Acid arrow question.

[dragonis111]

So if a 3rd level sorcerer casts acid arrow it does 2d4 the first round and another 2d4 the next round, but do the additional rounds of acid damage apply to the target, or does the acid remain and do damage in the square in which the target was standing.

 

[Tovec]

School conjuration (creation) [acid]; Level sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (rhubarb leaf and an adder’s stomach),
F (a dart)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect one arrow of acid
Duration 1 round + 1 round per three levels
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
An arrow of acid springs from your hand and speeds to its target.
You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The
arrow deals 2d4 points of acid damage with no splash damage. For
every three caster levels you possess, the acid, unless neutralized,
lasts for another round (to a maximum of 6 additional rounds at
18th level), dealing another 2d4 points of damage in each round.

It basically sticks in the person you hit, dealing more damage each round until it dissipates/dispels and goes away. It hurts the person it hits, not their square. It doesn't have splash damage so the fact it is acid is partially irrelevant.

 

[dragonis111]

Thanks so much for clarifying that, I was about to leave the ruling to a coin flip.

 

[Angrydad]

My general rule would be that if the spell/attack required you to roll against a living target's AC to hit then any after-effects are probably stuck to said target. If you just target an area and the victim leaves, and the spell or attack's description doesn't specifically say the effect is sticky, they would stop taking damage outside the targeted area.

 

[Tovec]

That is pretty much how the rules work exactly. Because you have to roll against Touch AC it means it is targetting a person. It doesn't have an area effect, if it did that would select area in feet or squares which are affected and can possibly move as well - see flaming sphere.