Foggye's page

Dimensional Steps

I'm curious if the the statement about 5ft increments refers to the means of which the ability is measured, or is it in fact quite literal. If the latter is true, does that mean one can't "step" through a wall greater then 5', "step" through a river of lava without getting burned, or use the ability to go through a cloudkill or an aura without making saving throws? Would you be limited to being on the ground?

Shift (APG Teleportation School ability)

By the rules, after you use the shift ability your turn is pretty much over. Since it functions as a dimension door, which states that after using the spell you can't take any actions till your next turn (not to mention no immediate abilities/spells during your opponents turn). Which is a HUGE drawback to an ability that is a swift action (similar to abundant step as a move action). I'm sure they would expect people to read the spell before using the ability, but there's probably quite a few that might miss/forget this sort of thing. Perhaps the ability itself should be errata'd to mention this fact, or disprove it as an exception under intended use. Granted, even with the huge drawback it's still useful: running in to cast a spell, then shift out of a line of sight, or to automatically escape a grapple as a fallback (though at 5 per 2 levels, you aren't gonna escape every far.) Though, again I'll state that since it's a supernatural swift action it may be rather important to highlight that using the ability renders you virtually dazed till your next turn after using it.

While on the topic should the dimension door spell/ability make you unable to take an attack of opportunity? By the rules, yes. You only threaten an area if you can make a melee attack, even if it isn't your turn. If you can't make an action, well you don't threaten, you don't get an attack of opportunity. Should this be?

What about a readied action?

Does dimension door while tugging others also rip them of their actions till their next turn (meaning no AoO, immediate abilities, readied actions, and just plain screwed if they delayed till your initiative)?

Could you start casting a summoning spell (one full round casting time), then use the ability to shift. Would this interrupt the summoning spell? Would it interrupt spells that require concentration like minor image?

Is the lose of action just a direct result of actually casting the spell? Should it really apply to supernatural abilities that an emulate the spell in a far quicker fashion. I imagine the sentence is in there for balancing reasons, but I wish it would elaborate more on the implications of using the spell (or least why it happens) without having to do a lot of cross referencing (in regards to reactive elements like immediate actions and AoO). It would of been easier to say that the caster is considered dazed after using it, but understandable why they wouldn't (in case of a condition/racial ability make you immune to such.)

Just curious what the community thinks about it.

Reading over the chill touch spell, I've manage to generate quite a few questions regarding it's function; as well as some clarification or expansion on some of the established rules. If at all possible, I'd like an official response to this.

Allow me to list some articles of note:

1) Damage Type

Just to clear up a few points I've seen in other boards, chill touch mentions no where in it's description that it does cold damage. It's actually implied that it does negative energy damage. This might explain it's substitute effect on undead.

2) Targeting

It states that it effects "creature or creatures touched (up to one/level)." So, it's established that chill touch can effect more then one target within a range of touch.

3) Melee Touch Attack/Free Actions

It's explained to us that a melee touch attack is in fact, a free action if used in the same round it's cast. There's no defined limit to how many free actions a character can have, but it's implied there is in fact a limit. Is it possible, for a 10th level caster using chill touch to use all 10 touches of chill touch in a single round? If so, how can they be broken up against multiple targets? Can they be used both before and after moving provided the spell has been already cast that round?

4) Holding the Charge

This is a neat thing that Paizo implemented. There's nothing more frustrating for a character then losing a spell on a failed melee touch attack. The answer? It's called holding the charge; which basically allows the caster to hold a spell that they don't discharge in the round they cast it, indefinitely. Provided you don't accidently touch something, or cast another spell the caster can keep trying till the spell is successfully discharged. Though it's explained that you can make an unarmed attack in conjunction with a held charge and can touch friends as a single action (or six friends as part of a full), it's not explained if continuing to try to make a melee touch attack after the round has been cast is still a free action or not. Additionally, chill touch (it may be unique for this) allows for multiplies touches; therefore, how many of those touches can a caster do in a round once the spell has been held?. Once held does it break after the first touch? If you accidently touch someone does it go away or does just eat up one of the touches allowed? Can you continue to hold the spell until the maximum amount of touches allowed is met?

5) Stacking or Seperate Effects

Let's say it is in fact possible for a caster to effect a single target more then once with chill touch. Is each melee touch attack seperate? Would each attack have to be rolled for individually to bypass spell resistance? If more then one of the melee touch attacks for chill touch land, would the target have to make each fortitude saving throw for the strength damage seperately as well? If they fail more then one save, does the strength damage stack? Would items/feats/class features that may increase the damage of a melee touch attack or spell apply to each touch? In the terms of things, would each melee touch attack used in a round count as a seperate attack?

6) Sneak Attack

I know this was addressed already in the forum; although, no official response has been given, forcing experienced gamers to fall back on 3.0 - 3.5 D&D for clarification. So once again, can a melee touck attack spell be used to do a sneak attack? If the spell allowed for more then one touch attack or employed against multiple targets in a round, would each touch get the sneak attack damage provided they satisfied the criteria of sneak attack (flank or lose of dex)?