Rules Clarification: Ray Deflection

[Brace Cormaeril]

If one were warded with "Ray Deflection", from Spell Compendium, page 161, is one granted protection from a touch attack dealt by an archer who benefits from "Find the Gap" page 91? I find the wording of "Ray Deflection" troublesome: "For the duration of the spell, you are protected against ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and ray attacks. Any ray attack directed against you is automatically reflected away."

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[xigbar]

"You gain the ability to perceive weak
points in your opponent’s armor.
Your first melee or ranged attack each
round is resolved as a touch attack."

So says the spell. It's a touch attack, so the wording of the two spells is fairly clear that any touch attack (such as above) is rendered null.

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

Ok, so the first sentence of "Ray Deflection" states one is granted protection, while the second defines that protection, and from what one is protected from. Seems to me that these are different.

 

[Visigani]

Read the text carefully. "Any ray attack..". Is the archer's arrow a ray attack? No. How do we know it's not a ray attack?

Rays
....A ray’s attack roll never takes a range penalty...

The spell "find the gap" does not deprive the archer of the penalty from range, consequently the arrow fired is not a ray.

The spell "Ray Deflection" rules as intended it's pretty clear it's not meant to protect against arrows, but instead magic rays and this is doubly so when you remember the arrow itself is not enchanted in the slightest, but the caster himself. However, even rules as written it simply states "protection" against ranged touch attacks, but does not state what that protection is. It does clearly state the protection you are afforded from rays, however.

 

[Visigani]

Read the text carefully. "Any ray attack..". Is the archer's arrow a ray attack? No. How do we know it's not a ray attack?

Rays
....A ray’s attack roll never takes a range penalty...

The spell "find the gap" does not deprive the archer of the penalty from range, consequently the arrow fired is not a ray.

The spell "Ray Deflection" rules as intended it's pretty clear it's not meant to protect against arrows, but instead magic rays and this is doubly so when you remember the arrow itself is not enchanted in the slightest, but the caster himself. However, even rules as written it simply states "protection" against ranged touch attacks, but does not state what that protection is. It does clearly state the protection you are afforded from rays, however.

 

[Shin Okada]

Ray Deflection spell says "For the duration of the spell, you are protected against ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and ray attacks." It protects from ranged touch attacks. That is the rule text. Ranged touch attacks includes ray spells and ray attacks. But not all the ranged touch attacks are ray spells or ray attacks.

So, yes. Ray deflection spell protects from any touch attacks by RAW.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Agree with Shin.

That said, I hate and despise this spell (and the even more disgustingly good spell in Exemplars of Evil that works in a similar fashion) with the burning fury of a thousand suns and would recommend any DM to ban Ray Deflection.

 

[Visigani]

Ray Deflection spell says "For the duration of the spell, you are protected against ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and ray attacks." It protects from ranged touch attacks. That is the rule text. Ranged touch attacks includes ray spells and ray attacks. But not all the ranged touch attacks are ray spells or ray attacks.

So, yes. Ray deflection spell protects from any touch attacks by RAW.

If you'd be so kind... sure, it "protects" ranged touch attacks...but precisely what is that protection?

 

[Brace Cormaeril]

I understand the perspectives here; however, I am likely to rule, by RAW that "Ray Deflection" does NOT protect against an arrow fired by an archer under the effect of "Find the Gap".

'Including', used in the spell description as a transitive verb, takes the meaning, "constituent, component, or subordinate part of a larger whole,".

So, by RAW, in my view, we have, "For the duration of the spell, you are protected against ranged touch attacks, including ray spells and ray attacks."

Protection? What is protection in this case?

"Any ray attack directed against you is automatically reflected away."

The part of the spell description which actually indicates what protection is granted.

'Including' here then is the subset, or subordinate part of the whole "ranged touch attacks" described as "ray spells and ray attacks".

 

[Dandu]

I would rule that, by RAW, all means all, but I would not run it that way in any game I DM and opt to have the spell simply deflect rays.