RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Alright, question here for a high-risk situation. Picture this:
I'm standing adjacent to an enemy that I want to hit with my flask of alchemist's fire (perhaps I've been disarmed of other weapons, or whatever). Stepping back to throw isn't an option, perhaps due to being in a narrow hallway with allies lined up behind me. Maybe I even have a flanking buddy on the other side of this baddy, and another ally beyond him. So we're lined up in a hallway, with X as the bad guy, M as me, and O as my allies:
OMXOO
Can I just smash the fire into the baddy's face as a melee attack, or does it have to be a ranged attack? Avoiding an AoO is not my only reason for wanting to do it as a melee attack. If I miss, I have to pick a random direction and I miss by 10 feet in that direction. Meaning there are two allies I could hit, one of them being behind me, despite my target being right in my face. That just seems wrong. Naturally, I'm willing to take the splash damage if I hit. That seems much more reasonable than potentially throwing the flask behind my own back, you know?
I'm sure many GMs would houserule this issue into non-existence (and I would support that), but as I play almost exclusively PFS, I need a "by the book" response. Is there any non-houserule way to melee attack with Alch. Fire?
You likely could resolve it as an attack with an improvised weapon (ranged used in melee) where you and the target take hit damage (your hand on the flask as it's breaking is pretty fair) and splash damage averted. If you miss the melee attack, then it might scatter as normal.
I don't think it would be a melee touch attack though.
I'm sure many GMs would houserule this issue into non-existence (and I would support that), but as I play almost exclusively PFS, I need a "by the book" response. Is there any non-houserule way to melee attack with Alch. Fire?
Sure there is. Improvised weapon. You would take a -4 to hit, it's no longer a touch attack but rather a normal melee attack. An alchemist's fire is a flask that weighs 1 lb. about the same as a gauntlet so, 1d3 damage from smashing the bottle over their head, normal alchemist's fire damage (1d6) to them and splash to yourself and everyone adjacent to the enemy as normal.
Can I just smash the fire into the baddy's face as a melee attack, or does it have to be a ranged attack? Avoiding an AoO is not my only reason for wanting to do it as a melee attack. If I miss, I have to pick a random direction and I miss by 10 feet in that direction. Meaning there are two allies I could hit, one of them being behind me, despite my target being right in my face. That just seems wrong. Naturally, I'm willing to take the splash damage if I hit. That seems much more reasonable than potentially throwing the flask behind my own back, you know?
I will also suggest that you and your GM reread page 202 of the Core Rulebook. You don't miss by ten feet. You miss by one square per range increment. Throwing into an adjacent square is a single range increment so the worst you could do is land it in your own square, it would never end up behind you. It then does splash damage in that square and all adjacent squares, so you could potentially splash the square behind you, the flask would never hit that square or your ally directly.
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RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Can I just smash the fire into the baddy's face as a melee attack, or does it have to be a ranged attack? Avoiding an AoO is not my only reason for wanting to do it as a melee attack. If I miss, I have to pick a random direction and I miss by 10 feet in that direction. Meaning there are two allies I could hit, one of them being behind me, despite my target being right in my face. That just seems wrong. Naturally, I'm willing to take the splash damage if I hit. That seems much more reasonable than potentially throwing the flask behind my own back, you know?I will also suggest that you and your GM reread page 202 of the Core Rulebook. You don't miss by ten feet. You miss by one square per range increment. Throwing into an adjacent square is a single range increment so the worst you could do is land it in your own square, it would never end up behind you. It then does splash damage in that square and all adjacent squares, so you could potentially splash the square behind you, the flask would never hit that square or your ally directly.
Oh, whoops, I missed the word "square" and thought it just said it missed by one range increment. My bad, and thanks for the catch!
I'm sure many GMs would houserule this issue into non-existence (and I would support that), but as I play almost exclusively PFS, I need a "by the book" response. Is there any non-houserule way to melee attack with Alch. Fire?Sure there is. Improvised weapon. You would take a -4 to hit, it's no longer a touch attack but rather a normal melee attack. An alchemist's fire is a flask that weighs 1 lb. about the same as a gauntlet so, 1d3 damage from smashing the bottle over their head, normal alchemist's fire damage (1d6) to them and splash to yourself and everyone adjacent to the enemy as normal.
+1