When deflect arrows is used it says you take no damage from it. If a thrown AOE weapon (Such as a flask of acid or an Alchemist bomb) is thrown at a target with deflect arrows, what happens to the thrown weapon? Does it vanish and do nothing? Does it scatter and still perform AOE damage and ignore the deflecting target? Does it do something else?
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asked Aug 22, 2011 at 2:28
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3 Answers
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As Pathfinder has a basis largely in simulation, I rule in this case (I have a monk PC in my game and it's come up) that he can deflect the full effect of the weapon but still takes any splash damage.
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\$\begingroup\$ Same in mine. This isn't that unusual of an edge case, especially in Alchemy heavy games. \$\endgroup\$– C. RossAug 22, 2011 at 12:31
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For my game I rule that the player is allowed to deflect an AOE weapon. They get to role a reflex save against the attack role that was used to hit them. If they succeed they can choose which direction they deflected the attack to; if they fail it gets randomly deflected (d8 roll for direction).
I then have the attack hit the square that it was deflected too, and then figure out splash damage from there. If there's a creature in the deflected square I use the original attack roll to see if it hits that creature.
This can lead to some interesting strategies. One game saw our monk deflecting a flaming oil onto a summoned fire elemental in order to heal it from the fire damage.
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By RAW, a character hit with a splash weapon also receives the splash damage.
[...] A hit deals direct hit damage to the target, and splash damage to all creatures within 5 feet of the target. [...]
The target is, in fact, a creature within 5 ft. of itself.
However, a character using the Deflect Arrows feat, explicitly receives no damage from the ranged attack. The feat does not force the attack to miss: it simply negates the damage. In fact, the splash weapon doesn't misfire and it still deal splash damage to adjacent creatures.
That said, what @mxyzplk wrote:
Pathfinder has a basis largely in simulation
stands true, and I'd take no offense nor scandal from house ruling that a deflected alchemist's fire still deals splash damage to its target.
answered Aug 31, 2011 at 13:03
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\$\begingroup\$ -1 for now. That's not how it works. The creature hit only takes direct hit damage. "When you hit a target with a splash weapon, the contents sprays out over the target and everything within 5 feet of that target. The target struck takes damage for a direct hit; other targets take splash damage. The splash weapon's direct and splash damage ratings are given in the weapon's description." wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20070717a \$\endgroup\$– CthosAug 31, 2011 at 18:15
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\$\begingroup\$ And yes, that's a post about 3.5, but the rule is the same for Pathfinder. \$\endgroup\$– CthosAug 31, 2011 at 18:16
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1\$\begingroup\$ @Cthos, Skip Williams is adding personal interpretation to the RAW. The word "other" in "other targets take splash damage" is in addition to what the Player's Handbook states... even if this interpretation is probably RAI. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 31, 2011 at 19:05
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\$\begingroup\$ But you're also interpreting that something is within 5ft of itself (and by correlation included in creatures), which I do not believe is possible, as written. And given that Skip Williams was one of the contributors to the PHB, I'd say that is in fact not how it works. \$\endgroup\$– CthosAug 31, 2011 at 19:22
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\$\begingroup\$ I really fell within 5 ft. from myself :) \$\endgroup\$ Aug 31, 2011 at 19:25