What all non-metamagic feats can I apply shocking grasp/any touch spell to improve it?
What all non-metamagic feats can I apply shocking grasp/any touch spell to improve it?
Weapon Focus springs to mind. I don't know if you can pick any feat that applies to a weapon though. Weapon Specialization? Improved Critical? Probably not.
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What all non-metamagic feats can I apply shocking grasp/any touch spell to improve it?
None, I would suggest. The poster suggesting Weapon Focus / Specialisation I think is incorrect - the "weapon" is a touch attack, so maybe Weapon Focus would work with that. But as a DM I wouldn't allow Weapon Specialisation or Improved Critical - the touch itself does no damage, so increasing them that wya for a touch attack would seem to be wrong to me. Spells are limited in power by level for a reason and poking up a 1st level spell with anythng other than the established means to do so (metamagic feats, with the checks and balances that go with that) could be unbalanced.
None, I would suggest. The poster suggesting Weapon Focus / Specialisation I think is incorrect - the "weapon" is a touch attack, so maybe Weapon Focus would work with that.
It may not be explicitly allowed, but if you can pick Weapon Focus (ray) I don't see why it's not reasonable to also allow Weapon Focus (touch). It's not like a caster need more incentive to prefer ranged touch attacks. :)
What all non-metamagic feats can I apply shocking grasp/any touch spell to improve it?None, I would suggest. [..] Spells are limited in power by level for a reason and poking up a 1st level spell with anythng other than the established means to do so (metamagic feats, with the checks and balances that go with that) could be unbalanced.
I would also suggest "none", but for the opposite reason as Aubrey -- you would probably get too little return from Weapon Focus (touch attack), Improved Critical (touch attack), etc.
Most melee combat feats add fairly small bonuses, but you can benefit from multiple times by making multiple attacks per round. On the other hand, spells like shocking grasp can only be used once per round, so a +1 or +2 bonus is fairly unimpressive.
Weapon Finesse, I believe, allows you to make touch attacks using Dexterity. If you're a lot faster than you are strong, that's a considerable help.
Are we allowing 3.5 material? That would add a lot.
You could also be a Magus. That would allow a weapon attack with shocking grasp, a big improvement over nothing + shocking grasp.
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I'd also suggest things like Acrobatics and Mobility, so that you CAN get into touch range. Spring attack is an option too, but one 1st level spell every two rounds is not a great way to win a fight.
Unless Pathfinder changed the rules on it, weapon-like spells - ie, those that use attack rolls - are weapons for all effects and purposes. Rays are ranged touch attack [weapons] and touch spells are touch attack [weapons].
WF, GWF, WS, GWS, Improved Critical, whatever other random stuff, all apply.
What all non-metamagic feats can I apply shocking grasp/any touch spell to improve it?None, I would suggest. The poster suggesting Weapon Focus / Specialisation I think is incorrect - the "weapon" is a touch attack, so maybe Weapon Focus would work with that. But as a DM I wouldn't allow Weapon Specialisation or Improved Critical - the touch itself does no damage, so increasing them that wya for a touch attack would seem to be wrong to me. Spells are limited in power by level for a reason and poking up a 1st level spell with anythng other than the established means to do so (metamagic feats, with the checks and balances that go with that) could be unbalanced.
That's like saying hitting some one does no damage, it's the weapon that does the damage. It's a completely nonsensical argument put forward simply to be stubborn.
And really, "OMG, I can do +2 more damage on my 10d6 damage attack!"As opposed to what? +2 damage on my 1d10 + 6 damage attack? Obviously we shouldn't be allowed to add bonuses because that would increase the damage! Imagine if mundane attackers had to suffer this kind of "logic."
I've decided to go with reach spell and spontaneous metafocus as my first two feats. Along with the magical lineage trait so that I can cast it at range as a standard action.
Weapon focus says you can take it on rays, but what about ranged touch?
And bummer if improved crit won't work. I was gonna rock the Flame (sub electricity) blade and shocking grasp most of the time.
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Magical lineage trait with intensified spell feat are probably the best long term investments you can do with shocking grasp.
The reason not to pick up non metamagic feats for spells is that the results are lame when compared to a metamagic feat intensive spellcaster build.
At 10 lvl, using a first lvl spell slot you can be doing 5d6 + 2 with +1 to hit on touch with weapon focus / weapon specialisation OR you can be doing, with the same spell slot, 10d6 with spell lineage / intensified spell or even 15d6 with a 3rd lvl spell slot with magical lineage / intensified spell / empower spell.