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Persistent touch spells like Chill Touch are touch range so technically you can enhance them with Reach metamagic to make them ranged attacks. My opinion would be that it would end up working like Produce Flame, with no duration except that it would end when you cast another spell. On the other hand, Chill Touch relies on the Holding the Charge rules to function so maybe you'd only get one strike and then it would dissipate. On the other hand, chill touch just says that it targets one touch creature per level, so maybe adding range to it would mean you could target a whole bunch of creatures with Chill Touch's effect at once. Overall, its confusing and if people could offer their opinions on this topic (or point me to a thread where this has been discussed before since my searchfu failed) I would be appreciative.
My gut feeling is "Very good things".
It should let you do all the touches at range.
I would think that you would be able to deliver each charge (separately) as a ranged touch attack, instead of a normal touch attack.
Persistent touch spells like Chill Touch are touch range so technically you can enhance them with Reach metamagic to make them ranged attacks. My opinion would be that it would end up working like Produce Flame, with no duration except that it would end when you cast another spell. On the other hand, Chill Touch relies on the Holding the Charge rules to function so maybe you'd only get one strike and then it would dissipate. On the other hand, chill touch just says that it targets one touch creature per level, so maybe adding range to it would mean you could target a whole bunch of creatures with Chill Touch's effect at once. Overall, its confusing and if people could offer their opinions on this topic (or point me to a thread where this has been discussed before since my searchfu failed) I would be appreciative.
I would rule that you could still hold the charges. You'd still get a free one when you cast, and on later rounds you'd be able to shoot them at BAB. But my ruling is generous compared to RAW.
RAW I think you'd just get one free attack when you cast it, and you wouldn't be able to hold the charge at all. To be able to fire them all simultaneously, it would need text specifically saying this like in Scorching Ray. To be able to hold the charges, we'd need rules for holding ranged charges. Essentially, talk to your GM about it and see if he/she is willing to make any rules concessions for it. If not, then Reach Chill Touch isn't a good spell and you should avoid it.
My copy of UC is downstairs, but I think the myrmidarch magus archetype might have some special rules letting it hold ranged touches. Not sure if the wording would allow it to work with this, but you might want to check it out.
I keep having problems with persistent touch spells. The rules for how they work are unclear. Even the way we know they're supposed to work, one standard action touch attack per round, isn't explicitly stated in the text, leaving the spell open for all sorts of odd interpretations. I'm going to FAQ this, but I'd still like to hear opinions from other people here.
The touch spells specifically aren't standard actions. They can be used to make attacks of opportunity.
I can't see any action to treat them like except attacks without creating yet another quasi catagory of action.
“Armed” Unarmed Attacks: Sometimes a character's or creature's unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed (see natural attacks).
Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense (the character can make attacks of opportunity).