Whirling Blade Question

[The Amazing Dingo]

Looking for some help here with the spell Whirling Blade from Complete Arcane. Its text follows:

As you cast this spell, you hurl a single slashing weapon at your foes, magically striking at all enemies along a line to the extent of the spell's range. You make a normal melee attack, just as if you attacked with the weapon in melee, against each foe in the weapon's path, but you can choose to substitute your Charisma modifier for your Strength modifier on the weapon's attack rolls and damage rolls. Even if your base attack bonus would normally give you multiple attack rolls, a whirling blade gets only one attack (at your best attack bonus) against each target. The weapon deals damage just as if you had swung it in melee, including any bonuses you might have from ability scores or feats. No matter how many targets your weapon hits or misses, it instantly and unerringly returns to your hand after attempting the last of its attacks. Therefore, foes do not get a chance to grab or otherwise snatch the weapon in midair while it makes its attacks.
Focus: A slashing melee weapon that the caster hurls.

The question: can these ranged attacks be used to make Trip or Sundering attacks? Nothing in the text seems to disallow it. Am I forgetting anything that might be someplace.

I figure that a pair of bolas also allow you to at least make a ranged Trip attack, so there is a precedence for it. I also know of the Ranged Disarm/Trip/Sunder Feats.

Any ideas on this one?

 

[shilsen]

I'd say "No", because I'm assuming that if those were options with the spell they'd be mentioned. And yes, I know it's an assumption

P.S. The spell's from Complete Arcane, not Warrior.

 

[pbd]

The spell also points out that it requires a SLASHING melee weapon as a focus.

 

[Markn]

Slight variation

Can a wizard rogue get sneak attack and if so how many can he affect? Everyone? Those within 30' like a ranged attack? No one?

 

[hong]

Can a wizard rogue get sneak attack and if so how many can he affect? Everyone? Those within 30' like a ranged attack? No one?

If his opponents have lost their Dex bonus to AC, sure, it would be a sneak attack.

 

[Markn]

Invisibility with Whirling Blade

Suppose the wizard rogue is invisible. How many enemies would he affect?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

"Make a normal melee attack."

Does that mean: "make a normal [an attempt to do damage by beating AC] melee attack"?

Or does that mean: "make a normal [with any option you'd normally have] melee attack"?

I'd be in favor of number 2, because the spell seems to work most like a straight-line version of Whirlwind Attack, which allows combat maneuvers.

 

[Stalker0]

I would say no, because the spell mentions that the weapon deals damage as if you were swinging it in melee. This to my mind rules out combat manuevers.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Stalker: I believe that line is meant to cover things like Weapon Specialization, favored enemy bonuses, etc.

This is different from, say, a Dancing weapon, which works a little differently.