Wizard and Point Blank Shot question.


Rules Questions

Dark Archive

Does Point Blank shot assist with the various Wizard abilities that grant a ranged touch attack within 30'? It was suggested to me as my feat for level 3, but I thought it wouldn't work, since the attack isn't done with a weapon. Just wanted to find out for sure.

Sczarni

Yes.

Dark Archive

Would it work for other short range spells? Scroll cast spells?

Sczarni

Anything requiring a ranged attack roll within 30 ft. that deals hit point damage.

Wands, scrolls, domain abilities, thrown weapons, projectile weapons, bloodline abilities, wizard specialty school abilities, spell-like abilities, and I'm sure there are others.

Spells like magic missile would not benefit, as it does not use an attack roll.

Spells like glitterdust would not benefit, as it does not deal hit point damage.


Wizard should almost always take Point Blank and Precise shot.
The fight in combat with the enemy doesn't like being shot in the back with touch spells because the wizard didn't take Precise shot.

Lantern Lodge

Splendor wrote:

Wizard should almost always take Point Blank and Precise shot.

The fight in combat with the enemy doesn't like being shot in the back with touch spells because the wizard didn't take Precise shot.

This statement is a bit overly broad. I assume you mean a certain type of wizard should always take PBS and PS.

First -

A wizard who wants to specialize in ranged touch attack spells should seriously consider taking Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot.

Other wizards do NOT need to waste two feat selections on this. I've made many, many wizards, sorcerors and arcanists (and played them) and I can't even recall ever taking Point Blank Shot and/or Precise Shot.

In my personal case, I tend to build blasters or blasters/controllers. I'd rather use the two feats to get +2 DC from Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus. Varisian Tattoo, Spell Specialization and the various metamagic feats are more important. If anything, I'm usually feat starved.

A caster specializing in summoning would rather go with Spell Focus Conjuration, Augmented Summoning and other summoning feats.

A battlefield controller probably prefers to bump up their DCs so the bad guys need to take their pits, tentacles and other spells seriously.

Enchanters probably prefer to bump up their DCs so enemies fail their saves against charm, domination, hold, etc.

Feat selection is dependent on what you want your wizard to do. Even two blasters might go with different feats and both could very well be good selections. It's just that the players want to emphasize one thing over another, or are shooting for a certain flavor, etc.

Second -

RAW, you don't hit your own guys when you miss with a ranged touch attack. Like any ranged attack, a miss is a miss. The reason you take Precise Shot is so you negate the -4 to hit penalty for making a ranged attack against an opponent who is adjacent to an ally. A ranged touch attack wizard without Precise Shot will often take an effective -8 penalty to hit (4 from making a ranged attack against an opponent adjacent to an ally and 4 from the ally providing the target with soft cover). RTA or not, -8 is alot and will cause you to miss alot (Level 3 wizard with BAB +1 and DEX 16 would end up with a -4 to hit, or -3 within 30' with PBS - so they'll miss alot). Even if you move to the side to avoid soft cover, -4 is still painful.

Now, I do know that some GMs have houserules that allow ranged attack to hit allies in some situations --- for example, if a "1" is rolled on the attack. Personally, I dislike such rules as I don't feel they add anything significant to the game and slow things down, but each to his own. But this is not RAW.


Splendor wrote:

Wizard should almost always take Point Blank and Precise shot.

The fight in combat with the enemy doesn't like being shot in the back with touch spells because the wizard didn't take Precise shot.

You can't accidentally hit allies simply for firing into melee.


blahpers wrote:
You can't accidentally hit allies simply for firing into melee.

Not like it was with AD&D 30 years ago. Even with a good hit roll, you were as likely to hit an ally as the enemy.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Wizard and Point Blank Shot question. All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.