Does Death Touch deal damage?

[TessarrianDM]

The Death domain grants the ability to use the Death Touch ability 1/day. You make a melee touch attack against a living creature, and if successful, the following happens:

"When you touch, roll 1d6 per cleric level you possess. If the total at least equals the creatures current hit points, it dies (no save)."

What happens if the total does not equal or exceed the creature's current hit points? Does it take hit point damage equal to your roll, or nothing? The text in the PHB does not specify.

 

[Pierson_Lowgal]

What happens if the total does not equal or exceed the creature's current hit points?

nothing happens, target takes no damage.

 

[frankthedm]

What happens if the total does not equal or exceed the creature's current hit points? Does it take hit point damage equal to your roll, or nothing? The text in the PHB does not specify.

Nothing happens. Squat. Nada. This is the ability's main balancing factor. No save & the first Death effect somone can get thier wicked hands on, but if your foe is too healthy to be slain by it, it is wasted and has no effect.

 

[Particle_Man]

It is the poor man's Power Word Kill

 

[Wolfwood2]

I've been playing in a game where a PC has Death Touch, and we've found it to be very useful even with having to play a guessing game on when to use it. I can think of at least six or seven occasions when the PC has dropped a monster through timely use of the touch.

Of course d6/level isn't all that powerful; a psion with energy ray can manage it. But it's excellent "damage" for a clerical type (Oriental Adventures Shaman actually), and ending a fight before the monster can take that one last action is always a good thing.

The other respondants are quite correct on the rules question. Nothing happens if you blow th death touch too early.