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Half-orc Bard
2010-07-14, 04:03 AM
I looked at the spell chill touch and it seems amazing for a first lvl spell. I mean 1 touch/lvl and on a failed fort save they get 1str damage/touch. Is there something bad about it?

Radar
2010-07-14, 04:56 AM
I think, it's mostly the problem that 1 Str damage per touch is very low. It would take far too much time to do real damage this way. The other problem is, it's a touch range effect so you have to be in meele range to deliver it and it is limited by your number of attacks, which will stay at 1 per round for a very long time.

Amphetryon
2010-07-14, 05:05 AM
I looked at the spell chill touch and it seems amazing for a first lvl spell. I mean 1 touch/lvl and on a failed fort save they get 1str damage/touch. Is there something bad about it?Generally speaking, low level Wizards and their squishy little d4 hit dice are risking a lot to use a Touch spell. Once Spectral Hand comes online, it's a better bargain, but that makes a two spell investment to do 1st level damage. Otherwise, it's a spell best used by Gishes, Gish-in-a-can types like Dusk/Hexblades, and Dread Necromancers, who have better odds of surviving the retaliation at low levels.

Half-orc Bard
2010-07-14, 12:42 PM
I thought all the touches were in one round.

Snake-Aes
2010-07-14, 12:57 PM
It doesn't say WHEN you have to use the spell, and touch spells don't get spent if you don't hit or cast something else. Our group always assumed you get the charges and can burn them normally.

lsfreak
2010-07-14, 12:58 PM
I thought all the touches were in one round.

You can make one touch attack by merit of the spell. After that, you have to use you BAB in order to land them.

EDIT: To clarify, by BAB, I mean standard or full-round attack actions that use your BAB.

Beorn080
2010-07-14, 01:04 PM
It doesn't say WHEN you have to use the spell, and touch spells don't get spent if you don't hit or cast something else. Our group always assumed you get the charges and can burn them normally.

I believe you keep the charge until you use it, or until you cast a spell after it.

One strength damage isn't going to affect anything, especially if there is a fort save attached. At a minimum, assuming a STR dumped gnome, your looking at 6 rounds to take it to zero. Standing next to the gnome.

Of course, metamagic changes this.

Hawriel
2010-07-14, 03:06 PM
The spell really isnt the best for wizards sence you have to be in melee. It's a spell of last resort. However give it to a high bred spell caster like the assassin it is very nice. Especialy when combined with other spells that do STR or CON damage.

I had an assassin character who used Ray of enfeeblement on targets then hit with a chill touch for the attack. I also have a Fighter/Sorcerer who uses Chill Touch when in melee.

Hague
2010-07-14, 03:16 PM
Chill touch is for affecting undead and it works as a defense. If you're getting several hits in a turn, each hit counts as a touch attack. Also consider that the entire charge will get dumped if you are grappled. It's a great "get the hell offa me" attack against grapplers and "Hah, I swallered yer whole" monsters.

PId6
2010-07-14, 03:19 PM
The best use for Chill Touch is the Poison Spell metamagic, allowing you to apply a single dose of poison to every touch with the spell, getting lots of mileage out of one bottle of poison.

Alternatively, Fell Drain.

Snake-Aes
2010-07-14, 03:21 PM
Chill touch is for affecting undead and it works as a defense. If you're getting several hits in a turn, each hit counts as a touch attack. Also consider that the entire charge will get dumped if you are grappled. It's a great "get the hell offa me" attack against grapplers and "Hah, I swallered yer whole" monsters.

I am curious. What do you mean by "the entire charge will get dumped"?

Curmudgeon
2010-07-14, 11:57 PM
I am curious. What do you mean by "the entire charge will get dumped"?
I think Hague is under the (mistaken) impression that touching in D&D is symmetric: that is, if something happens when you touch an enemy, that something will also happen if the enemy touches you. That's not correct.

To deliver a touch attack spell you've got to succeed on an attack roll. When an enemy grapples you they make an attack roll to touch you, which does not discharge your spell. Thereafter both you and the enemy make grapple checks, which are not the same as attack rolls ─ again, the spell is not discharged. So even though you and the enemy are touching as part of the grapple, that's not sufficient to discharge your spell.

While it's necessary to make a successful attack roll to touch an enemy, you can accidentally discharge the spell on an ally, because they can willingly accept your touch (while passing over a water flask, for instance) and no attack roll is required. This also applies to unattended objects if they're valid spell targets. But enemies, regardless of how much contact there is during a grapple, aren't "touched" unless you succeed on an attack roll.

The Shadowmind
2010-07-15, 12:08 AM
Don't you also lose the touch charges if you try to cast another spell while you have touch charges left?

Curmudgeon
2010-07-15, 12:10 AM
Don't you also lose the touch charges if you try to cast another spell while you have touch charges left?
Normally, yes. Though there is a feat that will allow you to carry two charges in your body at the same time.

Escheton
2010-07-15, 02:31 AM
As well as a spell: spellflower