Can you disintegrate an opponent's item?

[Cheiromancer]

I don't know that there is an official stance on this or not... It may be something to refer to the guys in the Rules forum... In general, though, I rule that, since a touch attack spell has only to touch any part of a creature or anything that a creature is holding or wearing... spells that require touch attacks cannot be used to affect an object that is held or worn by any creature... A successful touch attack against the object is also a successful touch attack against the creature, which means that a spell that can affect any creature or object (such as disintegrate) will automatically default to the creature...

Can you use a disintegrate against an item that an opponent is holding or wearing, or does it default to the opponent, as Michael Silverbane says?

 

[Sejs]

The spell doesn't specify unattended objects.

Don't see why you couldn't disintegrate the fighter's sword, or that priestess's robes.

 

[MarkB]

As a Ray effect, you can use the spell to attack a held object just as easily as the person holding it (barring differences in AC). Since the object is attended, it gets a Fortitude save even if it's non-magical, but otherwise the spell works exactly as the spell description states - it'll destroy the object without harming its wielder.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Can you use a disintegrate against an item that an opponent is holding or wearing, or does it default to the opponent, as Michael Silverbane says?

I take issue with the position that "a touch attack spell has only to touch any part of a creature or anything that a creature is holding or wearing".

Touch Attacks: Some attacks disregard armor, including shields and natural armor.

Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it.

The tower shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding.

So we know that:
a/ To affect a creature, you must touch it;
but b/ Touch attacks disregard shields, armor, and natural armor;
and c/ You can cast a targeted spell on a creature by targeting the shield it's holding.

So disintegrating any object that is not a shield or armor should be fine; touch attacks do not disregard those. Sword? Holy Symbol? Wand? No problem.

Disintegrating a character who has total cover from a tower shield? Not possible. Disintegrate is not a targeted spell, and while the ray 'disregards shields', it's clarified that this means the bonus to AC of the shield does not apply against the attack; it makes no difference to the cover someone has. (From the description of Rays: Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature you’re aiming at.)

By the same logic, this means that while the ray 'disregards shields', it doesn't mean that shields do not exist for the ray, merely that their bonus to AC does not apply... so you can strike the shield with a ray if you so choose (and beat the shield's own touch AC).

Note that armor does not provide cover, only an armor bonus which touch attacks ignore. So you can strike a creature entirely encased in mountain plate with the ray... but I don't see any reason you couldn't strike that mountain plate instead, if you beat the touch AC of the armor.

For spells that are actually targeted (as opposed to Rays):

If someone sticks his sword around the corner, can I cast Inflict Light Wounds on him by touching the sword? No; it's not the object or creature I'm trying to cast the spell on.

If he sticks his shield around the corner, can I cast Inflict Light Wounds on him by touching the sword? Yes - you can cast a targeted spell on a creature by targeting the shield it's holding.

-Hyp.