Death Touch

[Menexenus]

(The category for this thread should be Granted Powers rather than Spells, but Spells was the closest I could get.)

I have multiple questions about how the Death Touch granted power from the cleric's Death domain is supposed to work.

1. Does activating Death Touch require verbal or somatic components?

1a. Could the Death Touch be activated underwater (without Water Breathing)?

1b. Could the Death Touch be activated while being grappled?

2. Does activating Death Touch provoke an attack of opportunity?

2a. If so, can the "caster" roll a Concentration check to activate it defensively?

2b. If so, what is the DC of that Concentration check?

3. If the cleric misses with the Death Touch's melee touch attack in the first round, can the Death Touch be delivered in subsequent rounds (like other Touch spells)?

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

 

[Sheltem]

As a partial answer:

It is a supernatural ability an as such does not provoke an AoO.

 

[Knight Otu]

(The category for this thread should be Granted Powers rather than Spells, but Spells was the closest I could get.)

I have multiple questions about how the Death Touch granted power from the cleric's Death domain is supposed to work.

1. Does activating Death Touch require verbal or somatic components?

1a. Could the Death Touch be activated underwater (without Water Breathing)?

1b. Could the Death Touch be activated while being grappled?

2. Does activating Death Touch provoke an attack of opportunity?

2a. If so, can the "caster" roll a Concentration check to activate it defensively?

2b. If so, what is the DC of that Concentration check?

3. If the cleric misses with the Death Touch's melee touch attack in the first round, can the Death Touch be delivered in subsequent rounds (like other Touch spells)?

Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

Granted Power: You may use a death touch once per day. Your death touch is a supernatural ability that produces a death effect. You must succeed on a melee touch attack against a living creature (using the rules for touch spells). When you touch, roll 1d6 per cleric level you possess. If the total at least equals the creature’s current hit points, it dies (no save).
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Supernatural Abilities
These abilities cannot be disrupted in combat, as spells can, and they generally do not provoke attacks of opportunity. Supernatural abilities are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic, and do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated.
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Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. You can touch as many willing targets as you can reach as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell.
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Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: In most cases, if you don’t discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates.

Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can’t hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.

I think that are the important quotes from the SRD. So:
1) No, as a supernatural ability, the Death Touch has no components.
1a) Sure.
1b) That appears to be the case. As it isn't really a spell, there shouldn't even be a Concentration check.
2) No, as it is a supernatural ability. The touch attack also does not provoke an AoO, as it is an "armed attack."
2a)&2b) Not applicable
3) It appears so per the rules. Don't shake the villain's hands!

 

[frankthedm]

And should the death touch effect you, you cannot be raised or reincarnated.

1. No.

1a. Yes.

1b. I do think there would be a concentration roll on this.

2. No.

2a. No

2b. No

3. No, this is not a spell, holding the charge does not apply.

 

[Sithobi1]

Activating a supernatural ability does not require concentration, even in a grapple. Would you keep a Gorgon from using its breath weapon on the opponent it's grappling?

 

[Menexenus]

3. No, this is not a spell, holding the charge does not apply.

True, it is not a spell. But the description of the granted power does specify that the Death Touch "uses the rules for touch spells". So why do you think the "holding a charge" rules do not apply? Please explain.