Regarding stirges and, seperately, reducing spell duration

[LucyG92]

I have two completely separate questions but didn't want to make too many threads:

1. If a Stirge is latched onto a character, does the victim have to make an attack roll in order to hit it with a weapon? I would say yes, but my husband believes it should be an automatic hit as they're stationary.

2. Can a spellcaster voluntarily reduce the duration/damage of their spells?

[Nekrotanos]

LucyG92 wrote:

I have two completely separate questions but didn't want to make too many threads:

1. If a Stirge is latched onto a character, does the victim have to make an attack roll in order to hit it with a weapon? I would say yes, but my husband believes it should be an automatic hit as they're stationary.

2. Can a spellcaster voluntarily reduce the duration/damage of their spells?

1. You would still have to make an attack roll, you can view it as trying not to cut your own face off. I believe they might also have the blinded condition, not sure about that bit though.

2. I know they can do this for crafting, they might be able to do it for casting as well. I am not sure about that one as I have never tried to do it myself.

[Halek]

Yes they have to make an attack. They dont magically lose their ac.

I am assuming you are not using any metamagic or feats. No. You cant use burning hands as pepperspray knowing you wont kill ths crowd of people. Look into merciful spell metamagic if you want to do that.

[Nekrotanos]

Nekrotanos wrote:

LucyG92 wrote:

I have two completely separate questions but didn't want to make too many threads:

1. If a Stirge is latched onto a character, does the victim have to make an attack roll in order to hit it with a weapon? I would say yes, but my husband believes it should be an automatic hit as they're stationary.

2. Can a spellcaster voluntarily reduce the duration/damage of their spells?

1. You would still have to make an attack roll, you can view it as trying not to cut your own face off. I believe they might also have the blinded condition, not sure about that bit though.

2. I know they can do this for crafting, they might be able to do it for casting as well. I am not sure about that one as I have never tried to do it myself.

Nevermind on the blinded part, that would be more of a house rule if you did it. The stirge doesn't do that to you by the ability as it is written. As for them being stationary, that is reflected by them losing their dex bonus to AC, as the dex bonus shows their ability to move out of the way.

[Nekrotanos]

Halek wrote:

Yes they have to make an attack. They dont magically lose their ac.

I am assuming you are not using any metamagic or feats. No. You cant use burning hands as pepperspray knowing you wont kill ths crowd of people. Look into merciful spell metamagic if you want to do that.

Are you sure about that? I think you are able to bring it down to the minimum CL of the spell.

Edit: Found a link for it. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic#TOC-Caster-Level

[Halek]

Nekrotanos wrote:

Halek wrote:

Yes they have to make an attack. They dont magically lose their ac.

I am assuming you are not using any metamagic or feats. No. You cant use burning hands as pepperspray knowing you wont kill ths crowd of people. Look into merciful spell metamagic if you want to do that.

Are you sure about that? I think you are able to bring it down to the minimum CL of the spell.

Edit: Found a link for it. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic#TOC-Caster-Level

Yes by reducing your caster level you can drop the damage for some spells. However you cant decide to drop the damage after a spell has been cast. No fireballing commoners and not killing them. Burning hands was a bag example.

[Nekrotanos]

Halek wrote:

Nekrotanos wrote:

Halek wrote:

Yes they have to make an attack. They dont magically lose their ac.

I am assuming you are not using any metamagic or feats. No. You cant use burning hands as pepperspray knowing you wont kill ths crowd of people. Look into merciful spell metamagic if you want to do that.

Are you sure about that? I think you are able to bring it down to the minimum CL of the spell.

Edit: Found a link for it. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic#TOC-Caster-Level

Yes by reducing your caster level you can drop the damage for some spells. However you cant decide to drop the damage after a spell has been cast. No fireballing commoners and not killing them. Burning hands was a bag example.

I though you were talking about just the cl dice, but yeah if you are talking about reducing damage after it is rolled, you can't reduce that.

[LucyG92]

Thanks. Regarding the second question, no, we didn't mean after the dice roll.