Quick Question

[KarinsDad]

I can never remember the rule on this, but one of my PCs wants to try it soon.

If a PC has a natural attack and casts a touch spell, if he attacks and hits with his natural attack, will the touch spell go off? I think the answer is yes (but not just on a touch roll, an actual attack roll).

I'd like the actual rule on this, not what people would do in their game. Hyp?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Totally allowed:

Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren’t considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. (If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack.) If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge.

EDIT:

Note that, in order to pull this off, you do need to hold the charge. So, the PC in question must cast the spell on round 1, elect to hold the charge, and then attack with his natural weapon in round 2.

If the attack hits, he gets natural weapon damage as normal + the spell's effect. If the attack is a critical, then it's generally accepted that only the natural weapon does critical damage, and the spell does not.

 

[KarinsDad]

Thanks Patryn. That's what I thought it was.

 

[Dross]

Although probably already thought of, but worth mentioning.

If you go with a natural attack and hit only the touch AC, you do not deliver the spell (at least by my reading of things).

 

[sukael]

I think duskblades can channel spells up to a certain level (once they get the ability) through any melee weapon (or is it just particular ones?), which means you could possibly use duskblade levels to acheive the same effect without having to hold the charge first.