Casting touch spell at remote and covered target.

[Herzog]

A small introduction:
The party is currently carrying the horn of a slain monster whose essence still inhabits the horn.
The monster had been posing as a god, and has been communicating his position to his high cleric, whom the party is about to enter combat with.

My plan was to have the high cleric cast Heal (or other cure spells) at the horn to restore the monster to its former glory.
However, the horn is inside a backpack.

My first idea was to use Spectral Hand, but (since that is a Sor/Wiz spell) I have also been looking at Reach Spell.

My question: would either of those be able to let the Cleric make a ranged touch attack at something that is INSIDE a backpack and on someone's back?
If so, what modifiers should I be using for the attack roll.
If not, why? And do you have a suggestion how to let the Cleric Heal his 'god'?

(NB: I have already thought of Mass Cure's. If all else fails I will be using those)

 

[airwalkrr]

Bah, screw all that mess. Invoke rule zero. The cleric casts heal and the monster just tears itself out of the backpack. Apparently the cleric is getting some kind of divine power from the monster if he thinks it is his god. Never let rules get in the way of a good story.

 

[Nagol]

By the rules, no. The cleric can't get line of effect to the horn. Have someone take/break/sunder the backpack to expose the horn.

And as for not using the rules, violating the rules for the sake of story prevents the players from making reasoned choices for their own defence and negates their input into the story.

 

[Herzog]

[MENTION=23935]Nagol[/MENTION] : I was wondering about that. Since the spectral hand is incorporeal, wouldn't that bypass the line of effect restriction?

I guess it does apply to Reach Spell though, so that one's probably out.


I agree on the rules violating. I need to be able to give a reasoning as to why things work. And, if something works for me as the DM, my players expect them to work for them too....

 

[sheadunne]

There no reason to suggest that heal wouldn't work to heal the baddie if it was cast on the character caring the horn (although that's debatable). Just have the cleric touch the character and both the PC and the Baddie will heal. I think that's a perfectly fine compromise. You could say they both heal half if you wanted to. I'd even allow the PC to make a save (yes a save versus healing) to only heal half (which would limit the healing to the monster).

I wouldn't get too hung up on it. Create a magic item if you need to that is the companion piece to the horn and allows the creature to heal.

 

[Fatal 7x]

if the cleric is high enough level, why not just have him command a ritual sensing his master's presence, give them time to stop the ritual of power to the horn, have the players step into the trap. have the horn be a beacon for the monsters former power, sunder the horn to kill the beast, or kill the cleric to stop the monster from gaining more power, it sets a clock, a command to the players actions, and the longer they deliberate against the cleric the monster spews from the backpack. there are plenty of gate and ethereal blade spells or even shadow spells depending on what monster it is he is worshipping, and if he is a high cleric of this order, there should be lackey kobolds or something helping the ritual commence anyway. maybe have them gain the "gods power" or even have them overthrow the "god" to obtain his power afterwards.

 

[Phototoxin]

Suggestion: remove horn?

 

[Mark1733]

Add in a junior mage and then they can act on the same turn. Is this a job for Mage Hand? or Open/Close? What about Command on the person carrying the backpack open the backpack?