[3.5] Dawn of the Touch-Attack specialist?

[Plane Sailing]

Re: Fastest Growing Damage Spell

I like this change. At 1d6 per level (capped at 5th), it's now the fastest growing damage spell in a wiz/sorc's arsenal until they get fireball or lightning bolt, making it a very viable option.

It is also worth empowering too, since at 5th/6th/7th level it can do more damage to a single foe than fireball can (not even including crits).

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Doesn't Spectral Hand only work on Necromantic Spells?

IMO it's only useful with Ghoul Touch and Vampiric Touch, and I'd rather not use the latter. What's the point of paralyzing someone if you have to waste arrows on them?

 

[Li Shenron]

Hmm... I don't know about that. You can "hold the charge" from round to round, but I believe once you commit to an attack, you have to discharge the spell-- and if you miss, it's wasted.

I don't think Harm would have been considered so broken if this is the case...

 

[Plane Sailing]

I don't think Harm would have been considered so broken if this is the case...

Of course it would - it would still wipe out the hp of a colossal creature with no save. Have you looked at the touch AC of a colossal creature recently

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I don't think Harm would have been considered so broken if this is the case...

Considering the way it broke the CR system, I have to disagree.

__________________
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[ForceUser]

The new shocking grasp is cool, but not because it does more damage. It doesn't; it merely scales the damage much more quickly, allowing greater utility as a low-level attack spell. At 20th-level, a 3.0 wizard averages 24.5 damage, while a 3.5 wizard averages 15 damage. But that's fine, because instead of a measly 1d8+3 at 3rd level, you're doing 3d6. Thumbs up on this change.

 

[Kalendraf]

Hmm... I don't know about that. You can "hold the charge" from round to round, but I believe once you commit to an attack, you have to discharge the spell-- and if you miss, it's wasted.



Wulf

PHB[3.5] pg 176 has the entry discussing Touch Attacks 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 makes touch attacks round after round. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates."

My take on the 2nd sentance there is that if you miss, you don't discharge and can keep attacking with the touch spell until you actually score a hit. Can we get an official ruling on this?

 

[Kalendraf]

Found a definite answer to my own question. PHB [3.5] pg 142.

"If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge."

 

[Kalendraf]

Doesn't Spectral Hand only work on Necromantic Spells?

IMO it's only useful with Ghoul Touch and Vampiric Touch, and I'd rather not use the latter. What's the point of paralyzing someone if you have to waste arrows on them?

PHB [3.5] pg 282 has the entry for Spectral Hand.

"For as long as the spell lasts, any touch range spell of 4th level or lower that you can cast can be delivered by the spectral hand."

So it does not need to be a necromantic spell.

 

[sithramir]

Kalendraf, you are correct. Thats the way it has always been and is still the way it is. Many people miss this, assuming if they missed that the spell just wears off. Its not printed in each touch spell so people who aren't rules hounds might not realize this.

Thats why a monk/sorc is awesome. In fact I think i'll convert my monk/sorc who was the head of the moonclaws thieving guild in my campaign. My group couldn't even hit him and he took it easy on them(ie not beating them down with spells just smacking thm around). Might be a good way to show my players some of the cool things 3.5 has to offer (since monk is beafed up a bit IMO).