Sharding and Deflect

[Pizza Lord]

Is a deflected attack, such as Deflect Arrows, considered a hit or miss for purposes of what occurs on a hit or miss? I know Crane Wing specifically says treat an attack deflected with it as a miss instead, some do not.

Sharding wrote:

Restriction This ability can be placed only on melee or thrown weapons.

The wielder of a sharding weapon can make a special ranged attack with the weapon in place of any melee attack. To do this, the wielder goes through the motion of throwing the weapon without releasing it. The weapon splits off a duplicate of itself that flies as if thrown by the wielder at the intended target. The duplicate gains a range increment of 10 feet for this purpose, but uses the same proficiency and otherwise functions the same as the original weapon. The duplicate vanishes after hitting or missing its target.

If I use a +1 flaming sharding longsword (activated), and use the sharding ability, it creates a duplicate +1 flaming sharding longsword that's active (+1d6 fire) which flies at the target. If it hits it does the damage of the weapon and stops existing. It it misses, it does no damages and stops existing.

Correct?

If my opponent deflects it, (with Deflect Arrows), does it count as a hit or a miss? If neither, then that means the duplicate remains in existence, presumably until someone uses it to make an attack and hits or misses, correct?

So theoretically, we could have the party monk Deflect a few attacks until everyone has a +1 flaming sharding longsword which would exist for one attack they made with it, until they hit or misses (ie. not deflected). But since those are all duplicates, they could be used to fire duplicate sharding weapons, and since it's the sharding duplicates used for the attack, only those duplicates (created from the duplicate) would disappear after the attack, leaving the first duplicates still in existence in their wielder's hands, correct?

[Diego Rossi]

FAQ wrote:

Deflecting Attacks: Does an attack that is deflected count as a miss?

It depends on the ability that is deflecting the attack.
For example, the Deflect Arrows feat says, "Once per round when you would normally be hit with an attack from a ranged weapon, you may deflect it so that you take no damage from it." It doesn't say the attack is a miss or is treated as a miss--instead, you take no damage from the attack. Because it is not a miss, effects that would trigger on a miss (such as Efreeti Style or Snake Fang from Ultimate Combat) are not triggered.
Likewise, the Crane Wing feat (Ultimate Combat) uses similar language and does not say the deflected attack is a miss or treated as a miss.
Note that the Snatch Arrows feat counts as a deflected attack--you do not take damage if you choose to catch the weapons instead of just deflecting it, and catching the weapon does not mean the attack was a miss.
Update 5/29/13: If the attack is deflected, not only does the target take no damage, but any other effects (ability drain, negative levels, harmful conditions, and so on) associated with that attack do not occur. If the deflected attack is a touch spell or other effect that requires "holding the charge," the charge is not expended. For example, if a ghoul's claw attack is deflected, the target is not subject to the ghoul's paralysis ability from the attack. If a shocking grasp touch attack is deflected, the attacker is still "holding the charge." The Crane Wing feat will be updated in a future printing of Ultimate Combat to clarify these issues.
posted May 2013 | back to top

So, Deflecting the Flaming shard counts as it hitting.

[Belafon]

This is one of those "use common sense" situations. It vanishes no matter what.

Though I am kinda amused by the idea of a shady pair using a sharding/deflect combo to create and sell a whole bunch of weapons, it's definitely twisting the language to create an unintended (and disruptive) reading.

[Joesi]

It's not related to hitting or missing, but on the topic of Sharding, Vaporous Potions seem like they can be abused by the RAW with Sharding Gloves of Improvised Might. A GM could still easily shoot it down if they wanted though, since it seems like an unintended oversight.

It does also have a lot of downsides (over 36000 gp cost, can only use what's in your hand, limited range, needs to hit, limited spell selection, only up to level 3 spells), but still seems like it would be overpowered if built around it.