Ranged touch attack question...

[BelgarathTAO]

OK, at my last game session, my DM tried to tell me that when using a ranged touch attack spell on an enemy in melee combat, that there was a -4 penalty, similar to firing a bow at a target in melee combat. Well, it turned out that it didn't matter, since I hit either way. But later on I could not find anything that supported this.

Any thoughts?

Belgarath the Ancient One

 

[Crothian]

A ranged touch attack obeys all the rules for a normal ranged attack. The only difference is the AC of the opponet to the attack (touch verse normal). So, the DM was correct.

 

[mikebr99]

A ranged touch attack obeys all the rules for a normal ranged attack. The only difference is the AC of the opponet to the attack (touch verse normal). So, the DM was correct.

He doesn't need it... but I'll second this.

Mike

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Check out page 149 of the PH under "Ray" effects. They work just like ranged weapon attacks, so you get the -4 unless you have Precise Shot.

 

[Dingleberry]

This may be straying into house rules, but I don't apply the -4 penalty if the attack is one which wouldn't harm the ally, e.g., disrupt undead. How do other people handle this?

 

[Hypersmurf]

This may be straying into house rules, but I don't apply the -4 penalty if the attack is one which wouldn't harm the ally, e.g., disrupt undead. How do other people handle this?

I'm sure I came across something along those lines in one of the splatbooks - T&B or DotF - under one of the spell descriptions. There's a spell that renders an ally immune to your spells, or soemthing like that - so you can cast it on the fighter and then drop a fireball on him while he's surrounded by goblins without hurting him, or whatever. And it says that you don't suffer the -4 for using ranged attack spells if one of your immune friends is in melee.

Personally? I would still apply the penalty, but that's just me Otherwise you get the "But I don't care if I accidentally shoot Bob, he's got Protection from Arrows (or "I don't like him anyway") - why do I have to take the -4?" situation, and it gets messy.

I would prefer the text to be changed from "engaged in melee with an ally" to "engaged in melee", too, because it makes it easier to adjudicate.

-Hyp.

 

[hammymchamham]

This may be straying into house rules, but I don't apply the -4 penalty if the attack is one which wouldn't harm the ally, e.g., disrupt undead. How do other people handle this?

I would, because the -4 is to represent you're trying to hit the enemy and not your ally. Disrupt undead vs a living creature is useless, but the -4 is their because the chance of hitting the ally is there.