Scenario:
Party shrouded in fog that grants 20% concealment to all 5 feet away, and 50% to those further away.
Cleric wants to touch his companion adjacent to him with a cure spell.
Is the touch subject to the miss chance?
As DM, I ruled that it was, under the logic that CLW is a touch spell that your target isn't trying to avoid, maybe actively groping toward, which is why you don't roll to-hit, but it still functions like a touch attack otherwise, and the concealment should make it just as hard to touch someone with a cure spell as it would to touch someone with an Inflict spell.
There was a little argument about this at the table, so I'd like to get a sense of the prevailing opinion/actual ruling on this for the eventuality of this occurring again in the future.
You could also ask "What if the target has Mirror Image up?"
I think concealment is the same for all. But if the recipient actively helps buy holding out a hand or something then no miss chance.
I would say no but I can't back it with a rules quote.
i lack a quote, directly related to this:
but, you can lower any of your defenses at will (ie: auto-fail) even for something like a fireball, I don't see how a harmless spell would be a problem. CLW usually requires no attack roll, either so I would say no for that reason too. you could cast a spell into total concealment with no issue, and the spell wouldn't discharge UNTIL you touched someone.
There is no rule for it, but the defense is still up, and don't know which target is the real one. Realistically, I would think you have to account for concealment and mirror image.
even if those are in place, the spell wouldn't be discharged.
and mirror image specifically says only affects attacks requiring a roll.
even if those are in place, the spell wouldn't be discharged.
and mirror image specifically says only affects attacks requiring a roll.
I never said it would be discharged. Cure is a touch(may or may not require an attack roll) spell. There is just no rules precedent since this was likely overlooked. With mirror image I am nice about it. I was just making a point that I would understand if a GM did rule the other way.
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looking at RAW concealment would not apply (in fact it appears you can touch a friend without requiring a miss chance even if you are both blind ie total concealment). If you read under combat, concealment only applies to attacks:
"Concealment gives the subject of a successful attack a 20% chance that the attacker missed because of the concealment"
(you could argue that cure spells are attacks, but then your players should start rolling to hit rolls every time they cast one, and get double healing when they crit)
that aside, logically speaking I'd say a gm is justified in making the players roll depending on the circumstances. Combat takes place in 5 foot squares. If you have to lunge through 5 feet of fog to hit someone actively avoiding you, makes sense to have a miss chance. If you are both willing and walk right up to each other, doesn't make much sense. If it's pitch black then you are groping around in the dark and it makes sense to roll concealment for both friend and foe.