As I am unclear on the rules, I was looking for clarification.
It is rare that I think I was robbed by a GM ruling but in last weeks game, my wizard (w/ eschew somatic comp., eschew materials), was being swallowed whole by a really big fish (size Large).
I wanted to cast shocking grasp (5d6 at my level, 7) on the fish. I made a concentration check.
Now, the GM makes me roll the touch attack.
I think I should get a least a bonus to it, if not an automatic hit, because I am already touching it, being half in the mouth.
I make the roll and just fail it. I am kind of annoyed and he explains to me that I am being successfully grappled, and therefore can't make the attack.
This doesn't make sense to me.
Any thoughts? I am I off base here?
The GM is always right (except when he's wrong).
It's not absurd to deny the player an automatic hit - you do need to bring your hand into position. After all: if any you touch would qualify at the target, you'd just as likely shock your pants off or something. The AC of a creature that's effectively all around you should be pretty ridiculously low though.
I didn't think it was absurd. I just felt that It should have pretty easy to touch something in the process of swallowing you.
What is "RAW"? And what do you mean about holding the charge? While not a noob to RPGs and Pathfinder, I am new to the boards and our group I pretty insular.
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"Rules as Written".
Holding the Charge: If you don't discharge the spell in the round when you cast the spell, you can hold the charge indefinitely. You can continue to make touch attacks round after round. If you touch anything or anyone while holding a charge, even unintentionally, the spell discharges. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates. You can touch one friend as a standard action or up to six friends as a full-round action. Alternatively, you may make a normal unarmed attack (or an attack with a natural weapon) while holding a charge. In this case, you aren't considered armed and you provoke attacks of opportunity as normal for the attack. If your unarmed attack or natural weapon attack normally doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, neither does this attack. If the attack hits, you deal normal damage for your unarmed attack or natural weapon and the spell discharges. If the attack misses, you are still holding the charge.
I never said it was a normal situation for spell casting, LaxarX. Incidentally, I made a pretty steep concentration check to even cast the spell.
That wasn't the issue. And frankly, if that had been where the GM had chosen to draw the line, I'd have been more understanding. But since he let me cast after making the concentration check, I don' t think that's the issue.
Thanks.
Blackbloodtroll,
Thanks. I've seen RAW around the past few weeks but didn't get it.
How could you not touch it? Seriously, ask him if you tried to not touch the fish (while being swallowed) how would you do it?
How could you not touch it? Seriously, ask him if you tried to not touch the fish (while being swallowed) how would you do it?You're being touched all the time in combat. The key thing is making that SOLID touch that matters.
If by some miracle you miss touching something that you're INSIDE then you just hold the charge and hit it next round. Point being you can touch it solidly by flailing.
It was not any sort of GM overreach. Yeah, a more lenient GM might give you a bonus to hit because you're being swallowed. A less lenient GM might have given you a penalty because your arms might be pinned...
The GM did fine.
"was being swallowed whole"
Well, if you haven't been swallowed YET, then you're just being grappled at this point. The GM ran it correctly by the rules and there's really no reason to run it differently.
If you've already been swallowed and are inside the creature, the Swallow Whole ability says that you retain the Grappled condition, which means the GM ran it RAW. I might have given a +2 to the touch attack.