Touch Attack question

[F Squirrel]

What stat bonuses, if any, are used for touch and ranged touch attacks? Is it strength and dexterity respectively? Please provide a page number for the ruling as well since I can't seem to find any clear definition myself. Thanks ahead of time.

[Thazar]

When you make a Melee Attack you use your STR bonus + BAB unless you have Weapon Finesse. When you make a ranged Attack you use your Dex bonus + BAB.

A touch attack or ranged touch attack is no different from the attackers point of view then any other type of melee attack or ranged attack. You use the same bonus and modifiers as normal. The difference is you only need to touch them and you do not need to have any penetration. So no armor, natural armor, etc.

This is listed on page 179.

[Sylvanite]

I don't have a page number for you, but a ranged touch uses Dex, as do all ranged attacks unless you have some ability that says otherwise. As nonsensical as it may seam, a melee touch uses Strength as all melee attacks do unless you have something that specifies otherwise. If you have weapon finesse, however, I believe it can be applied to a touch attack since it is technically a light weapon.

[F Squirrel]

So the touch is considered a weapon. Coolio. Thanks for the quick response guys!

[Vaahama]

F Squirrel wrote:

So the touch is considered a weapon. Coolio. Thanks for the quick response guys!

Yup and remember that touch attack does not provoke AoO since they are considered armed attack for that purpose!

Sounds pointless but in fact very important.

[Symon_Mx]

Sylvanite wrote:

I don't have a page number for you, but a ranged touch uses Dex, as do all ranged attacks unless you have some ability that says otherwise. As nonsensical as it may seam, a melee touch uses Strength as all melee attacks do unless you have something that specifies otherwise. If you have weapon finesse, however, I believe it can be applied to a touch attack since it is technically a light weapon.

Hello, I am like 10 years late in this post but still.

So does this mean that I can add my CMB when doing a touch attack?
meaning 1d20 + CMB = Touch attack total number

My DM says it is only the 1d20 roll and that's it (and the bonus granted by Spectral hand when using it).

I hope someone still reads this and can provide an answer. I am playing a wizard and I'm having trouble landing touch attacks :(

Thanks in advance.

[glass]

Symon_Mx wrote:

Hello, I am like 10 years late in this post but still.

So does this mean that I can add my CMB when doing a touch attack?
meaning 1d20 + CMB = Touch attack total number

My DM says it is only the 1d20 roll and that's it (and the bonus granted by Spectral hand when using it).

I hope someone still reads this and can provide an answer. I am playing a wizard and I'm having trouble landing touch attacks :(

Thanks in advance.

No it does not mean that (although your GM is wrong too). You add you base attack bonus and your strength or dexterity bonus as appropriate (dex for ranged touch, str for melee touch unless you have weapon finesse in which case dex for that too).

EDIT: If you are a first-level wizard (so your BAB is +0) with a Strength of 10 or 11 (so your strength modifier is +0), both of which are plausible, then it will effectively be a flat d20 roll for you, now - maybe that is what your GM meant. Fortunately, if so it is temporary. As soon as you hit second level, your BAB will go up to +1.

_
glass.

[Symon_Mx]

glass wrote:

Symon_Mx wrote:

Hello, I am like 10 years late in this post but still.

So does this mean that I can add my CMB when doing a touch attack?
meaning 1d20 + CMB = Touch attack total number

My DM says it is only the 1d20 roll and that's it (and the bonus granted by Spectral hand when using it).

I hope someone still reads this and can provide an answer. I am playing a wizard and I'm having trouble landing touch attacks :(

Thanks in advance.

No it does not mean that (although your GM is wrong too). You add you base attack bonus and your strength or dexterity bonus as appropriate (dex for ranged touch, str for melee touch unless you have weapon finesse in which case dex for that too).

EDIT: If you are a first-level wizard (so your BAB is +0) with a Strength of 10 or 11 (so your strength modifier is +0), both of which are plausible, then it will effectively be a flat d20 roll for you, now - maybe that is what your GM meant. Fortunately, if so it is temporary. As soon as you hit second level, your BAB will go up to +1.

_
glass.

I have a (now) 7th level Wizard, Str 10 & Dex 14.

So making a touch attack or ranged touch attack is basically like normal attacks?
Melee: 1d20 + BAB (+3) + Str mod (0) = 1d20 + 3
Ranged: 1d20 + BAB (+3) + Dex mod (2) = 1d20 + 5

Besides increasing Str & Dex, is there any other way to improve my number when making a touch attack?

[avr]

Touch attacks target touch AC rather than normal AC (touch AC is almost always lower than normal AC), but your numbers look right. If your character is size small (a halfling or gnome or something) you get a further +1.

Improving those numbers - the point blank shot and precise shot feats are useful if you're making a lot of ranged touch attacks. A mage's crossbow (a magic item) can help too, as can a dusty rose prism ioun stone, or buffs to attack rolls from other spells (like heroism or true strike) or from class abilities.

[Mark Hoover 330]

Reduce Person is a level 1 spell that a level 7 Wizard might put/buy in a wand. Said level 7 wizard might also have a Familiar that can use wands. If so inclined, the wizard could have the familiar deliver Reduce Person to them from the wand for a +1 Size bonus to all attacks and a +2 bonus to Dex, for a total bonus to Ranged Touch attacks of +2.

Weapon Focus (Rays) is a feat option that grants a +1 to attack with rays, which are a kind of Ranged Touch attack.

You mentioned using Spectral Hand. Remember that with that spell running you can deliver Touch spells using the same formula, 1d20 +BAB, +Str Bonus, for Melee Touch attacks, but the Spectral Hand spell grants a bonus of +2 to attack.

If you have a familiar that you're willing to allow to deliver Touch attacks, the rules for Familiars state that these creatures use the best of Str or Dex to make such touch attacks. Now consider the feat Evolved Familiar. This feat grants a 1 point Evolution to the familiar similar to those avail to an Eidolon.

One of these Evolutions is Reach, which increases the reach of one attack by the Familiar by 5'. Finally, consider the Scarlet Spider. This creature is Size Tiny with a 21 Dex. At level 7, this familiar (through the feat Evolved Familiar: Reach) could deliver a Touch spell at 5' with BAB +3, Dex +5, and Size +2 for a total of +10 to hit the opponent's Touch AC.

These are just a few solutions. Depending on the build and spells of the PC, other strategies could be developed. Self buffs, debuffs to enemies and so on.

[Symon_Mx]

Thanks to all for your comments and clarification, glass, avr and Mark Hoover 330, it has been very helpful.

Take care and keep on rolling.... (hehehe see what I did there? )

... yeah, a bad joke XD

See you around guys =)