Melf's Acid Arrow and Point Blank Shot

[Thanee]

You do get +1 to the damage roll, as Complete Arcane explains, but do you also get +1 to all the additional damage rolls during subsequent rounds?

Bye
Thanee

 

[TheEvil]

Well, it is percision based damage, so I would say extra damage on the initial hit, nothing thereafter, like sneak attack damage.

 

[Orm]

OTOH, the arrow sticks precisely at a place where it can cause more damage, even in subsequent rounds. It´s not that unbalancing to add +1 to damage each round.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

I agree with TheEvil.

The +1 applies to the initial touch attack's damage. It does not apply to the lingering damage.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Re Orm,

So when an Arcane Trickster hits with a crit, PBS, and Spell Spec it does 4d4+6+5d6 (32.5) the first and each following round.

 

[moritheil]

Re Orm,

So when an Arcane Trickster hits with a crit, PBS, and Spell Spec it does 4d4+6+5d6 (32.5) the first and each following round.

He said he would allow a +1 damage every round, not the monstrosity of a bonus you describe.

 

[Pielorinho]

True, but the reasoning (it hits a precise spot and continues burning there) would seem to apply to sneak-attack damage as well.

Daniel

 

[Orm]

Re Orm,

So when an Arcane Trickster hits with a crit, PBS, and Spell Spec it does 4d4+6+5d6 (32.5) the first and each following round.

First, what´s Spell Spec? Don´t have my books here. Is it something like Weapon Spec, only for spellcasters? So is Weapon Focus Ranged Touch a prerequisite? Do you need 4 level of class X to take it, like 4 levels of Ftr for Weapon Spec?
Second, how do you get these numbers? 4d4 is 2d4 x2 for the crit, ok.
Is +6=(1 from PBS + 2 from Spell Spec -see above-) x2?
To get 5d6 for SA you need to be e.g. Rog3(2d6 SA)Wiz5(3rd level spells)AT6(3d6SA) =character level 14, caster level 11. CL 11 gives you 4 rounds. Or Rog9Wiz5AT1 for ChL 15, CL 6. That will give you 3 rounds.

Anyways, any character of that level should be able to deal that amount of damage per round (if not per hit for fighters) even without a crit. And remember, lots of monsters are immune to crits. It´s some nice bonus damage at the cost of two (three?) feats and you have to score a critical hit.

I still don´t think it´s too overpowered to add PBS on each round.

I don´t even think it´s too overpowered to add SA damage on each round in some rare occasions. And the victim can try to neutralize the acid to avoid further damage. But that wasn´t the original question.

Just my two cents
Orm

 

[Pielorinho]

Anyways, any character of that level should be able to deal that amount of damage per round (if not per hit for fighters) even without a crit. And remember, lots of monsters are immune to crits. It´s some nice bonus damage at the cost of two (three?) feats and you have to score a critical hit.

The problem is that once this fourteenth-level character has been casting Acid Arrows for four rounds, she's doing (4d4+6+5d6)x4 damage, or 16d4+20d6+24 points of damage, for an average of 114 points of unsaveable, unspellresistable damage. Next round she'll do that damage again as a free action (not really a free action--the damage from the acid arrows will continue without her input). So she can cast another spell next round and STILL do 114 points of damage.

And that gets pretty gah-worthy.
Daniel

 

[Orm]

The problem is that once this fourteenth-level character has been casting Acid Arrows for four rounds, she's doing (4d4+6+5d6)x4 damage, or 16d4+20d6+24 points of damage, for an average of 114 points of unsaveable, unspellresistable damage. Next round she'll do that damage again as a free action (not really a free action--the damage from the acid arrows will continue without her input). So she can cast another spell next round and STILL do 114 points of damage.

And that gets pretty gah-worthy.
Daniel

You´re right, that´s a hell lot of damage. But as mentioned above, the victim or any other character can try to wash off the acid on his turn. Dispel Magic anyone? Resist Energy, Protection from Energy? Should help to reduce the effect.
And you have to invest some feats. (Again, could someone please explain what Spell Spec is? Requirements?) You don´t get too many feats as a rogue/spellcaster.
There are lots of more reliable combos to deal that large amounts of damage than hoping for a crit.

With some luck it´s a good way to disrupt the flow of a battle, keeping one or more characters from fighting while they try to get rid of that arrow. But remember, when the PCs come up with this, the NPCs can do as well, vice versa.

Orm