Does Acid Splash use touch AC in D&D 3e?

Acid Splash requires a ranged touch attack

Casting Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash creates a single projectile of magical Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/. The caster then makes a ranged touch attack to determine whether that projectile connects with the intended target.

The attack is compared against the target's touch armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ rather than its normal armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/. If the attack roll is too low to hit armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/, Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash misses and deals no damage.

The word “touch” does not mean the caster has to stand next to the target. Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash is specifically a ranged touch attack, so it can be used at range while still resolving against armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/.

What touch Armor Class ignores

A touch attack represents an effect that only needs to make contact with the target rather than penetrate its physical protection.

Because of that, several common forms of physical protection normally do not contribute to armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ against Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash.

• armor bonuses;
• shield bonuses;
• natural armor bonuses.

A creature can therefore have an excellent normal armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ while being considerably easier to hit with Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash.

What still applies to touch Armor Class

Touch armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ is not automatically equal to 10. Defenses that do not depend on physically blocking the attack can still apply.

• Dexterity modifiers;
• size modifiers;
• deflection bonuses;
• dodge bonuses;
• other modifiers that specifically continue to apply to touch attacks.

This means a quick, evasive, or magically protected creature may still be difficult to hit even if it is wearing little or no armor.

Why touch AC matters for Acid Splash

The use of armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ is one of the main advantages of Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash as an offensive 0-level spell. A heavily armored opponent may be much easier to hit with a ranged touch attack than with an ordinary weapon attack.

That advantage does not make the spell automatically reliable. The caster still has to make the attack roll, and the 3e version of Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash is also subject to spell resistance.

Against a creature with both a low armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ and spell resistance, the caster may therefore succeed on the attack roll but still fail to affect the creature if the spell does not overcome its spell resistance.

Touch AC and normal AC are separate defenses

It is important not to compare the Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/ Splash attack roll against the target’s normal armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ first and then apply armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ afterward. The spell simply uses armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ as the relevant armor class D&D Portal - Armor Class Combat rule Armor Class is a combat rule used by attacks, damage, defenses, or turn order. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/combat/armor-class/ for that attack.

Other defenses, such as concealment, cover, spell resistance, or resistance to Acid D&D Portal - Acid Damage type Acid is a damage type used by attacks, spells, class features, resistance, immunity, and vulnerability. Full link: https://dnd-portal.com/rules/damage-types/acid/, can still matter separately if the normal rules for those defenses apply.