D&D 5E Offensive touch spells

[theRogueRooster]

One of my favorite characters from the 3.5 era was an elderly and physically debilitated wizard who used the spell Spectral Hand to deliver touch attack spells from a distance. I loved that kooky old guy and thought I'd try to recreate him in 5th.

It turns out that there is no Spectral Hand spell in 5th, so a direct port is impossible. But no worries, because I can still capture the essence of the original character by creating a wizard or chainlock and delivering the touch spells through the familiar. I'm particularly drawn to the flavor of the chainlock and its more interesting selection of familiars, so I choose that as my class.

Problem solved, right? Well yes, except for the teeny tiny fact that touch spells seem exceedingly rare in 5th, particularly for the warlock. Even spells with the word "touch" in their title aren't touch spells.

(On a related note, shouldn't Vampiric Touch be a touch spell? As mentioned, it's got touch right there in the title, the description begins "The touch of your shadow-wreathed hand...", and you make a melee spell attack, presumably to touch your opponent. What gives?)

Any suggestions on how to build this concept?

-tRR

 

[jadrax]

There is no such thing as a 'Touch Spell' in 5e. If you need to 'touch' something for a spell to work, that's covered by a Melee Spell Attack.

 

[theRogueRooster]

Right, but familiars can deliver spells with a range of Touch, which for the purposes of this discussion is what is meant by Touch Spell.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Offensive spells don't have their range listed as "touch". If the narrative of the fiction is that you're touching the person in order to make an attack, then the game mechanic representing that is a range of five feet.

It looks like your familiar isn't intended to deliver those kinds of attacks. Or, if you think they should be, then you would want to say that they can deliver any spell with a range of five feet.

 

[theRogueRooster]

Offensive spells don't have their range listed as "touch". If the narrative of the fiction is that you're touching the person in order to make an attack, then the game mechanic representing that is a range of five feet.

Some offensive spells do have a range of touch. For example, Shocking Grasp. But sadly for my prospective chainlock, there exist very few spells with the range of touch, combat oriented or otherwise.

Also, a familiar's ability to deliver spells explicitly keys off of those with the range of touch. I don't think there's any wiggle room from a narrative perspective.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Some offensive spells do have a range of touch. For example, Shocking Grasp.

My mistake. I was probably just remembering the playtest :-/

 

[doctorhook]

Don't mind me, I'm just feeling around down here for a joke about the thread title.

 

[MortalPlague]

Don't mind me, I'm just feeling around down here for a joke about the thread title.

I can't quite put a finger on one. It feels like the jokes are just slipping through my grasp.

As far as on-topic posting goes, I had not noticed the dearth of touch spells in the PHB. I wonder if it's an oversight that spells like Vampiric Touch are not touch?

 

[jadrax]

As far as on-topic posting goes, I had not noticed the dearth of touch spells in the PHB. I wonder if it's an oversight that spells like Vampiric Touch are not touch?

Vampiric Touch basically adds a 3d6 Touch attack to the caster while he concentrates. So the self range makes sense.

Personally, I would let you deal that damage through your familiar while the spell was in effect, if you wished.

 

[Jester David]

Upon reading the find familar spell, it sounds like they changed the range in most offensive spells from "touch" to "5 feet" and then forgot to update find familar.