Does this work together?
The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.
Are ranged touch the same as touch? Why not say ranged touch if that is what is meant. Has there been an official ruling on this? I searched but found nothing. What ranged effect requires you to make a normal attack and does no damage?
Just off the top of my head: Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Exhaustion, Dimensional Anchor, Enervation, Energy Drain. Although the last two do damage indirectly. There may be other spells or class features (Witch hexes maybe?), and I'm sure some monsters have abilities that use ranged touches but don't deal hit point damage.
I'm pretty sure the intent of Deadly Aim is that it is not to be used with spells or other such abilities. Does Power Attack work with Shocking Grasp or *shudder* Vampiric Touch? Would be the same thing.
Those are ranged touch, not ranged normal attacks that don't deal HP damage.
I found the part about touch attacks, there are two types of touch attacks, ranged and melee. So no Deadly aim, but you can do crits and I assume sneak damage?!? Not sure what the difference is.
EDIT: Yes a crit vamp touch or Shocking grasp is a possibility, so why not power attack as well? Can't you still use a metal weapon to hit with shocking grasp as a normal attack?
Ah I thought you were asking about ranged touch attacks. My bad.
Ranged Attacks that do no damage....hmmm...not sure there is any. Seems unlikely to be the case at least, as an attack that doesn't do damage would thus have to impose a status effect. And things like natural armor and shields aren't much good at protecting against status effects like blindness or fear.
Yeah you can crit (and sneak attack) with a vamp touch or shocking grasp or scorching ray and even an enervation. Why can't you Power Attack? Because it says so? I guess theres a reason they don't want it working with such spells.
No you can't use a metal weapon to do a shocking grasp. Couldn't in 3.5 either.
Does this work together?
The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks or effects that do not deal hit point damage.Are ranged touch the same as touch? Why not say ranged touch if that is what is meant. Has there been an official ruling on this? I searched but found nothing. What ranged effect requires you to make a normal attack and does no damage?
Ranged touch attacks are a subset of touch attacks. No ruling needed, the feat is unambiguos. It could have been worded better, though.
What pupsocket said.
The 'or effects that do not deal hit point damage' is in there to prevent you trying to cheese the RAW to allow dealing extra damage with an 'attack' which could not realistically cause damage, such as throwing a ball of lint and then trying to add deadly aim on top.
wow, holy necronomicon D: