Spiritual weapon

Spiritual weapon is an evocation spell that conjures a magical weapon which attacks on its own.

Effect
A melee weapon made of pure force springs into existence and attacks opponents at a distance, as you direct it, dealing 1d8 damage per hit. The weapon takes the shape of a weapon favored by your deity or a weapon with some spiritual significance or symbolism to you, and has the same threat range and critical multipliers as a real weapon of its form. It strikes the opponent you designate, starting with one attack the round the spell is cast and continuing each round thereafter. It uses your base attack bonus as its attack bonus (possibly allowing it multiple attacks per round in subsequent rounds). It strikes as a spell, not as a weapon, so, for example, it can strike incorporeal creatures. The weapon always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats (such as Weapon Focus) or combat actions (such as charge) do not affect the weapon. If the weapon goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, or if you are not directing it, the weapon returns to you and hovers.

Each round after the first, you can use a standard action to switch the weapon to a new target. If you do not, the weapon continues to attack the previous round's target. On any round that the weapon switches targets, it gets one attack. Subsequent rounds of attacking that target allow the weapon to make multiple attacks if your base attack bonus would allow it to. The spiritual weapon cannot be attacked or damaged.

If an attacked creature has SR, the resistance is checked the first time the spiritual weapon strikes it. If the weapon is successfully resisted, the spell is dispelled. If not, the weapon has its normal full effect on that creature for the duration of the spell.

The weapon that you get is often a force replica of your deity's own personal weapon, many of which have individual names. A cleric without a deity gets a weapon based on his alignment. A neutral cleric without a deity can create a spiritual weapon of any alignment provided he is acting at least generally in accord with that alignment at the time. The weapons of each deity are listed on the page of that deity; some examples from each pantheon are:

Author's Note: although the DM may change this at his leisure, spiritual weapon appears to be incapable of forming ranged weapons due to the wording of the first paragraph.