What do you think, should the APG feat 'Touch of Serenity' be considered to operate as a touch attack or a regular attack (counting armor bonuses)?
With a single touch you can reduce the threat of even the most savage of foes.
Prerequisites: Wis 18, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +8.
Benefit: You must declare that you are using this feat before you make your attack roll (thus a failed attack roll ruins the attempt). On a successful hit, the attack deals no damage and bestows no other effect or condition, but the target cannot cast spells or attack (including attacks of opportunity and attacks as immediate actions) for 1 round unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw with a DC of 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wisdom modifier. You may attempt a touch of serenity once per day for every four levels you have attained (but see Special), and no more than once per round.
Special: A monk of the lotus receives Touch of Serenity as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the Prerequisites. A monk may attempt a touch of serenity a number of times per day equal to his monk level, plus one more time per day for every four levels he has in classes other than monk.
On the pure mechanics side, it seems to imply a normal attack. On the fluff/descriptive it implies a touch, and you don't deal any damage in any case so armor might not matter.
So, straight RAW - normal attack, or RAI - touch attack?
I think that RAW it's a regular attack and fluff-wise it could go either way; touch attacks ignore armor, shields and natural armor, so even if you just need to touch it could be a regular attack if you need to touch a weak spot and not just anywhere.
What do you think, should the APG feat 'Touch of Serenity' be considered to operate as a touch attack or a regular attack (counting armor bonuses)?
** spoiler omitted **
On the pure mechanics side, it seems to imply a normal attack. On the fluff/descriptive it implies a touch, and you don't deal any damage in any case so armor might not matter.
So, straight RAW - normal attack, or RAI - touch attack?
The touch attack part is just fluff.
....On a successful hit, the attack deals no damage and bestows no other effect or condition.....
If it was just a touch attack they would not have to indicate that no damage was dealt.