Can a caster target a specific piece of equipment his opponent is wearing or holding, to hit with a disintegrate spell?
A spell may target an item and that item then gets a saving throw. If it is a magic item it can use the person's save or its own whichever is better.
An item attended by a character (being grasped, touched, or worn) makes saving throws as the character (that is, using the character’s saving throw bonus).
Magic items always get saving throws. A magic item’s Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save bonuses are equal to 2 + half its caster level. An attended magic item either makes saving throws as its owner or uses its own saving throw bonus, whichever is better.
Unfortunately, I can find no method to actually target an attended object with a ranged attack roll. Normally it would require a melee attack roll via Sunder. I will continue looking.
Edit: I have finished looking, no luck. Perhaps you can ask James Jacobs in his thread.
- Gauss
I think you can per these rules from the Additional Rules section of the CRB:
Smashing an Object
Smashing a weapon or shield with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon is accomplished with the sunder combat maneuver (see Combat). Smashing an object is like sundering a weapon or shield, except that your combat maneuver check is opposed by the object's AC. Generally, you can smash an object only with a bludgeoning or slashing weapon.Armor Class: Objects are easier to hit than creatures because they don't usually move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. An object's Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier (see Table: Size and Armor Class of Objects) + its Dexterity modifier. An inanimate object has not only a Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty to AC), but also an additional –2 penalty to its AC. Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.
Hardness: Each object has hardness—a number that represents how well it resists damage. When an object is damaged, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object's hit points (see Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points, Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points, and Table: Object Hardness and Hit Points).
Hit Points: An object's hit point total depends on what it is made of and how big it is (see Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points, Table: Substance Hardness and Hit Points, and Table: Object Hardness and Hit Points). Objects that take damage equal to or greater than half their total hit points gain the broken condition (see Conditions). When an object's hit points reach 0, it's ruined.
Very large objects have separate hit point totals for different sections.
Energy Attacks: Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.
Ranged Weapon Damage: Objects take half damage from ranged weapons (unless the weapon is a siege engine or something similar). Divide the damage dealt by 2 before applying the object's hardness.
Ineffective Weapons: Certain weapons just can't effectively deal damage to certain objects. For example, a bludgeoning weapon cannot be used to damage a rope. Likewise, most melee weapons have little effect on stone walls and doors, unless they are designed for breaking up stone, such as a pick or hammer.
Immunities: Objects are immune to nonlethal damage and to critical hits. Even animated objects, which are otherwise considered creatures, have these immunities.
Magic Armor, Shields, and Weapons: Each +1 of enhancement bonus adds 2 to the hardness of armor, a weapon, or a shield, and +10 to the item's hit points.
Vulnerability to Certain Attacks: Certain attacks are especially successful against some objects. In such cases, attacks deal double their normal damage and may ignore the object's hardness.
Damaged Objects: A damaged object remains functional with the broken condition until the item's hit points are reduced to 0, at which point it is destroyed.
Damaged (but not destroyed) objects can be repaired with the Craft skill and a number of spells.
Saving Throws: Nonmagical, unattended items never make saving throws. They are considered to have failed their saving throws, so they are always fully affected by spells and other attacks that allow saving throws to resist or negate. An item attended by a character (being grasped, touched, or worn) makes saving throws as the character (that is, using the character's saving throw bonus).
Magic items always get saving throws. A magic item's Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save bonuses are equal to 2 + half its caster level. An attended magic item either makes saving throws as its owner or uses its own saving throw bonus, whichever is better.
Animated Objects: Animated objects count as creatures for purposes of determining their Armor Class (do not treat them as inanimate objects).
Key points: The items AC will be 10+Size Mod+DEX. An Unholy Symbol is likely Tiny or Diminuitive. As the item is attended, you would probably utilize the wielder's DEX mod. I would probably rule that it has cover if it's in-hand.
The item will then get a Saving Throw at the wielder's bonus.
Key points: The items AC will be 10+Size Mod+DEX. An Unholy Symbol is likely Tiny or Diminuitive. As the item is attended, you would probably utilize the wielder's DEX mod. I would probably rule that it has cover if it's in-hand.
The item will then get a Saving Throw at the wielder's bonus.
This is how I would run it too. From the days of 3.5, the PHB stated: "A carried or worn object’s AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character."
Although I'm thinking it would be size diminutive or even fine and you couldn't claim cover.
It any case I think we've left strict rules-as-written and entered GM judgment.
Can a caster target a specific piece of equipment his opponent is wearing or holding, to hit with a disintegrate spell?
I imagine a called shot mechanic can be deduced, but I would simply say nein to the thought.
There are a number of called shot feats (trip, sunder), abilities (gunslingers hitting torso for a larger critical threat range), et cetera that allow for accurate shooting, and what's good for the goose...hello take a gander at what my bad guys will do back to you.
A dozen baddies specifically slashing to destroy magical items would be 7 levels of suck.
That's how I would rule in my game.
On to the next question!
What if you'd miss? Would you hit the person wearing the unholy symbol? Would you need precise shot?
Those are easy. No and No.
You can't hit cover or anyone accidentally with a ray so do problem with that. Precise Shot should help if the wielder is in melee but is not needed.
"Armor Class: Objects are easier to hit than creatures because they don't usually move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. An object's Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier (see Table: Size and Armor Class of Objects) + its Dexterity modifier. An inanimate object has not only a Dexterity of 0 (–5 penalty to AC), but also an additional –2 penalty to its AC. Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon."
Those rules are for objects not on a person.
For something on a person, you shoul probably be attacking CMD as if it were a sunder attempt. Either that or the [creature's full AC - armor and natural armor bonus (but shield would apply, IMO) - creature's size modifier + object's size modifier] should be the AC value you have to beat.
It should not be that stupidly easy to hit a small object on a moving creature's person.
Why are you wasting such a high level spell to Disintegrate the unholy symbol when you could just use a level 2 and Shatter it?
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Why are you wasting such a high level spell to Disintegrate the unholy symbol when you could just use a level 2 and Shatter it?
Just a side note, not rules related. If you have never done this, or GM hasn't done it, be careful. Sometimes using a spell creatively is awesome and good thinking. Sometimes though, it turns into a tactic that can be no fun. imagine every battle turning into "who can destroy the clerics holy symbol first" especially when the cleric is on your side.
I think worn objects can only be targeted with melee attack roles. Otherwise that melee line in sunder is useless. Either you can sunder(destroy items) with a ranged attack or you can not.
Which was how I read it Wraithstrike. The rules on object AC do not indicate they are used while a person is carrying the item.
I did not have time last night to look up the 3.5 version. Perhaps I would go with that but then I would be in house rule territory.
- Gauss
I have no problem allowing a "ranged sunder" with a disintigrate. I just don't like using straight CMD, because it includes strength (why does that help?) and INVERTS the size modifier so that shooting a big creature's gear is harder than shooting a smaller creature's gear. That one is really ridiculous.
I do also think if your attack roll is high enough to touch the creature but failed to hit the object's AC/CMD/whatever, you hit the creature instead. :)
most smart clerics will have a tattoo holy/unholy symbol, so you cannot easily take away their ability to cast spells :)