Throwing grenade-like weapons

[kramis]

What is the "AC" of a particular 5 ft. square when throwing a grenade-like weapon at just the square and not trying to hit specific target? I haven't been able to find anything in the rules to deal with this ... it's all about missing when aiming at a creature, not just aiming at a square.

I would assume that most of these are simple weapons with a 10 ft. increment range. Off hand I would assign AC 10 to just hit a random 5 ft. square, but I was wondering if there was anything in the rules.

 

[Shin Okada]

IMHO you should use "attack an object" rule (PHB P.135). 5 ft. square floor should be a medium-size target (size modifier +0). And it is immobile (-5 for no dexterity). So AC should be 5.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

These rules are included in some other D&D / D20 based Systems, especially to be named are Starwars and DragonStar. (it is AC 5 there)

By the way you could also use another way to get the rule:
A 5 foot square can be "interpreted" as a medium size target.
This would make it a base DC of 10.
Since a 5 foot square can (at least the most ) not move, and has no other stats, it must have an Dexterity of 0. (I believe there is even a statement in the description of Dexterity says that any creature able to move has a dexterity score of at least 1)
A Dexterity of 0 makes it a -5 penalty to AC. Since you only have to make a touch attack, Natural Armor and Armor can be ignored, so you have a total AC of 5.

If the square would wear a Ring of Protection, Bracers of Armor or be protected by Mage Armor this might become more difficult. But that won`t happen to often ...

So, finally throwing grenades is very easy...

 

[hong]

A 5' square is also an inanimate object as well as being immobile, and so you get a +4 bonus on your attack roll. This effectively means you miss only on a natural 1. However, the range increment for grenade-like objects is 10' IIRC, so throwing at targets further away would become significantly harder. Also, any creatures between you and the square give the square cover bonuses to AC.

Given how often people throw grenade-like objects IME, I think the rule "hit on a natural 5+" is good enough for most practical purposes.

 

[Ancalagon]

Get a wand of the "throw an item" spell in MoF (only a first level spell), then get the pyro feat. DC 20 to estinquish the flames, 1d6+1 damage per round... long distance sniping with alchemist's fire!



Ancalagon

 

[Oracular Vision]

A 5' square is also an inanimate object as well as being immobile, and so you get a +4 bonus on your attack roll. This effectively means you miss only on a natural 1. However, the range increment for grenade-like objects is 10' IIRC, so throwing at targets further away would become significantly harder. Also, any creatures between you and the square give the square cover bonuses to AC.

A lousy -2 per range increment is not significantly harder. Throwing things is only difficult for very low level or poor dex characters. At 50 feet, it would still be only -8 to hit, which means that someone with no dex and a BAB ranged attack of 0 would still hit the square precisely 60% of the time. Too high. That's olympic-quality precision, and remember, this is with NO skill, almost all characters would do even better.

 

[Artoomis]

A lousy -2 per range increment is not significantly harder. Throwing things is only difficult for very low level or poor dex characters. At 50 feet, it would still be only -8 to hit, which means that someone with no dex and a BAB ranged attack of 0 would still hit the square precisely 60% of the time. Too high. That's olympic-quality precision, and remember, this is with NO skill, almost all characters would do even better.

I don't know about that being too high - you are merely hitting somewhere within the correct 25 square feet - that a pretty darn big target. In fact, assuming you have reasonable directional control, at 50-feet you are trying to land in a spot that's 10% of the distance you threw - seems fairly reasonable to me.

You miss a rather large (5' square), stationary, horizontal (so it's 5' long - lot's of room for error) 40% of the time! Definately NOT Olympic quality precision. Try it - take a bean bag, say, and chuck it 50' away into a marked 5' x 5' square. Or, since a square is rather artificial, a circle with a diameter of 5.6' (+) (25 square feet). I'd wager you'd find it not too hard, assuming you can throw it that far.

Sometimes in D&D we forget how big a 5' x 5' area really is. It is probably near 1/4 the size of your bedroom! (Okay, maybe a little less)