Elwood Slayer
First Post
Why would anyone ever memorize Ray of Frost, when Acid Splash is an option?
From the SRD -
Ray of Frost
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A ray of freezing air and ice projects from your pointing finger. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack with the ray to deal damage to a target. The ray deals 1d3 points of cold damage.
Acid Splash
Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One missile of acid
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You fire a small orb of acid at the target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The orb deals 1d3 points of acid damage.
These spells seem identical with the following exceptions:
1) Acid vs. Cold. Acid seems to always be a better bet, since more things are likely to be immune to cold.
2) Acid Splash bypasses Spell Resistance
Is there any real reason ever to use Ray of Frost (other than something random like needing to fill a slot with an evocation spell due to specialization, or fighting acid immune monsters)?
The real thrust behind my question here though involves critical hits and sneak attacks. The rules on magic in general from the SRD say this about Ray Spells
"Ray: Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though typically you make a ranged touch attack rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don’t have to see the creature you’re trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature you’re aiming at.
If a ray spell has a duration, it’s the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time the ray itself persists.
If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit."
Does this mean that Acid Splash does not do a x2 critical on a roll of 20? If so, does this imply that you can't Sneak Attack with Acid Splash as a Rogue 2 / Wizard 1? If so, does this call into question using touch spells like Shocking Grasp to Sneak Attack?
I guess what I would most like to know is whether any spell with a touch or range touch attack roll can crit and sneak attack, or whether that is explicitly limited to Ray Spells.
From the SRD -
Ray of Frost
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
A ray of freezing air and ice projects from your pointing finger. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack with the ray to deal damage to a target. The ray deals 1d3 points of cold damage.
Acid Splash
Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One missile of acid
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You fire a small orb of acid at the target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The orb deals 1d3 points of acid damage.
These spells seem identical with the following exceptions:
1) Acid vs. Cold. Acid seems to always be a better bet, since more things are likely to be immune to cold.
2) Acid Splash bypasses Spell Resistance
Is there any real reason ever to use Ray of Frost (other than something random like needing to fill a slot with an evocation spell due to specialization, or fighting acid immune monsters)?
The real thrust behind my question here though involves critical hits and sneak attacks. The rules on magic in general from the SRD say this about Ray Spells
"Ray: Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though typically you make a ranged touch attack rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don’t have to see the creature you’re trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature you’re aiming at.
If a ray spell has a duration, it’s the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time the ray itself persists.
If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit."
Does this mean that Acid Splash does not do a x2 critical on a roll of 20? If so, does this imply that you can't Sneak Attack with Acid Splash as a Rogue 2 / Wizard 1? If so, does this call into question using touch spells like Shocking Grasp to Sneak Attack?
I guess what I would most like to know is whether any spell with a touch or range touch attack roll can crit and sneak attack, or whether that is explicitly limited to Ray Spells.
