RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged unless he is actually being attacked.) If your target (or the part of your target you’re aiming at, if it’s a big target) is at least 10 feet away from the nearest friendly character, you can avoid the –4 penalty, even if the creature you’re aiming at is engaged in melee with a friendly character.
If your target is two size categories larger than the friendly characters it is engaged with, this penalty is reduced to –2. There is no penalty for firing at a creature that is three size categories larger than the friendly characters it is engaged with.
Precise Shot: If you have the Precise Shot feat, you don’t take this penalty.
I would rule that it depends on the nature of the spell. If the caster needs to make a ranged touch attack, yes. If the spell has a miss chance due to concealment, definitely yes. If the spell simply selects a target, no.
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Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged unless he is actually being attacked.) If your target (or the part of your target you’re aiming at, if it’s a big target) is at least 10 feet away from the nearest friendly character, you can avoid the –4 penalty, even if the creature you’re aiming at is engaged in melee with a friendly character.
If your target is two size categories larger than the friendly characters it is engaged with, this penalty is reduced to –2. There is no penalty for firing at a creature that is three size categories larger than the friendly characters it is engaged with.
Precise Shot: If you have the Precise Shot feat, you don’t take this penalty.
I would rule that it depends on the nature of the spell. If the caster needs to make a ranged touch attack, yes. If the spell has a miss chance due to concealment, definitely yes. If the spell simply selects a target, no.
So a spell that requires a ranged touch attack is considered a ranged weapon?
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Any spell that requires a roll to hit is subject to cover and firing into melee modifiers, as well as concealment miss chances. If a caster is going to use a lot of rays or ranged touch attacks, Point Blank Shot/Precise Shot is a pretty good idea (but not critical, since touch ACs are pretty low).
Thanks! Is there a specific page that references this? I can't find it in the Combat section.
Edit: Page 214, I found it
As this isn't a Pathfinder Society question, I'm moving this to the rules forum.
You also provoke attacks of opportunity by firing "ranged weapon spells"
Don't forget the -4 for cover, stakeable with the -4 for targeting a melee... for a ray nuker i would say that precise shot is a must-have
what about lightning bolt....if you have three friendly figures lined up vs 3 enemy figures and a wizard shoots a lightning bolt down the line of enemy, would that not effect the friendly characters as well?
Not exactly related to the original question since Lightning Bolt does not require an attack roll. I'm assuming you're referring to a situation like this:
W.
..
BG
BG
BG
..
Where W is the wizard, B are badguys and G are goodguys. In which case it's perfectly possible to shoot a line of Lightning down the line of badguys and not hurt your friends. No rolls required except for the Reflex saves from the targets.
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what about lightning bolt....if you have three friendly figures lined up vs 3 enemy figures and a wizard shoots a lightning bolt down the line of enemy, would that not effect the friendly characters as well?
lightning bolt is a line. if it passes threw someones square, they make a save. not threw their square, no save (since nothing happened)