How do you cast Touch Range spells against a target that is actively trying to avoid your touch ? In combat ?
I'm currently thinking - make a Brawl (Fist) attack roll, regardless of weapon/talisman held. Perhaps with a +6 bonus.
I've always understood touching a resisting target to require a successful Attack roll, but I can't seem to find any reference to such a rule in any of the books I checked. At the very least then, it constitutes a decent house rule since the other main alternative - no Touch range spells on unwilling targets - strikes me as a bit unfair...
I would say a +6 bonus cause you can land a glancing blow. I would also let it be automatic if the person claims a defense bonus from a shield or weapon. (Since they are blocking your strike they are actively trying to touch you they might as well count as willing.)
Automatic if the other party is parrying instead of dodging. You can simply touch him.
Successful attack roll against a dodge defence.
Xavi
Keep in mind that your weapon touching him is not you touching him.
Hermetic magic can't extend touch range through props [a significant, and very worthwhile, minor breakthrough possibility]. You could probably touch his shield and succeed, as it's so tied to him, but you would have to actually touch it directly.
If your talisman is a weapon, though. Of course, botching an attack roll with it is really bad.
My current house rule, based on the above discussion (along with another one which it references):
Weapons and Gestures:
If a weapon is used in combat (such as to generate a Defense total), the magus cannot use any gestures when casting spells. Conversely, if he cast a spell using gestures, he cannot generate a Defense using weapons that round. He may still defend with Brawling (Dodge).
This includes shields and staffs.
Touching:
To cast a spell with Range: Touch against a defending target, you need to cast the spell as normal, move to the target, and touch it. If the target attempts to parry the blow or glance it off, it hits automatically. If it tries to dodge the blow, the caster must roll a Brawl (Fist) attack roll with a +6 bonus, against a Brawl (Dodge) defense (with not shield or weapon bonus). If the attack hits, there is no normal combat damage - instead, the spell takes effect.
Even when wielding a weapon, you may still use this Brawl (Fist) attack to touch the target. Using a weapon as a talisman, however, also allows the magus to make a Combat Skill (Weapon) check in lieu of the Brawl (Fist) check. You may add the weapon’s attack bonus, as normal, on top of the +6 bonus. However, this counts as “using” the weapon in combat which, as discussed under “Weapons and Gestures” above, means that you can’t use gestures to cast the spell.
How would it work if the touch attack was through an intangible tunnel. They had one in Hermatic Projects that had a range of sight. Would that still follow the target around like a AC would or would it be stuck in one place. If the tunnel is following the target around then dodging would be useless vs the touch through the tunnel.
Erg, I'm guessing it will work automatically. Thankfully, the players haven't asked me that, yet ...