Can I use a ray to make a called shot?

[Aaron]

The title says it all.
Can I use, for example, scorching ray pointing my opponent boots, helm and armor? Or a disintegrate to erase his sword?

 

[Krensus]

To be honest, I don't believe called shots exist anymore in D&D. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure they took them out in the 3rd ed. conversion.

 

[irdeggman]

No called shots but it is possible to target a held object with (at least) some spells and spell-like abilities. So check the spell description to see if it might apply.

The Shatter spell specifically can target an object (not a ray though either an area effect or target - 1 solid object or 1 crystallne creature)

A warlock's Eldritch Blast does 1/2 damage to objects and per the FAQ can target a held object.

The warlock’s eldritch blast description states that it causes half damage to objects. Can a wielded weapon or worn armor be the target of an eldritch blast? Does an eldritch blast cause half damage to constructs?


The eldritch blast can target an object, including a wielded weapon or suit of armor. A construct is a creature, not an object, and thus suffers normal damage from the eldritch blast.

 

[Jack Simth]

Sundering requires a melee slashing or bludgeoning weapon - so while normally a weapon-like spell like Disintegrate would qualify for anything you'd normally use a weapon for, in this case it doesn't (it s not melee, and it's not slashing or bludgeoning). If you were to find a melee slashing or bludgeoning spell, that'd work for it.

 

[Infiniti2000]

To be honest, I don't believe called shots exist anymore in D&D. I could be wrong, but I'm fairly sure they took them out in the 3rd ed. conversion.

I think the DMG has it listed as a variant and the fact that I think called shots are an extremely bad idea is quite beside the point and I won't bother mentioning that here.

That said, to target an opponent's items with spells first requires that you have a called shot variant/house rule in your game and then look in said rules for your answer.

 

[Folly]

Sundering requires a melee slashing or bludgeoning weapon - so while normally a weapon-like spell like Disintegrate would qualify for anything you'd normally use a weapon for, in this case it doesn't (it s not melee, and it's not slashing or bludgeoning). If you were to find a melee slashing or bludgeoning spell, that'd work for it.

Disintegrate gives specific rule for what happens when the spell is used by the against items. So disintegrate can be used against items on a person and would follow the rules for targeting held items, and the save the item gets.

 

[mvincent]

Sundering requires a melee slashing or bludgeoning weapon - so while normally a weapon-like spell like Disintegrate would qualify for anything you'd normally use a weapon for, in this case it doesn't (it s not melee, and it's not slashing or bludgeoning). If you were to find a melee slashing or bludgeoning spell, that'd work for it.

The rules do seem to say this, but then they say:
"Sundering a Carried or Worn Object
You don’t use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object’s AC. A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does. To attempt to snatch away an item worn by a defender rather than damage it, see Disarm. You can’t sunder armor worn by another character. "

... and seem to follow the "Smashing an Object" rules, which do make allowances for energy attacks and such. Weird. Not sure what the writers were truly intending.

 

[Aaron]

Disintegrate gives specific rule for what happens when the spell is used by the against items. So disintegrate can be used against items on a person and would follow the rules for targeting held items, and the save the item gets.

Even a door is an item.

But that doesn't mean I can target my opponent's equipment, does it?

 

[Folly]

Even a door is an item.

But that doesn't mean I can target my opponent's equipment, does it?

"When used against an object, the ray simply disintegrates as much as one 10- foot cube of nonliving matter. " is the wording used by disintegrate. Is a sword an object made of non-living material? Now if it is a magic sword then the sword would get a save and the damage would have to reduce the swords hit points to zero in order to destroy it, but there is no reason a sword would not be affected by this spell.

 

[mvincent]

if it is a magic sword then the sword would get a save

Attended items get saves even if they are non magical:
"(object)
The spell can be cast on objects, which receive saving throws only if they are magical or if they are attended (held, worn, grasped, or the like) by a creature resisting the spell, in which case the object uses the creature’s saving throw bonus unless its own bonus is greater. (This notation does not mean that a spell can be cast only on objects. Some spells of this sort can be cast on creatures or objects.) A magic item’s saving throw bonuses are each equal to 2 + one-half the item’s caster level. "