Rays, Cover, Firing into Melee

[Gizzard]

Do Rays take the same penalties for Firing Into Melee that a mundane ranged weapon does? For instance, can I accidentally Disintegrate my friends with careless ray'ing?

If not, do Rays take other mundane penalties, such as versus prone or covered opponents?

If so, is there an equivalent of Precise Shot for Rays?

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Well, since it is a ranged attack, you ARE "firing into melee" and Precise Shot works however for only fired or thrown ranged weapons. However, you could just make either a new feat (Precise Spell Aim) or something, I know, crappy name. But same thing as precise shot, but for all ranged touch attack spells.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[rhammer2]

Rays are ranged attacks and do take the -4 penalty for firing into melee if you do not have precise shot.

You do have to apply the penalties for shooting at a prone opponent and the bonuses to AC for cover do apply. As to the miss chances for concealment, they also apply.

Do Rays take the same penalties for Firing Into Melee that a mundane ranged weapon does? For instance, can I accidentally Disintegrate my friends with careless ray'ing?

If not, do Rays take other mundane penalties, such as versus prone or covered opponents?

If so, is there an equivalent of Precise Shot for Rays?

 

[rhammer2]

If you use the optional rules in Tome and Blood, precise shot works for rays as well.

Well, since it is a ranged attack, you ARE "firing into melee" and Precise Shot works however for only fired or thrown ranged weapons. However, you could just make either a new feat (Precise Spell Aim) or something, I know, crappy name. But same thing as precise shot, but for all ranged touch attack spells.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Tatsukun]

Well, a ray is a ranged attack, so you take the normal penalties (which, IIRC don't include a chance of hitting your friends anymore). Also, since it is a ranged attack, precise shot works for it too.

-Tatsu

 

[Li Shenron]

Do Rays take the same penalties for Firing Into Melee that a mundane ranged weapon does?

Yes.

For instance, can I accidentally Disintegrate my friends with careless ray'ing?

I think that "striking cover instead of target" is an optional rule. Anyway, if you use the rule, yes.

If not, do Rays take other mundane penalties, such as versus prone or covered opponents?

Yes, exactly the same possible penalties as other ranged attacks.

If so, is there an equivalent of Precise Shot for Rays?

The core Precise Shot works for every ranged attacks, including rays spells.

In conclusion, you can treat Ray as a type or ranged weapon; every bonus or penalty to ranged attacks applies to ray spells as well, and you can take feats for rays instead of ranged weapons. With this I mean that if the feat (such as Point Blank Shot for example) applies to ALL ranged weapons, then it applies to Ray spells too; if you take a feat for a specific ranged weapon only (such as Weapon Focus or Improved Critical), you can choose "Ray" like it was a specific ranged weapon, and it will work with ALL ray spells.
You can figure out that a few feats ranged combat feats won't work with rays however, such as Far Shot.