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<blockquote data-quote="Caliban" data-source="post: 1696216" data-attributes="member: 284">Neither &quot;volley&quot; nor &quot;precision based damage&quot; were ever defined in the core rules, 3.0 or 3.5. The concepts were added later to deal with sneak attack damage and &quot;multiple simultaneous attacks&quot; effects (shuriken, flame arrow, and orb spells). Regardless, the concepts have been consistently used by the designers since then, even if they don't always get the details right. &nbsp;I think the important bit for scorching ray (and similar spells) is that all the attacks happen at exactly the same time. You do not shoot out a series of rays, with a pause between each one. That would be a full attack action.&nbsp;Instead you shoot one or more rays simultaneously. That's where the limitation on &quot;precision based damage&quot; comes in: you can aim them all at the same target, but only one can hit the precise point you are aiming at.&nbsp;If you are making an attack roll, then you are making attack. It doesn't matter if the spell is &quot;effect: ray&quot; or &quot;target: one more more creatures&quot;. If an attack roll is involved, it's an attack. (Note: a spell can be an attack even if it doesn't involve an attack roll, but such spells aren't part of this debate.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Caliban, post: 1696216, member: 284"] Neither "volley" nor "precision based damage" were ever defined in the core rules, 3.0 or 3.5. The concepts were added later to deal with sneak attack damage and "multiple simultaneous attacks" effects (shuriken, flame arrow, and orb spells). Regardless, the concepts have been consistently used by the designers since then, even if they don't always get the details right. I think the important bit for scorching ray (and similar spells) is that all the attacks happen at exactly the same time. You do not shoot out a series of rays, with a pause between each one. That would be a full attack action. Instead you shoot one or more rays simultaneously. That's where the limitation on "precision based damage" comes in: you can aim them all at the same target, but only one can hit the precise point you are aiming at. If you are making an attack roll, then you are making attack. It doesn't matter if the spell is "effect: ray" or "target: one more more creatures". If an attack roll is involved, it's an attack. (Note: a spell can be an attack even if it doesn't involve an attack roll, but such spells aren't part of this debate.) [/QUOTE]

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