Holding the charge on a ranged touch

[hong]

The PHB says you can hold the charge for a touch spell. Does this also extend to spells that require a ranged touch attack? Eg can I cast Melf's acid arrow, or disintegrate, and then hold the charge?

 

[Schmoe]

The PHB says you can hold the charge for a touch spell. Does this also extend to spells that require a ranged touch attack? Eg can I cast Melf's acid arrow, or disintegrate, and then hold the charge?

No. The ranged touch spells are all rays or aimed missiles. They don't create energy which you "hold" until discharging it, like a spell that has a range of "Touch".

Think of it this way. A spell with a range of "Touch" requires an additional action to discharge it. A spell that uses a ranged touch attack to hit is simply using a mechanic to introduce the vagaries of aiming the attack. They all have a range greater than "Touch," and are therefore not Touch spells.

Hope that was clearer than mud.

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Holding the charge on a ranged touch

No. The ranged touch spells are all rays or aimed missiles. They don't create energy which you "hold" until discharging it, like a spell that has a range of "Touch".

I dunno. The glossary in the PHB defines the relevant terms thus:

Touch spell: A spell that delivers its effect when the caster touches a target creature or object. Touch spells are delivered to unwilling targets by touch attacks.

Touch attack: An attack in which the attacker must connect with an opponent but does not need to penetrate armour. Touch attacks may be either melee or ranged. [...]

Thus a spell that requires a ranged touch attack could still count as a "touch spell", since touch attacks can be melee or ranged. If it counts as a touch spell, then it could be held just like any other.

The reason I ask is because I'm redoing the Called Shot feat on my web page to require a full-round action. If a ray spell (requires a touch attack to hit) can be held in hand, this would allow Called Shot to be used with rays (cast the spell, then spend the FRA to make the attack). Conversely, if the spell can't be held, then Called Shot wouldn't work.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Someone asked the sage this question and it made it into the FAQ. Here it is.

As a DM, I have ruled that spells with the range of
Touch are the only spells that allow you to use the holding
the charge rule from Chapter 10 of the Players Handbook.
My players argued that any spell that uses a ranged touch
attack, such as disintegrate, also qualified. Which is correct?

Look at the spell's range entry. If it doesn't say touch you
can't hold the charge. Disintegrate is a medium range spell
(100 ft + 10 ft. per caster level), not a touch range spell. Because disintegrate is a ray, you do indeed make a ranged
touch attack when using the spell, but that's not the same as a
range of touch.

 

[hong]

Ta.