Touch attacks while being touched?

[Kahuna Burger]

Feel free to flame me if this is spelled out in a faq somewhere...

Is there an official answer to the question of discharging a touch spell without an attack roll on an opponent touching the caster? For example if a caster is being grappled and gets off a touch attack spell, does she need to make an attack against her grappler or does it automatically hit by virtue of the attacker touching her. Similarly, holding the charge on a touch attack spell until the caster is struck with an unarmed attack?

kahuna Burger

 

[Nareau]

I don't believe there is.

However, if you're initiating the grapple, you make a touch attack in order to "grab" your opponent. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to deliver your touch spell alongside this grapple attempt.

I would house rule that someone could deliver a "touch attack" effect as a standard action to an opponent who's grappling them.

I probably would not allow someone to automatically deliver the charge to an unarmed opponent who's just punching them. At best, I might allow her to ready a standard action to discharge the spell if they get hit. This would, IMHO, be somewhat balanced: the caster would lose her action if her assailant misses; the caster would suffer the damage if he hits. Again, this would just be a house rule.

Spider

 

[kreynolds]

Similarly, holding the charge on a touch attack spell until the caster is struck with an unarmed attack?

You don't generally discharge a touch attack spell through just any part of your body. You do so with your hand, so I guess if you declare a called-shot and hit the caster's hand....

....oh crap...

 

[Garrett]

I don't think theres a rule.
In order to resist the grapple you have to generally be able to either A: slip out of his grasp before it starts, or B: break it immediately with your strength or technique. So I would say that if the grapple is set, then I would give the attacker a heaping bonus to attack just to recognise that people ocasionally try to tie up your arms. But option A, no, B: yes. But if they have, say, a hand on your shoulder, and aren't expecting the attack, then you should get an automatic hit.
No dex, no armor (prolly like that anyhow), while there not prone I think I'd still give out a heap,likely something like a +8 to your attack on top of all that. If the person touching you knows you might attack in such a way, maybe add a +4 if the person is in front of you, and +2 if behind.

 

[LokiDR]

Tome and Blood states you can use improved unarmed strike to hit a person with a touch spell, but you must get through their entire AC.

I would say this implies that being in contact with them (and likewise them touching you) is not enough to discharge the spell. Otherwise, the unarmed strike would discharge the touch spell if you simply made the touch AC.

I rule that a touch attack requires an attack, regardless of any other factors. Unless, of course, the person is really trying to get hit by the touch attack.