Supernatural touch attack and opportunity attacks


Rules Questions


Hi!

Anyone can answer me that?

A ghost has a touch attack that is a supernatural ability named corrupting touch.
Can she make an opportunity attack with that ability??

Thanks.


AoOs allow you to take a single attack, they do not allow you to use an ability that is a standard action. All of the potential attacks for a ghost require a standard action to activate. On top of that, ghosts don't threaten an area, unless they wield a ghost touch weapon. They have no natural attacks so, without a weapon in hand, they cannot make AoOs anyway.


Mauril wrote:
AoOs allow you to take a single attack, they do not allow you to use an ability that is a standard action. All of the potential attacks for a ghost require a standard action to activate. On top of that, ghosts don't threaten an area, unless they wield a ghost touch weapon. They have no natural attacks so, without a weapon in hand, they cannot make AoOs anyway.

I disagree completely. The Corrupting Touch ability is described as an "incorporeal touch attack", bolding mine. Further, it's listed as a melee attack in the combat section of the stat block. There is nothing that suggests that this attack requires any action other than the usual attack action. Since touch attacks from spells threaten an area, I see no reason that Ghosts wouldn't be able to do so as well.


Unless otherwise stated, all (Su) abilities require a standard action to use. There is nothing in the ghost abilities that specify that they break this general rule, therefore they follow it.

Regardless, they still don't threaten with it, since it is not a natural weapon or a manufactured weapon. It is a special ability. For the same reason that you cannot use SLAs on AoOs, you can't use Su abilities on AoOs. It's not a weapon, and it takes a standard action to activate.


I was just about to post something with all the rules regarding incorporeal touch attacks, how they count as being armed (and thus threaten with them), etc etc. Except then I noticed this little tidbit in the ability itself:

PRD, Ghost wrote:
Corrupting Touch (Su): All ghosts gain this incorporeal touch attack. By passing part of its incorporeal body through a foe's body as a standard action, the ghost inflicts a number of d6s equal to its CR in damage. This damage is not negative energy—it manifests in the form of physical wounds and aches from supernatural aging. Creatures immune to magical aging are immune to this damage, but otherwise the damage bypasses all forms of damage reduction. A Fortitude save halves the damage inflicted.

Bolding mine, and if it wasn't there I'd still be disagreeing with you. In this case however, it's called right out. Using Corrupting Touch is a standard action, and thus can't be done on an AoO (whether or not it would provoke in the first place).


Thanks for all the answers!!

My doubt is now solved ;)


Can this ability crit?


DanceSC wrote:

Can this ability crit?

Anything with an attack roll can crit


DanceSC posted a good question; although I can't recall any attack that needs a roll that can't crit, there are types of damage that are not multiplied by a crit.

Let's say a rogue needs to roll in order to sneak attack, and the precision damage of the sneak is not multiplied on the crit.

So, would be a better question to ask if this kind of damage is multiplied on a crit.

On the other hand, the damage is something set, not a value, but a number of D6. I have some serious problems getting into the idea that you can be critically aged by a ghost if it hits you a critical spot, instead of your leg. Can the ghost age you more if it touches your head, instead?

So RAW I would say yes, RAI I would say no, which implies that I would thank an official answer on the matter.


Numarak wrote:

DanceSC posted a good question; although I can't recall any attack that needs a roll that can't crit, there are types of damage that are not multiplied by a crit.

Let's say a rogue needs to roll in order to sneak attack, and the precision damage of the sneak is not multiplied on the crit.

So, would be a better question to ask if this kind of damage is multiplied on a crit.

On the other hand, the damage is something set, not a value, but a number of D6. I have some serious problems getting into the idea that you can be critically aged by a ghost if it hits you a critical spot, instead of your leg. Can the ghost age you more if it touches your head, instead?

So RAW I would say yes, RAI I would say no, which implies that I would thank an official answer on the matter.

The short detailed answer is: Anything with an attack roll can crit. If not specified otherwise, the attack crits only on a 20 with a x2 multiplier. Any numerical damaging effect (ability damage, drain, negative levels) is multiplied unless explicitly stated otherwise by the source itself (e.g. vital strike, sneak attack, precise strike, flaming weapons).

For example Enervation can crit and if it happens it inflicts 2d4 negative levels instead of 1d4

In the ghost case you also have to explain why the damage of the attack fluctuates every time (d6 is not a constant). The critical can be a surge in the power of the ghost or a systemic failure in the body of the target (hitting the heart can be really worse)

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