Alchemist Discovery: Explosive Missile

[Spacelard]

Normal AC or Touch AC attack?
or both... but do the weapon damage if you hit normal AC?

[Drejk]

Quote:

As a standard action, the alchemist can infuse a single arrow, crossbow bolt, or one-handed firearm bullet with the power of his bomb, load the ammunition, and shoot the ranged weapon.

From the bold part I'd say that the explosive missile has to hit regular AC. Upon hit it inflicts normal damage and then acts as if the target was hit with bomb. Miss prevents detonation at all.

[Spacelard]

I agree that if it hits regular AC then both weapon and bomb damage occur. However what I am less sure about is if the "to hit" lands between the Touch AC (needed for a regular bomb) and Regular AC...

[Drejk]

Spacelard wrote:

I agree that if it hits regular AC then both weapon and bomb damage occur. However what I am less sure about is if the "to hit" lands between the Touch AC (needed for a regular bomb) and Regular AC...

Generally there is no such thing as hitting the touch AC while missing normal AC in PF (at least in core rules). You have either normal attack targeting normal AC or touch attack targeting touch AC that results in hit or miss. If the explosive missile was intended to work the way you ask they would specifically state so.

Explosive missile trades easier hit chance for projectile damage and extended range of delivery.

[Spacelard]

Oh well... Splash Weapon Mastery then seems a better option

[Abyssian]

Explosive Missile w/ longbow= roll to hit regular AC at ridiculous range, w/ pistol= roll to hit touch AC in first range increment (same as bomb so just additional damage).

Sounds like you're trying to decide on a feat. What do you have so far?

[Spacelard]

Point Blank & Precise Shot
Precise Bomb
Smoke Bomb
Stink Bomb

Then Splash Weapon Mastery or Explosive Missile...

Leaning towards Splash WM, touch AC seems to be the winner for me...
Going to crunch some numbers....

[Abyssian]

Wings!! If getting run out of town for being a mutant freak doesn't seem likely than wings are awesome!

Between SWM and EM, though, I'd say SWM. EM isn't really as useful as you want it to be but it does give your bombs ridiculous range when using a longbow.

[Dukai]

I think I mostly like the idea of EM in the context of firearms. The sneakiness is that you can load the weapon as part of the action. Therefore, you can fire a single (one handed) firearm bullet in your first range increment for touch AC while providing extra dmg from the bullet as well as bomb damage all wrapped up in a nice standard action package (which sort of makes me question why I took rapid reload now that I think about it...). Now you get a pretty solid burst of damage and get to keep your move action. If only you could stack this trick with vital strike...oh the glorious carnage...

Also, in case you're wondering, I took a 1 level dip in gunslinger before my alch levels.

[Anthony Kane]

Combine Explosive Missile (min 4th level) Alchemist discovery with the 1st level Gunslinger Deed Ability called: Dead Eye. The deed ability specifies no action that is used to activate this ability, only that you must be firing beyond your weapons first range increment to be eligible to resolve it as a Touch AC attack. Explosive missile specifically states that you can infuse your ammunition with the power of your bomb, load it, and shoot it all as 1 standard action.

In my opinion, it is amazing for the Alchemist/Gunslinger hybrid.