Just a question I had and was wanting to get the opinion of dumpshock on.

As a mage/mystic adept, when you cast a touch range spell on an unwilling opponent, you have to make an unarmed combat roll in order to successfully touch them and cast the spell. (SR4, 195) Making a "touch only" melee attack gives you a +2 bonus. (SR4, 148). Can the mage make a non-touch only attack but rather a normal attack and if successful inflict both unarmed damage as well as cast their spell?

I'm fairly sure this is not RAW, but as long as the Mage in question was willing to 1/2 his dicepool on both tests then sure why not?

I think its legal: On BBB, p195 it says, "must make a normal unarmed attack"

The word 'normal' makes me think its legal to do a damaging punch/kick/headbutt by forfeiting the modifier for touch casting.

Given the mechanic exists in other games but they don't allow for damage dealt, I would go with no damage for melee attack to cast a touch range spell.

All you are doing is trying to touch them. Your efforts aren't devoted toward dealing damage but toward casting the spell. I would allow such things as a weapon focus to assist in trying to hit as long as the weapon focus was one that could be used with the Unarmed Combat skill. You would not however get the damage of the unarmed attack as that wasn't the reason for the attack. Spellcasting was.

the FAQ state it is impossible for Shock Gloves, so i think it should be not allowed to Spells.

cya
Tycho

Don't forget that there is a special bonus to an unarmed attack for just trying to touch your opponent. of course you don't get to do damage.

I quite clearly addressed that.

Whoops...

Somehow I skipped over the first post.

Sorry.

Casting a spell is a complex action as is an unarmed strike. I'd be unlikely to allow this in my game as I don't see someone being able to simultaneously perform two complex actions. That a touch spell allows something similar in that you can just brush them, would not be sufficient argument to sway me on this potentially powerful interpretation.

Regardless of whether allowed or not by a GM however, I don't think it is RAW.