(3.P) How to Throw for a spell.

[Dulenheim]

For a while now, since I made my character in the Carrion Crown Setting (one of my friends is been the DM this time around), my Dungeon master has been having trouble with how spells are rolled.

In my campaigns I tell my players that they must roll a spell check against the target Touch AC, but now that I think about it, I'm not all that sure myself.

How do you roll for, say, a burning hands spell? Do you use the target AC to see if you hit? how does armor check penalty comes into play?

Thanks for tolerating such a stupid and noobish question.

[Rubik]

Only spells that say they require a touch attack or attack roll actually do. They also do if they've got effect: ray, or have range: touch (and the target doesn't want you touching it), or are being used in some oddball manner (such as tying Explosive Runes ribbons to arrows you then shoot at an enemy for an extra 6d6 force damage).

Otherwise, you look at the spell and see what they do, and resolve accordingly. A Burning Hands spell just requires that you cover the enemy's space in the spell's area (which you can do without an attack roll), and then all the enemies in the area of effect have to make saving throws or take full damage (minus whatever resistances they've got, and if they have spell resistance you make a d20+caster level check to see if the spell fizzles against 'em).

[Roaan]

Only spells that say they require a touch attack or attack roll actually do. They also do if they've got effect: ray, or have range: touch (and the target doesn't want you touching it), or are being used in some oddball manner (such as tying Explosive Runes ribbons to arrows you then shoot at an enemy for an extra 6d6 force damage).

Rubik is right, I'm playing a very heavy spell slinging Sorcerer right now. Ray attacks usually require a touch attack, and almost all spells have the details in the body text or the information block. Keep in mind that all ranged attacks use BaB+DEX to determine the attack roll, NOT caster stat. Be careful of AoE spells and odd balls like Magic Missile.


Fireball is an AoE (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm)that allows a touch attack, but note that it isn't required.

Magic Missile (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicMissile.htm) is unerring, and no that's not just flavor text, it always auto hits.