Jolting Surge and "Electrical Devices"

[Peet]

The text of the Jolting Surge spell says:

Quote:

...Alternatively, you can instead touch an electrical device a target is wearing (or a target that is an electrical device, such as a robot) with your hand, gaining a +2 bonus to your attack roll.

So I am wondering:

1. All armor has a life support system that will work in space and has a built in personal comm unit. Does Armor count as an "electrical device?" My instinct says it wasn't intended to... but I'm not sure.

2. Since touching an electrical device is listed as an option the caster has when casting the spell, does the caster have to identify that there is such a device on the target's person to be able to use this option? Or does the option work even if the caster doesn't know if the target has any such devices?

The spell is clearly based on shocking grasp but shocking grasp was much clearer in intent.

[Pantshandshake]

1. Sure, any powered armor (read: Not archaic, in case that exists now) is an electrical device. Up to you and your GM how you determine if the target is wearing armor that is powered. (Note: I don't mean Power Armor, I mean any armor with a battery.)

2. You'd have to identify an electrical device, or just try and touch something and hope, I guess. Unless you've got a very permissive DM, who might just tell you after you say you're casting that the target has an acceptable device and gives you the +2.

[Metaphysician]

I don't see any reason why armor can't be intended. People wearing archaic armor exist ( exploring undeveloped worlds ), as do many and sundry creatures that wear no armor at all.

[Peet]

Metaphysician wrote:

I don't see any reason why armor can't be intended. People wearing archaic armor exist ( exploring undeveloped worlds ), as do many and sundry creatures that wear no armor at all.

The reason it seems weird to me is that normally you wouldn't have to specify that you were touching the target's armor rather than the target, because the armor covers most of the important parts of the body. You wouldn't need to identify the electrical item and touch that because the target is covered by an electrical item.

The shocking grasp spell just says you get a bonus if the target is wearing metal armor, but you don't have to know that the target has such armor on, nor do you have to specify that you are targeting the armor.

[Pantshandshake]

Yes, but this isn't pathfinder. The target's armor could be some wristbands and a pair of boots.

And since the spell gives you a choice of how to complete it, whether touching the target's item or using your own, I feel like you have to actually make that choice. I'm not saying you need to use perception to see what the target has, and then some kind of knowledge check to see if there's a battery in there, but maybe all my time in 2E D&D has drilled into my head that a player's description of what they want to do is almost as important as what they're actually doing.