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Can the ghost touch weapon special ability be put on a ranged weapon? It is not listed in the ranged weapon special ability chart. If not, does anyone have any idea why? Is there something about it that would seem broken? I was looking at doing an archery style ranger with favored enemy undead. Hoping to get the ghost touch ability on my bow for all the incorpreal undead out there. Thanks for the help.
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The Ghost-touch special ability can only be put on melee weapons.
My guess : because otherwise you can put it on ONE weapon that gives you additional attack (Rapid Shot) and additional damage near equivalent to an additional attack (Manyshot). While a meleist would need to enchant his 2 weapons if he wants additional attacks (throught TWF).
Therefore, the Archer who is already staying far from melee would also become more efficient than any meleist at dealing damage to incorporeal.
Thankfully, the most wondrous and alchemical Weapon Blanches (the Gods' greatest gift to any Archer) include the Ghost Salt (from PFS Field Guide) which gives the same effect as a Ghost-touched weapon to 10 arrows for a mere 200 gp.
That logic (that you can get extra attacks with one weapon) is fairly inconsistent if we compare it to say, cleaving with a greatsword. Extra attack, 1 weapon. The greatsword being 2hed also gives you more damage than a bow typically, thats why manyshot exists, to to bridge the disparity.
I can't tell you the reason, but the previous poster is correct in that it can't work. I don't see it as broken myself, but if its a home game, make a case to your DM.
Luckily, the Incorporeal(Ex or Su) ability says a magic weapon deals half damage to Incorporeal creatures. Ghost Touch just allows for full damage.
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Can the ghost touch weapon special ability be put on a ranged weapon? It is not listed in the ranged weapon special ability chart. If not, does anyone have any idea why? Is there something about it that would seem broken? I was looking at doing an archery style ranger with favored enemy undead. Hoping to get the ghost touch ability on my bow for all the incorpreal undead out there. Thanks for the help.
Reloading Hands the spell can help you out in this situation...sadly its not on your spell list but your friendly Wizard/Sorceror or Magus can use a wand for you. Or you can take the chance with your UMD.
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Another question, I thought I saw blunt arrows somewhere before, but I can't recall where. Do any of you remember seeing this, and where could I find them?
Also, I do not have the PFS Field Guide. How long does the ghost salt stay on the weapon? Is it until they are fired, or does it wear off after time? What type of action is it to apply? Thanks again!
Blunt arrows are in the Advanced Player's Guide.
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Weapon Blanching (originally from the Adventurer's Armory) stays on a weapon until the first time it hits.
It can be applied to a single melee weapon, or 10 pieces of ammo.
Two of many reasons why the blanches are the archer's best friend, since a "dose" of Weapon Blanch is usually cheaper than equivalent arrows of the same type (Adamantine), if they are even available (Ghost Touch).
IIRC, you coat the weapon or ammunition with the blanch, then cook it for 10 rounds over a fire/heat source.
Also, you might want to look at one of the first level spells availble to Rangers, Abundant Ammunition from Ultimate Combat. Sick. Just sick.
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Weapon Blanching (originally from the Adventurer's Armory) stays on a weapon until the first time it hits.
It can be applied to a single melee weapon, or 10 pieces of ammo.
Two of many reasons why the blanches are the archer's best friend, since a "dose" of Weapon Blanch is usually cheaper than equivalent arrows of the same type (Adamantine), if they are even available (Ghost Touch).
IIRC, you coat the weapon or ammunition with the blanch, then cook it for 10 rounds over a fire/heat source.
Also, you might want to look at one of the first level spells availble to Rangers, Abundant Ammunition from Ultimate Combat. Sick. Just sick.
A few precisions : it needs to be cooked for 1 full round (not 10), but "The blanching remains effective until the weapon makes a successful attack."
Thus you can put it on your arrows in downtime.
The only Weapon Blanch which is less cost-effective than the actual material is Cold Iron.
Wait. What?
My summoner support archer has a ghost touch longbow that was given as treasure by the GM! I even slew an incorporeal with it in our last game!
And it's not allowed? Uh oh.
Is this a Pathfinder change? Or has it always been this way?
I wonder if he will allow me to make it undead bane instead...
| 2 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Ghost Touch is on the melee weapons chart and not on the ranged weapons chart, this is true, but certain types of ammunition can be used as melee weapons. Arrows and Bolts can both be used as improvised melee weapons as shown on page 145 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, Bullets and slings can not.
Also, ghost touch arrows have been published in several pathfinder modules, notably the Carrion Crown module path.
Wouldn't this be another option?
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The Ghost-touch special ability can only be put on melee weapons.
My guess : because otherwise you can put it on ONE weapon that gives you additional attack (Rapid Shot) and additional damage near equivalent to an additional attack (Manyshot). While a meleist would need to enchant his 2 weapons if he wants additional attacks (throught TWF).
I agree that something like this was probably the reasoning behind it back when 3.0 came out. Ghost touch probably seemed too powerful to be allowed for ranged weapons since you could enchant a bow and have it effect all the arrows fired from that bow.
A lot of rules and assumptions started in 3.0, were copied into 3.5, and then were copied into Pathfinder (intentionally or unintentionally). Personally I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to enchant a ranged weapon with Ghost Touch. I'd certainly allow it in a home game. At worst I'd make it a +2 enchantment for ranged weapons instead of a +1, since you can get more "bang for your buck" out of it.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
The Ghost-touch special ability can only be put on melee weapons.
My guess : because otherwise you can put it on ONE weapon that gives you additional attack (Rapid Shot) and additional damage near equivalent to an additional attack (Manyshot). While a meleist would need to enchant his 2 weapons if he wants additional attacks (throught TWF).
I agree that something like this was probably the reasoning behind it back when 3.0 came out. Ghost touch probably seemed too powerful to be allowed for ranged weapons since you could enchant a bow and have it effect all the arrows fired from that bow.
A lot of rules and assumptions started in 3.0, were copied into 3.5, and then were copied into Pathfinder (intentionally or unintentionally). Personally I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to enchant a ranged weapon with Ghost Touch. I'd certainly allow it in a home game. At worst I'd make it a +2 enchantment for ranged weapons instead of a +1, since you can get more "bang for your buck" out of it.
As I recall, in 3.0 and 3.5 Incorporeal was a 50% miss chance and not a reduction in damage and the Seeking weapon enhancement bypassed all miss chances. So there was no need to make Ghost Touch work on ranged weapons as there was a better enhancement to choose from. Now in pathfinder the Seeking enhancement doesn't work against Incorporeal and Ghost Touch wasn't changed to reflect this.
Ghost Touch: A ghost touch weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. An incorporeal creature's 50% reduction in damage from corporeal sources does not apply to attacks made against it with ghost touch weapons. The weapon can be picked up and moved by an incorporeal creature at any time. A manifesting ghost can wield the weapon against corporeal foes. Essentially, a ghost touch weapon counts as both corporeal or incorporeal.
I see no word about ghost touch being disallowed on ranged weapons/ammunition. It won't appear as a random quality, but nothing prevents deliberate creation of +3 ghost touch longbow or +1 ghost touch arrow.
| 1 person marked this as FAQ candidate. |
Ghost Touch: A ghost touch weapon deals damage normally against incorporeal creatures, regardless of its bonus. An incorporeal creature's 50% reduction in damage from corporeal sources does not apply to attacks made against it with ghost touch weapons. The weapon can be picked up and moved by an incorporeal creature at any time. A manifesting ghost can wield the weapon against corporeal foes. Essentially, a ghost touch weapon counts as both corporeal or incorporeal.I see no word about ghost touch being disallowed on ranged weapons/ammunition. It won't appear as a random quality, but nothing prevents deliberate creation of +3 ghost touch longbow or +1 ghost touch arrow.
Having looked closer into this, I believe that the only way to determine which ranged weapons transfer their magic weapon special abilities are the ones indicated on the Ranged weapons: special abilities chart. Since Ghost Touch is not on that chart then you can not put it on a bow, crossbow, sling, firearm and so on.
Ammunition that can be used as melee weapons, such as arrows and bolts, appear to be the only way around this. A bundle of 50 +1 ghost touch arrows or bolts would cost 8,007 gold, 1 gp for bundle, 6 gp for masterwork unit, and 8000 gp for magical item costs.
Now I do agree that Weapon Blanch: Ghost Salt is a better option involving cost, that being 200 gp for 10 projectiles, it unfortunately does not get around the rule that an incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage), only the Ghost Touch special weapon quality does.
Having looked closer into this, I believe that the only way to determine which ranged weapons transfer their magic weapon special abilities are the ones indicated on the Ranged weapons: special abilities chart. Since Ghost Touch is not on that chart then you can not put it on a bow, crossbow, sling, firearm and so on.
Ammunition that can be used as melee weapons, such as arrows and bolts, appear to be the only way around this. A bundle of 50 +1 ghost touch arrows or bolts would cost 8,007 gold, 1 gp for bundle, 6 gp for masterwork unit, and 8000 gp for magical item costs.
Now I do agree that Weapon Blanch: Ghost Salt is a better option involving cost, that being 200 gp for 10 projectiles, it unfortunately does not get around the rule that an incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage), only the Ghost Touch special weapon quality does.
Well, I guess because weapon blanch ghost salt is made from the ectoplasmic remains of destroyed incorporeal undead that it might get around the incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage rule. So I amend my previous statement.