Total noob question (plz don't laugh)


Rules Questions


ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )
How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

Dark Archive

Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

If it is a ranged touch attack, you roll 1d20 and add your BAB + your Dex Modifier (as if you were firing a bow)

If it is a melee touch, substitute Str mod for Dex.


Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

BAB + dex modifier.

Each class attacks the same way.
As an example if a fighter or a wizard needed to make a ranged touch attack it would be BAB + dex modifier.


BAB=Base attack bonus. For a sorcerer or wizard it should be half of your class level (round down).


wraithstrike wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

BAB + dex modifier.

Each class attacks the same way.
As an example if a fighter or a wizard needed to make a ranged touch attack it would be BAB + dex modifier.

ok that makes sense thanks so much. Are there implements i can use to make my attack bonus higher? like dagger+3 to add 3 more to attack bonus?


If you have a high dexterity, you might want to look at the weapon finesse feat, which allows you to use dex instead of str on touch attacks, as a hand counts as a light weapon.
Otherwise, base attacks bonus + dex for ranged attacks, BAB + str for touch attacks against the touch AC, as the others have written.

Stefan


Death Dealer Rex wrote:
wraithstrike wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

BAB + dex modifier.

Each class attacks the same way.
As an example if a fighter or a wizard needed to make a ranged touch attack it would be BAB + dex modifier.

ok that makes sense thanks so much. Are there implements i can use to make my attack bonus higher? like dagger+3 to add 3 more to attack bonus?

nope! at least not by PF core. I highly suggest taking point blank shot, precise shot, and weapon focus (ray) if you are going to specialize in ray spells.


Death Dealer Rex wrote:


ok that makes sense thanks so much. Are there implements i can use to make my attack bonus higher? like dagger+3 to add 3 more to attack bonus?

The feat Weapon Focus (ray) gives you +1 on ray attacks. You could as well get weapon focus (touch) for touch attacks, I´d think.

Stefan


meatrace wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:
wraithstrike wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

BAB + dex modifier.

Each class attacks the same way.
As an example if a fighter or a wizard needed to make a ranged touch attack it would be BAB + dex modifier.

ok that makes sense thanks so much. Are there implements i can use to make my attack bonus higher? like dagger+3 to add 3 more to attack bonus?
nope! at least not by PF core. I highly suggest taking point blank shot, precise shot, and weapon focus (ray) if you are going to specialize in ray spells.

you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.


Death Dealer Rex wrote:

ok total noob to playing a magic user in pnp so please be nice : )

How exactly do i roll for attacking with spells like touch attack and rays? Like what mechanics are involved? I understand touch ac's but im making a sorcerer and im still a little confused. ok alot confused and pretty much clueless. Pure pathfinder rules plz and as always thanks so much for the help.

Don't worry about the noob bit. Everyone has been there at one time :) For a touch attack roll a die 20 add your Base Attack Bonus (BAB) based on your class and your strength bonus (if any, based on that ability). Compare the total to the targets Touch Armor class. Equal or better hits. Same for a ranged, except add your Dexterity bonus instead of Strength and, again, compare to their touch AC. The typical range for the 1st level ray spells is 25' + 5' per 2 (class levels) levels. There are other possible modifiers but the DM can handle those. It's pretty straight forward and will become second nature after some practice. I may have overlooked something, but basically that's it. Have fun -- and relax.

*edit* The BAB and ability scores / bonus are on the character record sheet for your PC if you are using one (and should be recorded and kept handy if you're not). Often you won't know a targets touch armor class -- the DM does. Just roll your die, add your BAB, ability bonus as appropriate, pony up the total and the DM will let you know if you hit. Then comes the damage dice :)

Jeez. I see the question, go off to do a few things, come back, answer the question, post it and get ninja'd by about a dozen people. Good to see the question answered politely by so many people. Another reason I like this community :D


Death Dealer Rex wrote:


you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.

Just fire away with your questions. Most folks here are happy to help.


Death Dealer Rex wrote:


you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.

Never worry about asking a question at the table, or in the forums. Its really true that the only bad question is the one you dont ask. Especially if you play multiple game sysyems which I am pretty sure you do.

Dark Archive

Kolokotroni wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:


you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.

Never worry about asking a question at the table, or in the forums. Its really true that the only bad question is the one you dont ask. Especially if you play multiple game sysyems which I am pretty sure you do.

The only bad question is the one you don't ask... Did you not ask because it was a bad question or did it become a bad question because you didn't ask it?

The Exchange

In 3.5, they delegated the Weapon Focus feat to be either Weapon Focus (Ranged Spells) or Weapon Focus (Touch Spells). At least, that's how it was clarified in Complete Arcana. They also had Touch Spell Specialization and Ranged Spell Specialization, which were Weapon Specialization for those types of spells.

If you are playing a low strength character but still want to be able to use touch spells, a high dex and Weapon Finesse might help there. Also, in conjunction with that you might want Spectral Hand. It will still use your strength modifier if you don't have Finesse, but it gives you up to Medium range (IIRC) and a +2 bonus on the attack roll.


Draeke Raefel wrote:
Kolokotroni wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:


you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.

Never worry about asking a question at the table, or in the forums. Its really true that the only bad question is the one you dont ask. Especially if you play multiple game sysyems which I am pretty sure you do.

The only bad question is the one you don't ask... Did you not ask because it was a bad question or did it become a bad question because you didn't ask it?

(not sure if you are being serious or not sarcasm is tough to determine in text so im responding as if it was serious)

Its a figure of speech, basically saying you are only being foolish if you fail to ask a question. Asking a question is never a foolish thing to do because you gain knowledge where otherwise you would have stayed ignorant. So the question is only bad(and thus you are foolish) if you fail to ask it.

Dark Archive

Kolokotroni wrote:
Draeke Raefel wrote:
Kolokotroni wrote:
Death Dealer Rex wrote:


you guys are all awesome!!! Thank you so much for saving me the embarassment at the table.

Never worry about asking a question at the table, or in the forums. Its really true that the only bad question is the one you dont ask. Especially if you play multiple game sysyems which I am pretty sure you do.

The only bad question is the one you don't ask... Did you not ask because it was a bad question or did it become a bad question because you didn't ask it?

(not sure if you are being serious or not sarcasm is tough to determine in text so im responding as if it was serious)

Its a figure of speech, basically saying you are only being foolish if you fail to ask a question. Asking a question is never a foolish thing to do because you gain knowledge where otherwise you would have stayed ignorant. So the question is only bad(and thus you are foolish) if you fail to ask it.

:) I wasn't really serious.

It just struck me as funny. I've seen the statement many times before, but I'd never noticed the two ways you could take it.

Grand Lodge

Death Dealer Rex wrote:
you guys are all awesome!!!

Can I be awesome, too, even though I didn't help?

.
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PS: There are no stupid questions, just stupid people who ask questions.

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