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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kalendraf" data-source="post: 1008702" data-attributes="member: 3433">I just got my 3.5 books last night.  After flipping thru the pages, one thing that caught my eye were the changes to and addition of touch attack spells.  There's a serious update to Shocking Grasp.  Ever since 1st edition, Shocking Grasp has seemed like the ugly stepchild of 1st level attack spells falling behind many other favorites like color spray, sleep or burning hands at the low levels, and then being badly eclipsed by magic missile at higher caster levels.  Risking a melee attack to dishout a mere d8 + 1 per level did not seem to be worth it.  It appears that the designers agreed.The new Shocking Grasp deals a d6 electrical per caster level (max 5d6), still has the benefits of +3 to attack an opponent in metal armor, and it allows no saving throw.  Factor in the rule that you can score a critical hit on a 20 with touch attack spells (I verified that rule is still there just to be sure), and Shocking Grasp is suddenly a much deadlier spell.  How many other 1st level spells have the potential of dealing 10d6 damage w/o a save?Shocking Grasp won't eclipse magic missile for utility.  But it now seems to at least present a viable option to try.Spectral Hand still exists largely unmodified in 3.5.  It no longer can flank attack, but still adds +2 on attack rolls to deliver touch spells and has the same medium distance.  Using Spectral Hand to deliver multiple Shocking Grasps is likely to be tried much more often with a lot more punch, like a 5d6 jolt in your back, or worse, a 10d6 jolt on your codpiece!  Beware the Hand!There are a few other touch spells that were added as well which make me wonder if a touch-specialist could now be a viable caster type now.  There's the new 2nd level Touch of Idiocy which is the bane of casters of all types or it can easily reduce less intelligent creatures to a comatose state.  Even the new 0-level Touch of Fatigue may be useful.Could the release of 3.5 signal the dawn of the touch specialist? It's probably too early to tell, but until then, I suggest heeding my earlier message.Beware the Hand!</blockquote>

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