Ok, so I give up. I still hate the 3.0 FAQ, but it doesn't look like there is a good way to justify touch spells as having a fixed range. I also heard another argument that helped convince me. Touch spells have to be discharged, and Persistent spell cannot be used with spells that need to be discharged.
Anyway, before I let the thread die, I remember someone asking for a list of spell that this would be useful for. Here is a list I helped work I long ago. I don't know who all contributed, so I can't give proper credit, but suffice to say it wasn't me who came up with the list initially. Also I'm not sure how dated it is. Anywho, here you go.
0th lvl
Detect Magic
Prestidigation
Read Magic
1st lvl
Accelerated Movement CA
Arrow Mind CA
Cheat DRAC/BoVD
Comprehend Languages
Critical Strike CA
Detect Secret Doors
Detect Undead
Disguise Self
Ectoplasmic Armor LM
Expeditious Retreat
Expeditious Retreat, Swift CA
Friendly Face RoD
Golem Strike CA
Guided Shot CA
Insightful Feint CA
Instant Locksmith CA
Instant Search CA
Laeral's Cutting hand MoF
Master's Touch SA/CA
Obscuring Mist
Sacrificial Skill BoVD
Scolar's Touch RoD
Shield
Snilloc's Snowball UE
Sniper's Shot CA
Tongue Tendrils BoVD
2nd lvl
Alter Self
Avoid Planar Effects PH/MoP(lvl 3)
Balancing Lorecall CA
Blade of Pain and Fear LM
Bladeweave CA
Body of the Sun MotW/CD
Claws of Darkness FRCS
Daggerspell Stance CA
Death Armor MoF
Decastave UE
Detect Thoughts
Devil's Tongue BoVD
Fangs of the Vampire King BoVD
Fearsome Grapple SA
Flame Dagger MoF
Fly, Swift CA
Graz'zt's Long Grasp BoVD
Gust of Wind
Inky Cloud SS
Invisibility
Leomund's Tiny Igloo FB
Levitate
Listening Lorecall CA
Lively Step PGtF
Masochism BoVD
Mirror Image
Mirror Move SA
Obscuring Snow FB
Razorfang DRAC
Razorscales SK
Reflective Disguise UN
Sadism BoVD
Scintillating Scales DRAC
See Invisibility
Shadow mask FRCS
Shroud of Undeat MoF
Surefooted Stride FC_3
Toothed Tentacle (concentration) LEoF
Veil of Shadow MHB
Wraithstrike CA
3rd lvl
Absorb Mind BoVD
Analyze Portal MoP/PH
Analyze Touchstone PH
Arcane Sight
Backblast LEoF
Blink
Burrow RoF (the new version in Underdark is touch)
Detect Metals and Minerals RoF
Devil's Eye BoVD
Dragon Breath DRAC
Dragon Skin DRAC
Ectoplasmic Feedback LM
Elation BoED
Eye of the Zombie BoVD
Glacial Globe of Invulnerability FB
Handfang SK
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Phantom Steed
Phieran's Resolve BoED
Planar Tolerance PH
Reverse Arrows MoF
Serpents of Theggeron BoVD
Sonorous Hum SS
Spectral Weapon CA
Telepathic Bond, Lesser CD
Telepathy Tap BoED
Tongue Serpents BoVD
Tremorsense UN
Giant's Wraith FC_3
4th lvl
Absorb Strength BoVD
Abyssal Might BoVD
Balor Nimbus PH
Bite of the Wererat SA
Crushing Despair
Detect Scrying
Ethereal Mount MoP
Evil Glare PH
Extend Tentacles SS
Fear
Fire Shield
Fire Stride FRCS
Gutsnake MoF
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
Hell's Power BoVD
Ilyykur's Mantle UE
Mass Darkvision T&B
Minor Creation
Radient Shield BoED
Sandform FC_1
Sharptooth DRAC
Spark Shield DCS
Thunderlance FRCS (2d6 STR 12+casterlevel)
Voice of the Dragon DRAC
5th lvl
Anticold Sphere FC_2/FB
Bite of the Werewolf SA
Blink, Improved CD/UE
Burning Blood DRAC
Claws of the Bebilith BoVD
Contingent Energy Resistance DRAC
Death Throes PH
Draconic Polymorph DRAC
Dragon Breath CD
Dragonsight DRAC
Flight of the Dragon DRAC
Ghostform T&B (lvl 8 since LM)
Kiss of the Vampire MoF
Mestil's Acid Sheath MoF
Nezram's Sapphire Screen of Shielding LEoF
Nightstalkers Transformation CA
Overland Flight
Prying Eyes
Resonating Resistance BoVD
Shadow Form CA
Sicken Evil BoED
Simbul's Spell Matrix MoF/PGtF
Superior Magic Fang DRAC
6th lvl
Aura of Evasion DRAC
Aura of Terror DRAC
Antimagic Field
Cacophonic Shield MoF
Eye of Stone RoS
Fiendform MoF
Fiendish Quickening BoVD
Globe of Invulnerability
Quickshift BoED
Spore Cloak RoF
Stone Body RoF/PGtF
Tenser's Transformation (you can't cast anymore)
Waves of Cold FB
7th lvl
Animate Breath DRAC
Arcane Sight, Greater
Bite of the Wereboar SA
Cacophonic Shield CA
Eladrin Form BoED (you can't cast anymore)
Elemental Body MoP
Ethereal Jaunt
Eye of the Beholder BoVD
Fiendish Clarity BoED
Simbul's Spell Sequencer MoF/PGtF
Spell Turning
Spirit Walk DCS
Vipergout SS
8th lvl
Bite of the Weretiger SA
Evil Weather BoVD
Flame Whips SS
Iron body
Lightning Ring PGtF
Moment of Prescience
Necrotic Empowerment LM
Veil of Undeath LM
Ghostform LM
9th lvl
Absorption T&B
Bite of the Werebear SA
Elminster's Effulgent Epuration MoF (close range in PGtF)
Prismatic Sphere
Shapechange
Simbul's Spell Trigger MoF/PGtF
Srinshee's Spell Shift LEoF
Teleportation Circle
Undermaster UN
Anyway, before I let the thread die, I remember someone asking for a list of spell that this would be useful for. Here is a list I helped work I long ago. I don't know who all contributed, so I can't give proper credit, but suffice to say it wasn't me who came up with the list initially. Also I'm not sure how dated it is. Anywho, here you go.
0th lvl
Detect Magic
Prestidigation
Read Magic
1st lvl
Accelerated Movement CA
Arrow Mind CA
Cheat DRAC/BoVD
Comprehend Languages
Critical Strike CA
Detect Secret Doors
Detect Undead
Disguise Self
Ectoplasmic Armor LM
Expeditious Retreat
Expeditious Retreat, Swift CA
Friendly Face RoD
Golem Strike CA
Guided Shot CA
Insightful Feint CA
Instant Locksmith CA
Instant Search CA
Laeral's Cutting hand MoF
Master's Touch SA/CA
Obscuring Mist
Sacrificial Skill BoVD
Scolar's Touch RoD
Shield
Snilloc's Snowball UE
Sniper's Shot CA
Tongue Tendrils BoVD
2nd lvl
Alter Self
Avoid Planar Effects PH/MoP(lvl 3)
Balancing Lorecall CA
Blade of Pain and Fear LM
Bladeweave CA
Body of the Sun MotW/CD
Claws of Darkness FRCS
Daggerspell Stance CA
Death Armor MoF
Decastave UE
Detect Thoughts
Devil's Tongue BoVD
Fangs of the Vampire King BoVD
Fearsome Grapple SA
Flame Dagger MoF
Fly, Swift CA
Graz'zt's Long Grasp BoVD
Gust of Wind
Inky Cloud SS
Invisibility
Leomund's Tiny Igloo FB
Levitate
Listening Lorecall CA
Lively Step PGtF
Masochism BoVD
Mirror Image
Mirror Move SA
Obscuring Snow FB
Razorfang DRAC
Razorscales SK
Reflective Disguise UN
Sadism BoVD
Scintillating Scales DRAC
See Invisibility
Shadow mask FRCS
Shroud of Undeat MoF
Surefooted Stride FC_3
Toothed Tentacle (concentration) LEoF
Veil of Shadow MHB
Wraithstrike CA
3rd lvl
Absorb Mind BoVD
Analyze Portal MoP/PH
Analyze Touchstone PH
Arcane Sight
Backblast LEoF
Blink
Burrow RoF (the new version in Underdark is touch)
Detect Metals and Minerals RoF
Devil's Eye BoVD
Dragon Breath DRAC
Dragon Skin DRAC
Ectoplasmic Feedback LM
Elation BoED
Eye of the Zombie BoVD
Glacial Globe of Invulnerability FB
Handfang SK
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Phantom Steed
Phieran's Resolve BoED
Planar Tolerance PH
Reverse Arrows MoF
Serpents of Theggeron BoVD
Sonorous Hum SS
Spectral Weapon CA
Telepathic Bond, Lesser CD
Telepathy Tap BoED
Tongue Serpents BoVD
Tremorsense UN
Giant's Wraith FC_3
4th lvl
Absorb Strength BoVD
Abyssal Might BoVD
Balor Nimbus PH
Bite of the Wererat SA
Crushing Despair
Detect Scrying
Ethereal Mount MoP
Evil Glare PH
Extend Tentacles SS
Fear
Fire Shield
Fire Stride FRCS
Gutsnake MoF
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
Hell's Power BoVD
Ilyykur's Mantle UE
Mass Darkvision T&B
Minor Creation
Radient Shield BoED
Sandform FC_1
Sharptooth DRAC
Spark Shield DCS
Thunderlance FRCS (2d6 STR 12+casterlevel)
Voice of the Dragon DRAC
5th lvl
Anticold Sphere FC_2/FB
Bite of the Werewolf SA
Blink, Improved CD/UE
Burning Blood DRAC
Claws of the Bebilith BoVD
Contingent Energy Resistance DRAC
Death Throes PH
Draconic Polymorph DRAC
Dragon Breath CD
Dragonsight DRAC
Flight of the Dragon DRAC
Ghostform T&B (lvl 8 since LM)
Kiss of the Vampire MoF
Mestil's Acid Sheath MoF
Nezram's Sapphire Screen of Shielding LEoF
Nightstalkers Transformation CA
Overland Flight
Prying Eyes
Resonating Resistance BoVD
Shadow Form CA
Sicken Evil BoED
Simbul's Spell Matrix MoF/PGtF
Superior Magic Fang DRAC
6th lvl
Aura of Evasion DRAC
Aura of Terror DRAC
Antimagic Field
Cacophonic Shield MoF
Eye of Stone RoS
Fiendform MoF
Fiendish Quickening BoVD
Globe of Invulnerability
Quickshift BoED
Spore Cloak RoF
Stone Body RoF/PGtF
Tenser's Transformation (you can't cast anymore)
Waves of Cold FB
7th lvl
Animate Breath DRAC
Arcane Sight, Greater
Bite of the Wereboar SA
Cacophonic Shield CA
Eladrin Form BoED (you can't cast anymore)
Elemental Body MoP
Ethereal Jaunt
Eye of the Beholder BoVD
Fiendish Clarity BoED
Simbul's Spell Sequencer MoF/PGtF
Spell Turning
Spirit Walk DCS
Vipergout SS
8th lvl
Bite of the Weretiger SA
Evil Weather BoVD
Flame Whips SS
Iron body
Lightning Ring PGtF
Moment of Prescience
Necrotic Empowerment LM
Veil of Undeath LM
Ghostform LM
9th lvl
Absorption T&B
Bite of the Werebear SA
Elminster's Effulgent Epuration MoF (close range in PGtF)
Prismatic Sphere
Shapechange
Simbul's Spell Trigger MoF/PGtF
Srinshee's Spell Shift LEoF
Teleportation Circle
Undermaster UN
