The 5th-level Sor/Wiz spell telekinesis [trans] (PH 292) allows the caster to
move objects or creatures by concentrating on them.… [T]he spell can… exert a single short, violent thrust [allowing] the spell energy [to] be spent in a single round. [The caster] can hurl one object or creature per caster level (maximum 15) that are within [the spell's long] range and all within 10 feet of each other toward any target within 10 feet per level of all the objects. [The caster] can hurl up to a total weight of 25 pounds per caster level (maximum 375 pounds at 15th level).
[The caster] must succeed on attack rolls (one per creature or object thrown) to hit the target with the items, using [its] base attack bonus + [its] Intelligence modifier (if a wizard) or Charisma modifier (if a sorcerer). Weapons cause standard damage (with no Strength bonus; note that arrows or bolts deal damage as daggers of their size when used in this manner).
The creature using telekinesis is an overseer (Lords of Madness 139-40), a treelike, tentacled, unimaginatively named beholderkin which has telekinesis as a supernatural ability as a level 14 caster via one of its thirteen eye rays. ("An overseer can move objects or creatures [n.b. plural] that weigh up to 350 pounds, as though with a telekinesis spell," so there's no issue with it tossing around multiple objects simultaneously even though it's using an eye ray.).
It's related to beholders. I kid you not.
Anyway, below are the questions.
- Does a creature employing the violent thrust version of the spell telekinesis suffer the normal effects associated with making an attack? (For example, an overseer is Large—does it suffer a −1 penalty on its violent thrust attack rolls because of its size? Were the violent thrust hurling masterwork weapons, would the overseer gain a +1 enhancement bonus on its attack rolls?)
- Does a creature employing the violent thrust version of the spell telekinesis suffer the normal effects associated with making a ranged attack? (For example, does the overseer provoke attacks of opportunity for making a violent thrust ranged attack? Does the overseer suffer a −4 penalty to its violent thrust attack when it makes such an attack against a foe engaged in melee?)
- Does a creature employing the violent thrust version of the spell telekinesis suffer a −4 nonproficiency penalty with objects (or creatures) it violently thrusts if it isn't proficient with those objects (or creatures)?
The plan is to have the overseer take a few minutes to create a big pile of Large greatswords or halberds nearby with its major creation eye ray (again, not kidding—the weapons'll last 14 hours) and, when it's time to fight, violently thrust the weapons in batches of 14 at the PCs. (Admittedly, considering the overseer's other eye rays—like dominate person, polar ray, and temporal stasis—, this seems sort of desperate and is sort of dumb, but, hey, monsters! What are you gonna do? Am I right?)
Given this aberration's lack of weapon proficiencies and it needing its feats for better things, I want to confirm that violently thrusting weapons at foes is superior to simply using the combat maneuver version of telekinesis to disarm or trip the PCs.