Magus with a Shotgun

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Ranged Spellstrike (Eldritch Archer/Myrmidarch) says that the touch spell is delivered through a ranged weapon attack. A shotgun's attack hits in a cone. Does the spell affect every target hit by the attack or just one?

[Psyren]

Cone firearms make individual attack rolls for each creature in the cone, so your spell would be discharged on the first creature to be hit.

[Ellrin]

Well that was quick and painless. Let's apply this question instead to a weapon that doesn't make attack rolls at all—the poisoned sand tube. 15' cone AoE, and it autohits.

[ProfessorX]

Well that was quick and painless. Let's apply this question instead to a weapon that doesn't make attack rolls at all—the poisoned sand tube. 15' cone AoE, and it autohits.

It's not an attack roll per se - you spend your action to use the item and then there is an effect. There is no attack roll in this and a Fortitude save to resist part of it. Ranged Spell Strike requires a ranged weapon attack, so I'd think that it either wouldn't work with the poison sand tube, or I'd say it would effect the first creature in the cone of effect and then no longer be viable to the other targets.

[Necroticplague]

I agree with Proffesor here. A ranged weapon attack requires making an attack roll with a ranged weapon. The sand tube is a ranged weapon, but you don't make an attack with it (since there's no attack roll).

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Do dragon pistols and blunderbusses make multiple attack rolls?

[Necroticplague]

Do dragon pistols and blunderbusses make multiple attack rolls?

Yes. Scatter weapons are an exception to 'one attack roll, one attack*'. They make multiple attack rolls (against every target in their cone), but it's only one attack.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Ok, but if it's one Attack why does Spellstrike not hit the target(s) of the attack?

[Necroticplague]

Ok, but if it's one Attack why does Spellstrike not hit the target(s) of the attack?

1. It does. The spell has to effect one of the people who's AC you beat (and thus, you actually hit). In this way, it actually has an advantage (much like how scatter weapons have a lower chance of misfiring).
2.a. The Myrmidarch ability explicitely calls it out as only affecting a single time, instead of multiple.

At 4th level, a myrmidarch can use spellstrike to cast a single-target touch attack ranged spell and deliver it through a ranged weapon attack. Even if the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies the attack.
2.b And the Eldritch Archer version says something similar.

At 2nd level, whenever an eldritch archer casts a spell that calls for a ranged attack, she can deliver the spell through a ranged weapon she wields as part of a ranged attack. Instead of the free ranged attack normally allowed to deliver the spell, an eldritch archer can make one free ranged attack with a ranged weapon (at her highest base attack bonus) as part of casting this spell. The attack does not increase the spell’s range.

If the spell can normally affect multiple targets, only a single missile, ray, or effect accompanies each attack; if the spell allows multiple attacks and the eldritch archer can make additional ranged attacks as part of a full-round action with spell combat, one additional ray, missile, or effect from the spell accompanies each subsequent ranged attack the eldritch archer makes in the same round until all attacks allowed by the spell are made. Unused missiles, rays, or effects remaining at the end of the eldritch archer’s turn are wasted.

This ability alters spellstrike.

[Kurald Galain]

Ranged Spellstrike (Eldritch Archer/Myrmidarch) says that the touch spell is delivered through a ranged weapon attack. A shotgun's attack hits in a cone. Does the spell affect every target hit by the attack or just one?

...or you could just cast Burning Hands / Flurry of Snowball / Cone of Cold to damage everyone in the cone without requiring loopholes :smallbiggrin:

[grarrrg]

...or you could just cast Burning Hands / Flurry of Snowball / Cone of Cold to damage everyone in the cone without requiring loopholes :smallbiggrin:

What part of "MAGIC SHOTGUN" did you miss? :smalltongue: