RC loves Arcane Tricksters! Edit - or not.

[Hypersmurf]

The Rules Compendium has rewritten the language of 'volley attacks' for precision damage.

A form of attack that enables an attacker to make multiple attacks during an action other than a full-round action, such as the Manyshot feat (standard action) or a Quickened Scorching Ray (swift action), allows precision damage to be applied only to the first attack in the group.

So our Rog/Sor/Arcane Trickster casts Scorching Ray, a standard action spell, sending two rays at his flat-footed opponent. Since the multiple attacks occur during an action other than a full-round action, his sneak attack damage applies only to the first ray.

But now let's say he casts Empowered Scorching Ray.

Edit - ah, denied. On p136, all weaponlike spells carry the 'first hit' limitation.

-Hyp.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Originally Posted by Hypersmurf
But now let's say he casts Empowered Scorching Ray.

Hell, what not a maximized?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Hell, what not a maximized?

That'll do too.

-Hyp.

 

[Pinotage]

The Rules Compendium has rewritten the language of 'volley attacks' for precision damage.

A form of attack that enables an attacker to make multiple attacks during an action other than a full-round action, such as the Manyshot feat (standard action) or a Quickened Scorching Ray (swift action), allows precision damage to be applied only to the first attack in the group.

So our Rog/Sor/Arcane Trickster casts Scorching Ray, a standard action spell, sending two rays at his flat-footed opponent. Since the multiple attacks occur during an action other than a full-round action, his sneak attack damage applies only to the first ray.

But now let's say he casts Empowered Scorching Ray.

-Hyp.

Yes? Then what happens?

Pinotage

 

[Hypersmurf]

Yes? Then what happens?

Well, since he's applying a metamagic feat to a spontaneously cast spell, the multiple rays now occur as part of a full-round action.

But as I just found upon getting a hundred pages further through the book, it's not restricted to the first ray for being a standard action (since it's a full round action), but it is restricted to the first ray for being a weaponlike spell. C'est la vie.

-Hyp.

 

[Patlin]

What about weaponlike spells that fire off over multiple rounds? For example, Moonbow can be used in that manner. We've always played that the the first attack per round can get precision damage, but that interpretation may now be a house rule, I suppose.

 

[Hypersmurf]

What about weaponlike spells that fire off over multiple rounds? For example, Moonbow can be used in that manner. We've always played that the the first attack per round can get precision damage, but that interpretation may now be a house rule, I suppose.

p136 refers to weaponlike spells that "strike multiple times in the same round", so you're good.

-Hyp.

 

[Patlin]

p136 refers to weaponlike spells that "strike multiple times in the same round", so you're good.

-Hyp.

Great! Thanks.

 

[Mistwell]

I am happy to hear you got a copy of the book Hyp, and look forward to some gems you find in there.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I am happy to hear you got a copy of the book Hyp, and look forward to some gems you find in there.

A couple we already knew about, like them inserting a rule that a lance wielded in one hand is considered a one-handed weapon for purpose of Str bonus to damage... with a conspicuous omission of any special consideration for purpose of Power Attack bonus to damage, meaning it remains a two-handed weapon for that purpose. And of course the change to Sunder, so that it's no longer a standard action.

There are places where I really wish they'd tidied up some language, like double weapons and assorted other bits, but they pretty much repeated language from the PHB.

I notice that that -1 per 10 feet is now a blanket penalty to Spot checks, not merely to encounter distance Spot checks.

-Hyp.