Protoplasm - how is the attack resolved?

[jbadams]

I'm wondering exactly how the Protoplasm spell-like ability from the Protean Sorcerer bloodline (Advanced Player's Guide, pg. 138, or online in the PRD) works.

From the PRD wrote:

Protoplasm (Sp): At 1st level, you can create a ball of entropic protoplasm and hurl it at targets within 30 feet. This protoplasm acts as a tanglefoot bag that also inflicts 1 point of acid damage per round to a creature entangled by it. The protoplasm dissolves within 1d3 rounds. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

My Question: How is the attack portion of this ability resolved?

The function of the ability is very clear -- it acts like a tanglefoot bag except for some well defined differences. What I'm unsure of from the wording is how the actual attack works -- do I:

• make a ranged touch attack with a range of 30 ft.
  
• summon the protoplasm ball and then make a regular ranged attack, using the normal 10 ft. range increments for a tanglefoot bag.
  
• summon the protoplasm ball and then make a regular ranged attack, but without the 10 ft. range increments.
  
• just pick a target and the attack auto-hits like a Magic Missile (unlikely!).
  

I think the ranged touch attack is most likely, but I'm not sure based on the wording and would like to clarify -- my searching only turned up this similar question from 2012, which unfortunately went unanswered.

This is my first post here, I hope it's ok to jump straight in with a query. Thanks!

[Just a Guess]

Welcome. For the first post it is well done, including links and quotes.

Best bet is to use it as a tanglefoot bag.

Tanglefoot bag wrote:

A tanglefoot bag is a small sack filled with tar, resin, and other sticky substances. When you throw a tanglefoot bag at a creature (as a ranged touch attack with a range increment of 10 feet), the bag comes apart and goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air.

So a ranged touch attack with 10ft range increment.

[Sneaky Snake]

Think it only behaves as a tangle foot bag in regards to its effect on hit, not its range, Protoplasm is a 30 foot ranged touch attack with no range increment, same as most other 1st lvl bloodline ability ranged attacks.

[jbadams]

Thanks for the responses! Unfortunately with a vote either way that still leaves me with the question unresolved, as I can see either of those being perfectly valid answers.

Anyone else want to weigh in? Or can either of you point to an official ruling or lengthier/more-conclusive discussion on a similar ability that might be applied here? I've been scouring message boards and rule books for something I could apply to no avail!

Obviously treating it exactly as a tanglefoot bag is the most conservative response -- and that's what I'll do in absence of a more definitive decesion -- but I feel that makes it a rather underpowered ability compared to those granted by other bloodlines at the same level.

[Just a Guess]

As it gives the 30ft range (which I missed earlier) it seems the sneaky snake has it right.

[jbadams]

Thanks again for the responses; we're going with the 30 ft. ranged touch attack with no range increment.

[Hymn of Entropic Electrons]

I would agree with the Sneaky Snake. That's how I handle it myself.