Why didn't they change Slay Living?

[delericho]

Touch and save is the same equivilent to the save and save in the case of Phantasmal Killer. Generaly, spells with no save get a touch or range touch attack (Or are area effects).

I think that was the intent of the designers, but I don't think it has worked out this way. In general, almost all characters have a much lower touch AC than their regular AC. The 17th level Paladin in my game has an AC of 44 and a touch AC of 19. (Mithral Full Plate +5, Heavy Shield +5, Dex +3, Ring +5, Amulet +5, Ioun Stone +1 - I'm pretty sure that's the best he can get in the core rules.) Only the party wizard and rogue have fairly close regular and touch AC values, and in both cases this is because their ACs are much lower in general (25/18 for the rogue, 15/9 for the wizard - but neither is optimised for AC).

A 17th level wizard with a +2 Dex modifier has a +10 bonus on ranged touch attack spells, while a 17th level cleric with a +2 Str modifier has a +14 bonus on melee touch attack spells.

 

[Shin Okada]

That would be a serious penalty if it was a Wizard or Sorcerer spell.

It is not a serious penalty for a Cleric spell. Unless your Cleric is unlike most of the cleric characters around, which do not have much problems staying in melee and in fact they attack with melee weapons quite regularly.

Yes clerics fight in melee. But even for clerics, if he can kill an enemy from distance, it is much better than he need to get close to the target.

(And while clerics can use reach weapon to fight against something with reach, typical cleric still must go adjucent to the target when using a touch spell)

You also have to consider that exactly because the spell gives a Fort save, the cleric is typically encouraged to use Slay Living against arcane casters or rogue-types, to which it is less dangerous to get close.

Rignt. But most arcane casters are standing behind a lot of fighter types (or brute monsters), aren't they? Also, clerics are not particularlly good at getting close to the villain. Typical clerics are wearing heavy armor (thus slower) and do not have high tumble skill bonus. (of course, there are ways to make it better, like Travel or Magic domain, but that is another story).

And, Slay Living is only effective against living creatures. Disintegrate can blast undead monsters and constructs.