I apologize if this is not the correct forum to ask this question, but I couldn't figure out a better one.
I'm curious to know what unarmed ranged attacks are available out there. There are a number of builds where such a thing is potentially useful, after all. I'm particularly interested to know about any agile unarmed ranged attacks, for the swashbuckler tie-in.
The ones I know of:
- Kitsune foxfire (lvl 1 ancestry feat). 1d4 fire damage, max range 20.
Generally unimpressive, but we keep trying to find ways to make it useful.
- Leshy Seedpod (lvl 1 ancestry feat). deals 1d4 damage (like foxfire) but with a range increment of 10 rather than a hard max of 20. Again, generally unimpressive... even if you count in the unusual set of critical effects.
- Goblin scalding spit (lvl 9 ancestry feat that requires a lvl 5 ancestry feat that requires charhide heritage. Must be on fire): Quite a lot of effort to go to to get 1d6 fire damage at range 30.
- Wild Winds Stance (lvl 8 monk focus spell. Requires that you take one of two lvl 1 monk feats that unlock monk focus spells. spell provides a stance that enables the attack) 1t's a 1d6 damage ranged unarmed attack that doesn't require being on fire. That's nice. It's agile, which is also nice. The fact that anyone who isn't a monk is going to have to wait until level 16 for it is less nice.
- Automaton Energy Beam (lvl 1 ancestry feat): apparently, lvl 1 ancestry feat ranged unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage. This one also has a moderately interesting critical effect.
- Automaton Core Cannon (lvl 17 ancestry feat): once per day, you can spend a single fight transformed such that you are immobile, and able to attack with what is effectively a d8-based ranged unarmed attack (fire). Again does ongoing damage on crit. It comes very late, though, the interaction with handwraps is a bit odd, and the fact that it's only one encounter per day means that you also have to have other answers.
These aren't unarmed ranged attacks but 'runner ups':
Deviant Abilities - Blasting Beams aren't identified as unarmed but, could be useful for a limited switch hitter that is melee focused (still likely dex to hit with it).
Mind Smith - With some GM haggling you could probably get a 1d6 finesse unarmed strike (e.g., phantom teeth or phantom claws) and then make it ranged with the L8 feat.
Also the automation energy beam can go to 1d6 with another L9 feat.
Blasting Beams are more spell-like than anything. They're even on a weird form of an n-per-day limit. Good catch on the automaton, though. That's the easiest d6 ranged unarmed yet.
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The problem I have with ranged unarmed attacks is a rules one.
Example Fire Shield. Which will still trigger on a ranged unarmed attack. But it probably shouldn't.
Most of the time there is an implicit assumption by the authors that ranged unarmed attacks aren't a thing. So it is going to require some patching by GMs.
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Sprites have the Sprite's Spark feat for a d4 20ft range unarmed strike. Damage type variety by heritage, including rare types like sonic or mental.
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Blasting Beams are more spell-like than anything. They're even on a weird form of an n-per-day limit. Good catch on the automaton, though. That's the easiest d6 ranged unarmed yet.There isn't any n-per-day limit unless I missed it. Its unique that it uses your attack role (not class DC or spell casting DC), is one action, and scales better than typical ranged weapons. Now you have to roll a DC5 flat check per use and can have scaling self damage to yourself, which is why I'd strap it to a front liner that needs a ranged back-up.
Actually, for the Deviant abilities, it's sort of like the Oracle's focus spells, in that there's backlashes. Now those backlashes will eventually prevent you from using the power in a given day.
The first time in a day that you use it, make a DC 5 flat check. If you you succeed, you use the ability and the DC flat check goes up by 5 (to a maximum of 20). If you fail, you use the ability, and then you suffer a backlash, and the DC resets to 5.
The first time you suffer a backlash in a given day (that is, fail the flat check), you take the mild backlash. The second time in a day that you fail, you take the moderate backlash, and the third time in a day that you fail, you take the severe backlash.
Once you've taken the severe backlash in a given day, you can't use the deviant ability again until you do your daily preparations.
So, realistically, you're probably only getting between 5-8 uses a day, tops.
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- Automaton Energy Beam (lvl 1 ancestry feat): apparently, lvl 1 ancestry feat ranged unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage. This one also has a moderately interesting critical effect.
For me the interesting part is that it has a range increment instead of a plain old range like most others. The fact that it can be bumped up to a 1d6 base damage doesn't hurt either.
Sprites have the Sprite's Spark feat for a d4 20ft range unarmed strike. Damage type variety by heritage, including rare types like sonic or mental.
Ah! Yes. Thanks. That's one for the list.
- Automaton Energy Beam (lvl 1 ancestry feat): apparently, lvl 1 ancestry feat ranged unarmed attacks deal 1d4 damage. This one also has a moderately interesting critical effect.For me the interesting part is that it has a range increment instead of a plain old range like most others. The fact that it can be bumped up to a 1d6 base damage doesn't hurt either.
Kitsune foxfire and Sprite spark have a hard max of 20
Goblin Spit and Monk Wild Winds stance have a hard max of 30
Automaton energy beam has a range increment of 20
Leshy seedpod has a range increment of 10
So, yeah, the automaton does look like it's doing pretty well in that particular contest. Huh.