Questions on touch attacks with a Rod of Withering...

[Drasmir]

From 3.5 SRD
Withering: A rod of withering acts as a +1 light mace that deals no hit point damage. Instead, the wielder deals 1d4 points of Strength damage and 1d4 points of Constitution damage to any creature she touches with the rod (by making a melee touch attack). If she scores a critical hit, the damage from that hit is permanent ability drain. In either case, the defender negates the effect with a DC 17 Fortitude save.

So here are my questions.
1. How many touch attacks can you make in a full attack action? I have heard that you only get one, but others say that you get all of your iterative attacks.
2. If you only get one touch attack on a full attack action how would you apply that to this rod considering it acts like a +1 light mace (which ordinarily would get iterative attacks).

 

[The Souljourner]

You may substitute a touch attack for any normal attack. Generally this has no effect (except maybe pissing off your opponents) but for this, it does.

So yes, you get iterative attacks when you're using this weapon.

-The Souljourner

 

[Drasmir]

You may substitute a touch attack for any normal attack. Generally this has no effect (except maybe pissing off your opponents) but for this, it does.

So yes, you get iterative attacks when you're using this weapon.

-The Souljourner

Sweet!!!

This makes an AWESOME weapon and all for 25k!

 

[AGGEMAM]

This makes an AWESOME weapon and all for 25k!

They up the price in 3.5? I wonder why! The weapon is basically useless.

At any level where you could possibly afford this rod, the average enemies you meet would have be hit successfully 6 times to make an enemy non-combative and don't forget that Restoration spells are most probably readily available, making all you efforts in vain.

Of course, these are very rough estimates.

 

[Drasmir]

They up the price in 3.5? I wonder why! The weapon is basically useless.

At any level where you could possibly afford this rod, the average enemies you meet would have be hit successfully 6 times to make an enemy non-combative and don't forget that Restoration spells are most probably readily available, making all you efforts in vain.

Of course, these are very rough estimates.

I agree that this can be beaten, but I like the fact that it requires a fort save to beat. Basically if I hit once with the rod (with average of 2.5 points of ability damage per shot) I have effectively lowered his next chance of making the save (granted, only by one if I take off two points). Since I get iterative attacks + two weapon fighting (and will soon be a multi-weapon fighter), I figure that a few of these could go a long way towards taking out your average badies very easily (at least ones that don't have EXTREEMLY high fort saves).

Also, compared to the wounding ability for a weapon that only takes away one con. point per hit for a +2 ability, I think this is an improvement. Granted, I do no true damage with the weapon, but they will begin to loose 1 hit point per level for every 2 points of con damage I do. That of itself makes this great for BBEGs (if they lose fort save). Consider that the wounding weapon will cost a minimum of 18k (+1 enhancement plus +2 wounding ability). That ability allows no save, but only takes one from con. I think the best combination would be having a wounding weapon in one hand and the rod in the other.