Does an opponent being engaged by Spiritual Weapon count as being "in melee" for the purposes of determining whether or not said opponent can be attacked at range without penalty? The spell description indicates "no" to me, but a developer opinion would be really helpful.
Does an opponent being engaged by Spiritual Weapon count as being "in melee" for the purposes of determining whether or not said opponent can be attacked at range without penalty? The spell description indicates "no" to me, but a developer opinion would be really helpful.
Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: "If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other."
The Spiritual Weapon is not a character.
Shooting or Throwing into a Melee: "If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other."
The Spiritual Weapon is not a character.
To add to that, the spiritual weapon can't be attacked, and does not threaten, so is also not in melee.
To add to that, the spiritual weapon can't be attacked, and does not threaten, so is also not in melee.
Technically, it threatens, but does not grant flanking.
"You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack"
But because it's not a creature or character, you can't flank with it.
Technically, it threatens, but does not grant flanking.
"You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack"
But because it's not a creature or character, you can't flank with it.
The Spiritual Weapon strikes "as a spell, not a weapon" and thus does not make a melee attack into any square, at any time, no matter the visual manifestation of the spell's energy.
The Spiritual Weapon strikes "as a spell, not a weapon" and thus does not make a melee attack into any square, at any time, no matter the visual manifestation of the spell's energy.
You're right, especially as it can be a ranged weapon. It never states melee attack, just attack.
Here's a question: "The weapon always strikes from your direction." Does the weapon move to a square and attack, staying in that square unless moved (or the target moves)? Or does it zip out, hit, then return to you between attacks? (Like a Spectral Hand)
It could be relevant because the weapon can be targeted with disintegrate, which could target the creature being attacked, but not the caster. If the weapon returns between attacks, then it can't be hit without a readied action.
Can the creature being attacked hit the weapon with his rod of cancellation? What if it's a ranged spiritual weapon?
You're right, especially as it can be a ranged weapon. It never states melee attack, just attack.
Here's a question: "The weapon always strikes from your direction." Does the weapon move to a square and attack, staying in that square unless moved (or the target moves)? Or does it zip out, hit, then return to you between attacks? (Like a Spectral Hand)
It could be relevant because the weapon can be targeted with disintegrate, which could target the creature being attacked, but not the caster. If the weapon returns between attacks, then it can't be hit without a readied action.
Can the creature being attacked hit the weapon with his rod of cancellation? What if it's a ranged spiritual weapon?
Interesting scenarios. I found this:
If the weapon goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers.
which seems to indicate that it does not return between every attack. Maybe "always attach from your direction" is more fluff than mechanics?
I really don't know. We've always played it so that the weapons hovers near the target between strikes, following the target for free if the target moves, but I've never had a player use it to manifest a ranged weapon--it's never come up, so I don't really know what to do. Does the "base" weapon stay near the caster and fire a "bolt" of force to the target for each attack? I think that's what I'd rule, if I were the GM.
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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I always figured the "from your direction" bit was just for things like cover.
For instance, if there's an edge of a wall between me and my target such that they'd have cover from me if I walked straight toward them, I don't get to have my spiritual weapon move a quarter-circle over to the left to get a clean shot - it strikes from my direction. Basically, the weapon will always be directly between me and my target.
Similarly, if I'm invisible, a clever target could simply walk toward the spiritual weapon and know that he was heading in my direction.