Enhancing ranged touch attacks

[Dazed&Confused]

Hello. I have this level 8 wizard with lots of multiclass and stuff, so my BAB ended up being quite low, +2(with my dex I end up having a +3 total bonus). I can do fine without any touch attacks at all, actually, so far the only ranged touch I got is one Orb spell. Besides, I'm full of debuffs so in the end the +3 gets kind of average.

But I just got to lvl 8 and I wanna get Viscid Globe and I plan on using it quite frequently, which means I'm gonna start missing that BAB and dex.

Any tips on how to increase it?

[Icestorm245]

True Strike? Maybe some ranks in UMD so you can get a wand of divine power?

[Flickerdart]

Grab some levels of Abjurant Champion, Spellsword and the other staple gish classes, they'll fix your BAB up right quick. Consider spells and equipment that improves your Dexterity, such as Cat's Grace and shapeshifting spells.

[Safety Sword]

Hello. I have this level 8 wizard with lots of multiclass and stuff, so my BAB ended up being quite low, +2(with my dex I end up having a +3 total bonus). I can do fine without any touch attacks at all, actually, so far the only ranged touch I got is one Orb spell. Besides, I'm full of debuffs so in the end the +3 gets kind of average.

But I just got to lvl 8 and I wanna get Viscid Globe and I plan on using it quite frequently, which means I'm gonna start missing that BAB and dex.

Any tips on how to increase it?

The easiest way is probably just to increase your DEX mod. Cat's Grace (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/catsGrace.htm) would be an easy way that lasts a while, well, one combat at least.

[Dazed&Confused]

Taking other class levels would be kinda hard, I wanna level the ones I already have and get fatespinner/archmage later on. I'm also aware of those spells, but I was looking for some way of increasing it before the encounters happen. You know, like a 10min/level or 1 hour/level spell, a magic item(I will get dex bracers later), some kind of less expensive "contingent" true strike(ok, I pushed too much here haha) or anything like that.

I've actually done some research here and found no way of doing it, but I'm sure my eyes can't be 100%.

[Siosilvar]

Ask your DM to let you swing Fractional BAB and Saves (Unearthed Arcana page 73).

If he's wary of the change, show him your Will save bonus, which I imagine is quite high if you've managed to get a +2 BAB (the only way I can think of doing that is Wizard 5/PrC1/PrC1/PrC1, which nets you a +10 Will if you've chosen spellcasting-advancing PrCs).

[Chilingsworth]

OP, what's your actual build? That might help us help you.

[Dazed&Confused]

I'm currently using a 3 wizard(conjurer)/3 master specialist/1 ruathar/1 paragnostic apostle, with the wizard "fighter talents" variant and stats 6/12/14/20/10/14. I'm sort of a party face and "info guy", that's why I got Ruathar and the Apostle, and got such low str/dex, had to raise Cha a little bit.

[Cog]

You could point out to your DM that a second-level Wizard can smack somebody more reliably than a eighth-level Monk/Rogue/Druid/Cleric/Ninja/Favored Soul/Scout/Spellthief (all classes with at least a moderate affinity for personal combat), and then ask, very nicely, if they're willing to consider the fractional BAB rules from Unearthed Arcana. If you don't have that book, it's pretty much what it sounds like - each level has a fractional increase (Fighter-types 1.0 per level, Rogue-types .75, and Wizard-types .5). This would give that eighth-level character a BAB of 6, a much more reasonable situation.

(I see this has already been suggested while I was writing, but I figure it's still worth it for the example.)

[MesiDoomstalker]

You could point out to your DM that a second-level Wizard can smack somebody more reliably than a eighth-level Monk/Rogue/Druid/Cleric/Ninja/Favored Soul/Scout/Spellthief (all classes with at least a moderate affinity for personal combat), and then ask, very nicely, if they're willing to consider the fractional BAB rules from Unearthed Arcana. If you don't have that book, it's pretty much what it sounds like - each level has a fractional increase (Fighter-types 1.0 per level, Rogue-types .75, and Wizard-types .5). This would give that eighth-level character a BAB of 6, a much more reasonable situation.

(I see this has already been suggested while I was writing, but I figure it's still worth it for the example.)


Ask your DM to let you swing Fractional BAB and Saves (Unearthed Arcana page 73).

If he's wary of the change, show him your Will save bonus, which I imagine is quite high if you've managed to get a +2 BAB (the only way I can think of doing that is Wizard 5/PrC1/PrC1/PrC1, which nets you a +10 Will if you've chosen spellcasting-advancing PrCs).

+1. This will boost your BAB, doubling it in fact (not that doubling 2 is much), with absolutly no in-game resources spent. The other suggestions are all viable for a bigger bonus but the fractional BAB/Saves will help you immidiatly and later if you continue hopping around with classes.

[Dazed&Confused]

The fractional BAB is indeed very nice, perfectly plausible, I guess he might accept it. The only problem is that my friends have a serious problem with multiclassing, they think it "ruins the flavor", even if you're just a wizard with lots of general mage PrCs who had a crazy hard time reaching prerequisites. So the DM may think of the low BAB as a "punishment" for doing that. In that case, some other tips would be awesome :p

[Chilingsworth]

Well, if you're desperate enough, there's the weapon focus (ranged spell) feat for a +1. I think there's also at least one item that gives you Point Blank Shot, which would increase your to-hit with ranged spells by +1 within 30ft (and also increase the hp damage you deal with ranged spells by +1 within that distance.) If you go invisible, you get some bonuses against targets that can't see you, though that might only apply to melee. Other ideas have already been suggested.

[Zaq]

The answer, as always, is magic. I'm thinking that debuffing your foes will do just as nicely as buffing yourself. Doesn't matter if you're rolling your +2 against a target of 10 or a +4 against a target of 12: you still need an 8 on the die.

Curse of Impending Blades (SpC) is a 2nd level spell that imposes a –2 penalty to AC, no save. There's an AoE version that's only level 3. Popping that first will make your target easier to hit . . . and it's not a total waste of an action before you start firing your touch attacks, either, since the whole party can benefit from having foes that are easier to hit. If you didn't ban Evocation, you can also cast Guiding Light (also from SpC), a 1st level spell that makes a target easier to hit with ranged attacks (once again, no save). That one's more situational than Curse of Impending Blades (CoIB gives a penalty to AC, while GL gives you and yours a +2 circumstance bonus on ranged attacks), but they stack, and if you have other ranged attackers in the party, once again, you're really not wasting actions—it's not like you're just spending two standard actions buffing yourself when the entire party is having an easier time shooting a dude, after all. (Admittedly, GL requires them to stay in an area, but that's what your melee guys are for . . . or you can Sculpt it and make the area harder to leave.) Also, you're a Conjurer . . . I shouldn't have to tell you that Grease makes things easier to hit, and once again, you're helping your party in the process, assuming you know how to aim.

Seeking Ray (PHB2) is kind of helpful, but it requires you to hit with a ray in the first place, so it's better for keeping the ball rolling than for getting it rolling in the first place. (It's kind of like Mind Fog . . . sure, you can get them to fail a Will save against whatever you want, as long as they fail a Will save against Mind Fog first. Wait, run that by me again?) It's also Evocation, so you might have banned it as well.

Other standard debuffs generally work to drop AC by greater or lesser amounts as well. Anything that entangles (Web, for instance) will slap your foe with a –4 DEX, which translates to –2 AC. Slow slaps down another –1 AC . . . hardly godly on its own, but hey, you're also using Slow, so that's always awesome.

The downside to debuffs, of course, is that if you really want to use your touch attacks early on, you're out of luck. For that, you'll need nice long-lasting buffs for yourself (or swift action buffs, of course), and I can't think of too many hours/level Wizard buffs that will directly increase your DEX or your to-hit (plenty of minutes/level ones, of course, but you don't want to rely on those if you can help it). I'm sure they're out there, but I'm drawing a blank at the moment. Anything that makes you smaller gives you a size bonus to attack rolls, but that only goes so far. If you didn't ban Enchantment, Heroism gives you a +2 and lasts for 10 minutes per level, which isn't awful, though probably not the absolute best way you could use a 3rd level spell slot.

[Ravens_cry]

Mind Fog could be good if you pump its DC as high as possible, like using the Empower Heighten metamagic to put in your top spell slot, and other one shot DC boosters. Hopefully they will fail to that, and now you got a much more fun playing field for your puppets.
EDIT: For fixing of the mistake makings by the one who is me.

[Zaq]

Mind Fog could be good if you pump its DC as high as possible, like using the Empower metamagic to put in your spell slot, and other one shot DC boosters. Hopefully they will fail to that, and now you got a much more fun playing field for your puppets.

While I agree, you'd be amazed how few people realize that. (Also, Empower won't do a damn thing to the DC, but I know what you were saying.)

[Ravens_cry]

While I agree, you'd be amazed how few people realize that. (Also, Empower won't do a damn thing to the DC, but I know what you were saying.)
D'oh! I meant Heighten.:smallredface:

[Gotterdammerung]

one thing i used was the create magic tatoo spell. It is from players guide to faerun and is in a bunch of other faerun books. It ends up sucking up a lot of 2nd lvl spell slots (specifically 3 spell slots) but it gives a few nice all day bonuses with multiple castings of it. It requires that you have ranks in craft(drawing) or painting or caligraphy or some other form of creative style that would justify your ability to draw a tatoo. The spell has 3 lists of possible bonuses your tatoo can give.

The first list is available at 3rd-6th caster lvl and requires a DC 10 craft check to make.
(+1 deflection to AC, + 1 luck bonus on attack rolls, or +2 resistance bonus to 1 save)

the second list is for 7th- 12th caster lvl and requires a DC 15 craft check

(+2 resistance bonus to all saves, or +2 competence bonus on attack rolls)

The last list is for 13th caster lvl and above and requires a DC 20 craft check

(SR 10+(1/6CL), +2 enhancment bonus to 1 ability score, or +1 CL)

You can only have 3 of these tattoos on at one time. And they can be dispelled by dispel magic.

But i always prep 3 of these in my second lvl spell slots for a +3 to hit with my attacks and a +1 Caster lvl. and i use an extend rod to cast them for a 48 hour duration.


Another option is the sorcerer's hand. It is a specific weapon from the arms and equipment guide. It costs 18335 gold.

It gives +1 caster lvl and +2 to hit with ray spells.

I don't ever use it because it is a crossbow you use to aim a spell and it has this dorky looking human hand making a pointy at your enemy. I just don't like the fluff on it. But still +2 to hit is +2 to hit.

One possible problem with the weapon is whether or not your GM will count spells like orbs as ray spells. Some people are real strict about what a ray is. And other people allow a ray to mean any ranged touch spell. So find out wich camp your GM is in b4 you buy it.

[Flickerdart]

Create Magic Tattoo was reprinted in Spell Compendium. I'm not sure of it originally had the 100gp material component, but it does now, so casting three a day might cut into your pockets if you're not raiding dragon hoards every day.