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This is perhaps self-evident, and either my player or I am not getting it, but we've had a disagreement on the wording and intent of Spiritual Weapon (and this would likely affect the arcane version, Mage's Sword).
The weapon always strikes from your direction.
I read that as something similar to Interposing Hand. The caster designates a target, and the weapon will place itself between the caster and the target, striking the target "from the caster's direction". Allowances are made if there are other allies/enemies/obstacles in a particular square, but the intent is that it will strike from whatever direction the caster happens to be.
My player, who also DMs on alternating weeks, doesn't agree. He wanted to place the spiritual weapon BEHIND the target (as it related to his actual direction). Which would essentially have the spiritual weapon strike TOWARD the caster's direction, rather than FROM the caster's direction. When arguing his side, he seemed to think that by disallowing his desired placement, that negated the allowance of the Range of the spell (Medium range). I disagreed, as it allows you to direct the weapon to any target within medium range. Just that...it should be placed in a square between the caster and the target.
I suppose the intent could be more in the line of "at your direction", where direction isn't so much a mapped ordinal direction (north, south, etc), but more in the line of it acts as you direct it. If you don't direct it, it doesn't choose a new target for itself, so you must do it yourself. But, to me, that would be "at your direction", not "from your direction".
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A weapon made of force appears and attacks foes at a distance, as you direct it, dealing 1d8 force damage per hit, + 1 point per three caster levels (maximum +5 at 15th level). …. It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so for example, it can damage creatures that have damage reduction. …. The weapon always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the weapon. If the weapon goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers.
You are correct, but it really does not matter. Spiritual Weapon does not get or provide flanking bonuses, nor is it affected by your actions or feats. This also means that you or someone else is not affect by its actions. So even if it did work the way you player thinks it does, they would get absolutely no benefit from it doing so.
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I read that as something similar to Interposing Hand. The caster designates a target, and the weapon will place itself between the caster and the target, striking the target "from the caster's direction". Allowances are made if there are other allies/enemies/obstacles in a particular square, but the intent is that it will strike from whatever direction the caster happens to be.
You are mostly right, except for the 'allowances' bit.
There is no indication in the spell text that this weapon actually occupies a space, so there is little need for such allowances: Offhand, I'd say the 'weapon' is just on the outer edge of the target's own square (note that if the target moves, the 'weapon' seems to follow for free).
I suspect the 'strikes from your direction' rule is just meant to give the target an clear indication of where the pesky caster is...
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if it (the spiritual weapon) goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers.
A large or larger enemy will probably hide the weapon if you cast it on the other side of the attacked target. A smaller enemy with a good Spellcraft can even take advantage of that, spending a move action to cover your sight of the weapon and forcing you into redirecting it every round (and that limits it to a single attack/round).
If the weapon, instead, always stays between the enemy and the caster that kind of maneuver is way more difficult.Note that the spell target isn't the enemy.
You decide the location where the weapon appears, so you need a Line of Sight to that location.
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Sadly the range of the spell is quite limited and a withdraw will likely move a target out of range.
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Medium range (100' + 10'/CL) is actually a pretty decent, and a double movement withdraw action won't get most foes out of range unless you are really keeping your distance to start with (or they have really fast movement)...
That being said, the entire original question is kinda moot because which direction you attack from is essentially meaningless...
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or you're in most terrains or a building...Medium range (100' + 10'/CL) is actually a pretty decent, and a double movement withdraw action won't get most foes out of range unless you are really keeping your distance to start with (or they have really fast movement......
Sadly the range of the spell is quite limited and a withdraw will likely move a target out of range.
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True, but that has nothing to do with the actual range...