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Ranged Touch Spells with Multiple Missiles
- Thread starter KarinsDad
- Start date
Abraxas
Explorer
The DM for the game I play in was having fits with this spell. Initially he had ruled that a separate attack roll and saving throw was made for each missile. In actual play this ruling resulted in the target virtually always being hit and dazed (the mage used fire orb).
He subsequently decided that while multiple attack rolls would still be needed only one saving throw would be needed.
He hashed over how other spells work and how this spell would affect a creature with SR to come up with his final ruling. Some of the things that went in to the ruling change were;
1) The duration of the secondary effect doesn't stack - so if you get hit by two or more missiles the secondary effects still only last for one round.
2) The caster would only get a single roll to overcome a targets creatures SR.
3) Since the spell didn't act like separate individual entities for these things it shouldn't for saving throws either.
He subsequently decided that while multiple attack rolls would still be needed only one saving throw would be needed.
He hashed over how other spells work and how this spell would affect a creature with SR to come up with his final ruling. Some of the things that went in to the ruling change were;
1) The duration of the secondary effect doesn't stack - so if you get hit by two or more missiles the secondary effects still only last for one round.
2) The caster would only get a single roll to overcome a targets creatures SR.
3) Since the spell didn't act like separate individual entities for these things it shouldn't for saving throws either.
Dr. Zoom said:I just prefer to let the spellcaster decide. I don't mind all the dice rolls if he chooses to blast the same target with multiple missiles. But if I played a wizard in your game, I would be just fine with your ruling.
That's cool. However, there is another reason that I do not like the multiple rolls.
In the case of Electric Orb, for example, if you cast it at an opponent in metal armor, he has to make a Fort save to see if he takes half damage and to see if his armor is magnetized.
So, say he has a 50% chance of making that Fort save.
If you give him one save, he has a 50% chance at a save.
If you give him 8 saves, he has a 1 chance in 256 at saving.
With 1 chance in 256, you might as well not have a save at all.
dcollins
Explorer
I would definitely think that multiple attack rolls and multiple saves would be called for (mostly looking at flame arrow here).
In the case of unusual special effects in non-core spells (like from electric orb), I would certainly hope that the designer understood the same thing and otherwise balanced it correctly.
In the case of unusual special effects in non-core spells (like from electric orb), I would certainly hope that the designer understood the same thing and otherwise balanced it correctly.
James McMurray
First Post
8 attacks is nothing as far as dice rolling goes. Try Gating in 36 Lantern Archons, who then get Mass Hasted. Last night's game had me rolling 108 ranged touch attacks at +3 to hit each. I've been looking deeper into it, and if the party coordinates their efforts, it could easily go higher than that with Righteous Wrath of the Faithful, Song of Heroes, Recitation, and Prayer. 
kreynolds said:
Oh my god!You and I actually agree on something!?!
Actually, we don't, but it's close. I ruled one save and one attack roll for each projectile. So, 5 attack rolls for 5 orbs, one save per target.
Actually, I changed my mind on these types of spells.
Since you can roll a critical with a ranged touch attack spell that does damage, I decided it was more fair to have multiple ranged touch rolls, thereby minimizing critical damage chance (for all of the damage).
So, multiple to hit rolls, one save per target.
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