Do ranged touch attacks (rays, etc.) provoke AoO's?

[jontherev]

Ok, so I'm in the middle of a nice debate over on the WotC board.

We're arguing, excuse me, discussing, whether casting a ranged touch attack spell in melee provokes 2 AoO's. Their argument stems from rays being treated as ranged weapons and full attack actions not provoking AoO's! Is that true? Can archers bypass the AoO rule by making a simple full attack? Surely this has been errataed. Also, someone mentioned in T&B, they essentially equated RTA to a ranged attack. Can someone explain this, as I don't have T&B.

Anyway, the answer seems clear to me. The firing of a ranged touch attack is part of the spell, hence only one AoO for the actual casting. You are not taking the attack (ranged) action, therefore, you don't provoke an AoO by firing the ray. The Cast a Spell action provokes its own AoO. I'm asking on this board because the folks here are generally more "with it". Any Sage rulings or rules I have missed? Thank you oh great message board dudes/dudettes.

 

[IceBear]

Sounds like someone is smoking crack to me

I agree with your take on it, and I've never heard that Full Attack doesn't cause an AoO. I think that person has made the leap that since you can only take a 5ft adjustment with a Full Attack then you wouldn't suffer an AoO for movement in the same round as a Full Attack

IceBear

 

[Henry]

OK, to simplify:

Full Attack actions do not, by themselves, cause AoO's.

Ranged attacks, however, do (with the exception of the Whip, but I am not 100% sure of that part).

Therefore, a full attack with a bow WOULD generate an AoO. No way around that.

SOURCE: Chapter 8, attack actions, and SRD section, combat actions.

By extension, a ranged touch attack spell, then, being a ranged attack, would provoke an AoO, unless someone has a quote that contradicts this.

 

[Snowman]

I agree with your take on it as well - the casting of the spell and the RTA are part of the same action so only one AoO allowed!

 

[IceBear]

But I thought the ranged touch attack occurred as part of casting the spell, so I wrapped the AoO up with the spell one. By the rules, you can only get one AoO per character per round anyway, so even if there are two AoO situations the attacker can only capitalize on one.

IceBear

 

[Caliban]

But I thought the ranged touch attack occurred as part of casting the spell, so I wrapped the AoO up with the spell one. By the rules, you can only get one AoO per character per round anyway, so even if there are two AoO situations the attacker can only capitalize on one.

IceBear

What if they cast successfully cast the spell defensively?

 

[Iku Rex]

1. Full attack actions provoke AoOs as normal.

2. IMO a ray spell/attack would trigger an AoO both for casting and for making a ranged attack. (I'm not completely sure though.)

 

[IceBear]

Oh....good point. It would seem that there should be an AoO for the ranged attack, but since the touch attack is part of the spell casting I would think a ranged touch attack is the same. I'm undecided what it should be.

What's your take Mr Caliban?

IceBear

 

[jontherev]

But I thought the ranged touch attack occurred as part of casting the spell, so I wrapped the AoO up with the spell one. By the rules, you can only get one AoO per character per round anyway, so even if there are two AoO situations the attacker can only capitalize on one.

IceBear

Here's the problem...it makes Concentration useless for those spells. I see this as unbalancing. But maybe not.<shrug> Is this how you've been playing it Caliban (just noticed your post)?

 

[IceBear]

Yeah, since touch attacks are considered as part of casting the spell (and you're considered armed even if you don't have a weapon), I would extend that to ranged touch attacks just to avoid that problem.

IceBear