How Scorching Ray works

[Bryan Stephens]

I want to make sure I understand this correctly and I kind of think it's not worded well but I can be wrong. It looks like if I use 2 or 3 actions to castskerching ray I get the additional damage. However I would assume if I used 3 actions I get to cast 2 rays.

1. Is that correct?
2. Does each ray do increased damage?
3. Does each shot suffer the multiple attack penalty?

[HammerJack]

1 Action: 1 ray, low damage
2 Actions: 2 rays, increased damage per ray
3 Actions: 3 rays, increased damage per ray

MAP counts all rays and applies to all rays, but you do not increase your MAP from any rays until you resolve all rays. So if you cast 2 actions scorching ray and then Strike, you would have;
1. Ray at full bonus
2. Ray at full bonus
3. Strike at -10

[Bryan Stephens]

So if I cast 3 rays at 3 different people all 3 rays have increased Damage?

So
1 increased
2 increased -5 to hit
3 increases -10 to hit?

All must be different targets?

[Bryan Stephens]

Also thanks for answering

[MEATSHED]

Bryan Stephens wrote:

So if I cast 3 rays at 3 different people all 3 rays have increased Damage?

So
1 increased
2 increased -5 to hit
3 increases -10 to hit?

All must be different targets?

The 2nd and 3rd wouldn't have negatives to hit.

"These attacks each increase your multiple attack penalty, but you don't increase your multiple attack penalty until after you make all the spell attack rolls for scorching ray"

[Bryan Stephens]

Thanks you

[Ascalaphus]

It's really a very nicely designed spell. It uses a design trick they like a lot in PF2 which is effects that do a LOT, but not focus-fired on a single enemy.