Melee attacks at range

[moritheil]

I'm trying to figure out how to get melee attacks to work at range, and what range is possible. The ultimate purpose of this is to be able to deliver melee-dependent special effects without being hindered by location: for example, the Suel Archanamach's dispelling strike, which triggers off a melee attack, becomes more useful if you don't have to actually be in melee.

So far I have a mechanic that works on a 3.0 spell from BoVD: Grazzt's Long Grasp. It explicitly causes a melee touch attack at range. This, however, has some downsides. Whirling Blade also allows you to attack everyone in a 60' line with your melee weapon, but I am not sure that that is an actual melee attack.

Is there any more reliable way to do this?

 

[drdevoid]

Unarmed Strike + Blood Wind?

 

[frankthedm]

I'm trying to figure out how to get melee attacks to work at range, and what range is possible. The ultimate purpose of this is to be able to deliver melee-dependent special effects without being hindered by location: for example, the Suel Archanamach's dispelling strike, which triggers off a melee attack, becomes more useful if you don't have to actually be in melee.

So far I have a mechanic that works on a 3.0 spell from BoVD: Grazzt's Long Grasp. It explicitly causes a melee touch attack at range. This, however, has some downsides. Whirling Blade also allows you to attack everyone in a 60' line with your melee weapon, but I am not sure that that is an actual melee attack.

Is there any more reliable way to do this?

Grow big, get melee reach.

Thankfully, there is almost no way what accomplish what you seek. If you give a melee attack range, then it becomes a ranged attack almost every time.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Is there any more reliable way to do this?

Spectral Hand, perhaps?

"The spell gives you a +2 bonus on your melee touch attack roll, and attacking with the hand counts normally as an attack."

One other thing to keep in mind - if you can find a way to reliably sneak attack with whatever method you end up with, there's no range limit for melee attacks...

-Hyp.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The ways with which I'm familiar:

1) An edged weapon used with the spell, Whirling Blade

2) An unarmed strike used with the DCv1 feat, Ring the Golden Bell

3) The feat Reach Spell, which turns a touch spell into a ray

 

[Hypersmurf]

3) The feat Reach Spell, which turns a touch spell into a ray

Once it's a ray, though, it's a ranged attack, not a melee attack, so any ability that triggers on a successful melee attack won't register.

He's not after a way to turn a melee attack into a ranged attack; he's after ways to make melee attacks from a distance.

-Hyp.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Grow big, get melee reach.

Plus a few abilities that can add five feet to your reach. I think there's a feat in BoVD and an item in MIC, and possibly a spell in Spell Compendium, but I can't remember details...

-Hyp.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

"Cheapest" way to get reach besides a reach weapon is basically PsyWar with 2 levels of Expansion.

Check out this thread:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=221617&page=2

Then there are two feat trees you should know about: Aberration feat Inhuman Reach (LoM p 180; prereq: Aberration Blood LoM p178) which adds 5' to your reach. There is ALSO the Vile feat Deformity [Tall] (HoH p 121; prereq: Willing Deformity, HoH p125) which gives your PC the natural reach of a PC one size larger.

With both, a M sized PC would gain the natural reach of a L creature, with an additional +5' for the Inhuman Reach. Factor in the Expansion...

There are also polearm-specific feats in one of the FR sourcebooks and in DCv1 that grant +5 reach to an attack as well, but don't add to your actual reach, so you don't actually threaten in that additional space.

If you couple all of that with some kind of ability to channel spell energy through your weapon (Duskblade, Spellsword, Arcane Strike, etc.), things can get nasty...but it is kind of clunky.

 

[ardentmoth]

I have been pondering the rules-worthiness of ranged-melee myself (for the adherent class in house rules forum). I think I agree mostly with #3 up there, FranktheDM. It would become a ranged attack, unless you mean simply extended your reach.

 

[frankthedm]

I have been pondering the rules-worthiness of ranged-melee myself (for the adherent class in house rules forum). I think I agree mostly with #3 up there, FranktheDM. It would become a ranged attack, unless you mean simply extended your reach.

And the OP seems to want to have Melee specific abilities trigger off the attack, with means most anything that turns a melee attack into a ranged attack will not work.

Some sort of magic effect that opened temporary portals to attack through would be what the OP needs.