Levitate + Ray?

[jaybird]

So Levitate (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/l/levitate) says you take incremental penalties to hit while under its effects every time you use a melee or ranged weapon. Does this apply to rays as well? Note that it doesn't specify an ATTACK, but rather a WEAPON.

[Keld Denar]

You are correct. If its not a weapon attack roll, it isn't penalized.

[TuggyNE]

Presumably, this is because there's no recoil or swing involved, just pointing a finger or whatever and having momentum-less magical energy shoot out.

[Morithias]

"Ray

Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon,"

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic#TOC-Aiming-a-Spell

I would say yes you take the penalties due to that sentence, but that's just what I would rule. I mean come on it's a ranged touch attack, -1 doesn't mean jack.

[ericgrau]

Before level 10 it does quite a lot. And on scorching ray you're royally screwed. It doesn't stop mattering completely until level 18 when you can hit a touch AC 12 foe in melee with an ally on a 2. Ray specialists take precise shot to change that from level 18 to level 12 (or lower with the right race), but blowing 2 feats on rays is far from the norm.

This thread has a lot of interesting points on rays too:
http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz5kz2?Levitating-Wizards-shooting-Rays
Basically noting how they're weapons for everything else in the world, so in this context "weapon like" might mean that everything that applies to weapons applies to rays. Not sure though.

[Morithias]

Wow I should've scrolled down like another inch.

"Do rays count as weapons for the purpose of spells and effects that affect weapons?

Yes. (See also this FAQ item for a similar question about rays and weapon feats.)

For example, a bard's inspire courage ability says it affects "weapon damage rolls," which is worded that way so <you> don't try to add the bonus to a spell like fireball. However, rays are treated as weapons, whether they're from spells, a monster ability, a class ability, or some other source, so the inspire courage bonus applies to ray attack rolls and ray damage rolls.

The same rule applies to weapon-like spells such as flame blade, mage's sword, and spiritual weapon--effects that affect weapons work on these spells."

Yep. According to the FAQ eratta you take the negative.