.

Click to expand...

The way I read this it is simply saying that you can't manifest this power then "hold the charge" until an opportune moment (like a wizard can do with shocking grasp, for instance). You have to use it within the next round.

Note, I did reference chill touch, which is also 'Duration: instanaeous'

So that part is obviously not a mittigating factor

It is a touch attack that denurates after 'use'. Apparently some people are interpreting that as a single round after being manifested, I dont think there is any real backing.

Also, dissolving touch states 'except', so it must be different somehow, who is to say that the only difference is that it works on the weapon? If so they wouldnt need the other words. From the way it looks they both last until discharged but the touch lasts for a round after it is first used while the weapon one is discharged. Who knows why, I cant read the designers minds.

Still, back to the comparison with chill touch. It is first level vs second level for dissolving touch. Chill touch lasts for many attacks over a long period of time dealing d6 and possibly str damage as well. Dissolving touch lasts for either one attack, or maybe one full round of attacks (from a character class who maxes out at +15 BAB).

I am still seeing no problem with this. More effective over a much shorter period of time and higher level, plus it is psychic warrior only

The target is "creature or object touched", not "creatures or objects touched". You only get one target per manifestation.