Touch Attacks and Smiting Spell

[Tibbaerrohwen]

I had a question based around a quasi-melee based Dread Necro. I'm looking at the Smiting Spell Feat, that lets you pretty much do what a Duskblade does.
With respect to touch attacks, like a Dread Necro's Charnel Touch, what is the weapon that is charged?

I have never been entirely sure about this. Would Charnel Touch, and abilities like it, be born form the flow of energy from the weapon or is it form the wielders hands? If from the hands, do you take the -4 to hit for unarmed?

Thanks.

[Zaq]

"You can alter a spell with a range of touch to transfer its energy from your hand to a weapon that you hold." That's pretty cut and dried. Charnel Touch isn't a weapon that you hold, so it's not a valid target for Smiting Spell. Same thing with unarmed strikes.

If your GM lets you, go for it, but RAW, it pretty clearly can't happen.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

"You can alter a spell with a range of touch to transfer its energy from your hand to a weapon that you hold." That's pretty cut and dried. Charnel Touch isn't a weapon that you hold, so it's not a valid target for Smiting Spell. Same thing with unarmed strikes.

If your GM lets you, go for it, but RAW, it pretty clearly can't happen.

I know that smiting spell has to be used in conjunction with a weapon. My question is what is the origin of Charnel Touch. Am I delivering Charnel Touch with my hands, and thus forced to take a -4 for being unarmed and possibly an additionally penalty for using my off hand?

Does it originate from my weapon?

Can someone find me a rule for either touch attacks or Charnel Touch that states the origin?

[supermonkeyjoe]

If I remember correctly, Charnel touch is a Supernatural ability not a spell so you wouldn't be able to use it with smiting spell in the first place

Edit: I misread what you are asking,


"Armed" Unarmed Attacks

Sometimes a character’s or creature’s unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A monk, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, a spellcaster delivering a touch attack spell, and a creature with natural physical weapons all count as being armed.

So an attack with a charnel touch counts as being armed, it's not an unarmed attack, you wouldn't take offhand penalties unless you could also attack with another weapon somehow.

[TheJake]

Smiting Spell = spells only.

That's still pretty awesome with the DN's save or die, save or suck or no save spell list.

That said, once you smash the target with the spell though, whats your plan on surviving? You're stuck in the middle of melee as a caster with a crappy BAB, HPs and AC. Unless you've got a build centred on this, you're in trouble.

- J.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

Smiting Spell = spells only.



The feat states that the spell discharges on a successful attack. It doesn't sate anywhere that you don't deal normal damage with the attack as well.

To end any confusion, my idea was to charge a Charnel Touch with a spell. You then deliver the Charnel Touch, s well as the charged spell.

I'm not seeing any reason why this does not work.

[olentu]

The feat states that the spell discharges on a successful attack. It doesn't sate anywhere that you don't deal normal damage with the attack as well.

To end any confusion, my idea was to charge a Charnel Touch with a spell. You then deliver the Charnel Touch, s well as the charged spell.

I'm not seeing any reason why this does not work.

From reading through the thread it seems to me that the opposition to your interpretation does not believe that charnel touch is a weapon that you are holding.

[Tibbaerrohwen]

From reading through the thread it seems to me that the opposition to your interpretation does not believe that charnel touch is a weapon that you are holding.

I understand that perspective. Technically speaking, it is not a weapon and yet it is. It's not a weapon in the sense that it is not a manufactured weapon. However, if I am considered "armed" when delivering Charnel Touch, or a touch ranged spell, would it not count as a weapon for the purpose of the metamagic feat?