Lightning bolt, ranged touch and cover

[JDawg75]

My understanding is lightning bolt is not a ranged touch attack, as opposed to acid arrow, for example.

Last night I was attempting to cast lightning bolt at a bad guy who was in melee with an ally. They were turned so that they were perpendicular to me. He was saying it'd take a -8 to hit since he was in melee and for soft cover. I don't have precise shot. I'm not sure I agree with that. Do you agree or disagree?

Secondarily, even if it was I think I could've made a case for no cover or for partial cover, since I could see more than 50% of him. Agree or disagree?

J

[thelivingmonkey]

Quote from Lightning Bolt: "You release a powerful stroke of electrical energy that deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to each creature within its area. The bolt begins at your fingertips.

The lightning bolt sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in its path. It can melt metals with a low melting point, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell's range permits; otherwise, it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does."

Just say "sure I'll take a -8 to hit on this lightning bolt" because that means literally nothing. You don't make an attack roll, so such a penalty does literally nothing. Tell your GM to make his ref save, and move on.

[dragonhunterq]

Yeah, there is no to hit roll for lightning bolt, so a penalty to hit is meaningless.

If your GM rules that your targets have cover they do get a +2 to their reflex saves.

[merpius]

As indicated penalties for attack rolls are irrelevant.

Quote:

Soft Cover

Creatures, even your enemies, can provide you with cover against ranged attacks, giving you a +4 bonus to AC. However, such soft cover provides no bonus on Reflex saves, nor does soft cover allow you to make a Stealth check.

Note that soft cover would only apply if the creature providing the soft cover were between you and the target. In that case, that creature providing the soft cover would also be hit by the lightning bolt. Also, it doesn't give any bonus to Reflex saves.

In your description you described the situation as being a melee (with, presumably the target and an ally) fighting in a line perpendicular to the line between you and the target; in that case they would not have soft cover, if you were making a rnaged attack you would only suffer the penalty to firing into melee (-4), and lightning bolt would only strike your target, not your ally.

[merpius]

I should note; if you aren't exactly perpendicular, but rather lined up with your ally (1 square, or more, off of perpendicular in that direction). Then soft cover would apply; you would hit your ally with the lightning bolt, and, if you were to make a ranged attack (nopt with lightning bolt, but some actual ranged attack) then the target would get the soft cover bonus of +4 to AC.