Simple Q&A D&D 4e Thread II: Electric Boogaloo

[Kurald Galain]

A 370

No. This is because powers and attacks do precisely what their rules text say, no more, no less. No rule exists that lets you leave a weapon inside an enemy, and no rule exists that specifies what would happen.

[Yakk]

A 370 Yes, but like most improvised type attacks, it would be a page 42 ruling by the DM. (Page 42 refers to the DMG page that contains damage expressions and advice for when a player tries to do something "neat" that isn't otherwise covered by the rules. You'll note that it is rules, and it is written. :) )

[Kurald Galain]

A 370

That's still not a mechanical benefit, though, considering it'll do less damage than not leaving the pick inside the enemy

[Dralnu]

Q 371

The module that I'm running (Madness at Gardmore Abbey) says that an NPC (Sir Oakley) joins the party as a companion character. Do companion characters share in the party's XP?

[Yakk]

A 371
If I remember correctly, by RAW, companion characters "reduce the XP budget of the encounter" by their XP value. Sadly, I cannot figure out where that is written, so this is less than perfectly reliable.

[Snowbody]

Q 372

When using an area/burst/blast attack, you roll to-hit for each target and then a single damage.

However, if you crit against multiple targets, do you roll the crit dice once and apply it to all targets you crit against, or do you roll the crit dice once for each critted target?

[Kurald Galain]

A 372

The purpose of the rule you mention is to speed up the game: on average, you would do the same damage to all the targets you hit anyway, so there is no real added value to rolling damage multiple times, statistically speaking. And it's faster to roll only once.

So in the spirit of that rule, I would recommend rolling crit dice only once. RAW does not specify either way.

[INDYSTAR188]

Q 373:

My players are close to Paragon and I need to know what are the feats generally associated with a feat tax? I want to give them two and am unsure exactly what two are appropriate. Thank you!

[Kurald Galain]

A 373:

The standard feat tax is an expertise feat (some DMs give Versatile Ex, some DMs give you one of your choice). Some people also consider Improved Defense, Melee Training, or Improved Initiative a feat tax.

[tcrudisi]

A373 clarification

I've never heard of Improved Initiative as a feat tax. That doesn't mean it's not one (I've not seen the math to support it), just saying.

If you are a defender without a melee basic attack (Swordmage, Battlemind, etc), then Melee Training is absolutely a feat tax. Otherwise, it's optional.

Improved Defenses and an Expertise feat are the typical feat taxes, as well as the occasional Melee Training for select defenders.

[Tegu8788]

Q 374

Has there been any errata to make the HoEC sorcerer at-wills poachable by other sorcerers? Was it a typo?

[Yakk]

Q 374

Has there been any errata to make the HoEC sorcerer at-wills poachable by other sorcerers? Was it a typo?

A 374: No. Possibly not (a typo), as they are (in some cases) really strong at-wills for a version of a class that lacks encounter powers (much like how the Slayer stances cannot be poached by Weaponmasters).

[Tegu8788]

Q 375

Screaming Armor has an encounter power, spoilered, that is unclear to me. Did they mean to add the word "takes?"

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Power (Encounter ! Fear): Minor Action. An enemy within 5 squares of you a –2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.

[tcrudisi]

A 375

Yes.

[Tegu8788]

Q 376

I feel like I'm dominating a bit, but while I'm at it, do you need the class feature Rune Master to take advantage of the Rune of --- in the powers? I recall reading online somewhere that you could use the Rune effects on powers without the feature benefits.

[tcrudisi]

Q 376

I feel like I'm dominating a bit, but while I'm at it, do you need the class feature Rune Master to take advantage of the Rune of --- in the powers? I recall reading online somewhere that you could use the Rune effects on powers without the feature benefits.

A 376

If you want the source pages, I can give them to you. Just inquire. But the gist of it is this: the Rune Master class feature grants you additional abilities when you enter a Rune state. You do not need the class feature to enter into the Rune state.

As an example, a Half-Elf Ranger who took Word of Exchange with his dilettante power would get to choose between the Rune of Destruction and Rune of Protection when he hits with the power. If he chooses Rune of Destruction, the next attack against the target from one of your allies will do your Wis mod in extra damage and give that amount of temp hp to your ally. If he chooses Rune of Protection, the target will take a -2 penalty to all defenses until the end of your next turn and the next ally to hit the target will gain a power bonus to AC equal to your Wis mod.

But that's it. You would not get the Rune Master class feature associated with Destruction (allies get +1 to attacks against adjacent enemies) or Protection (adjacent allies get resist x damage).

[allonym]

Q 377

Timing issues and when you can activate bonuses to damage on hitting. I'll give the specific examples.

If a Hybrid Blackguard | Bard without Combat Advantage hits with the Paladin attack Virtuous Strike, which counts as an MBA, then uses Lesser Dimensional Step (No Action, triggered when hitting with a Basic Attack - Deal 1[W] more damage with triggering attack and teleport self and an ally to spaces adjacent to them) to teleport so that he and his ally are flanking the enemy, does he get to add extra damage from his Dark Menace (Whenever you make a paladin weapon attack against an enemy granting Combat Advantage, that enemy takes Chamod extra damage)?

If the same character were using a light blade and multiclassed Rogue with Sneak of Shadows, could he then use his Sneak Attack on the attack?

[tcrudisi]

Q 377

Timing issues and when you can activate bonuses to damage on hitting. I'll give the specific examples.

If a Hybrid Blackguard | Bard without Combat Advantage hits with the Paladin attack Virtuous Strike, which counts as an MBA, then uses Lesser Dimensional Step (No Action, triggered when hitting with a Basic Attack - Deal 1[W] more damage with triggering attack and teleport self and an ally to spaces adjacent to them) to teleport so that he and his ally are flanking the enemy, does he get to add extra damage from his Dark Menace (Whenever you make a paladin weapon attack against an enemy granting Combat Advantage, that enemy takes Chamod extra damage)?

If the same character were using a light blade and multiclassed Rogue with Sneak of Shadows, could he then use his Sneak Attack on the attack?

A377

Okay, timing is incredibly complicated at times. Like this. So I'm going to describe it the best way that I can, and then Kurald or someone else who is really knowledgeable can come in and correct me if I'm wrong.

Surprisingly, you are getting two different answers. Since I don't know Dark Menace, I'm going on the exact wording that you gave.

"Whenever you MAKE a Paladin weapon attack against an enemy granting combat advantage..." means that you don't get the bonus. Why? Because you've already made the attack. It wasn't granting combat advantage to you at the time, so it fails the criteria.

Now, sneak attack? "When you ... hit an enemy granting combat advantage to you ..." is very different. In your example, you've just hit the enemy then used a No Action power in response whose trigger was "to hit an enemy", so you are still in the "hit an enemy phase." No Actions literally do not take an action. So you hit, teleport the ally into flanking, and you are still in the "check for combat advantage phase." So, yes, sneak attack applies.

Does that make sense?

[Doorhandle]

Q378: Do monks add the proficesy bonus from unarmed strikes to their attack powers?

Q379: Can you choose an encounter power from a level lower than the one you are at?

[Kurald Galain]

A378: yes, but only if they're using powers with the "weapon" keyword. Pretty much all monk powers use the "implement" keyword instead.

A379: yes, says so on PHB page 28. Note that some 4.4 classes cannot do this, though.

[LaZodiac]

Q360: If you drop Prince Rolan (published in The Shadowfell book, page 124) and then coup de grace him while he's unconcious, waiting to be revived by Unnatural Life, does he get killed if you lower his hp to negative bloodied?

[Surrealistik]

Q360: If you drop Prince Rolan (published in The Shadowfell book, page 124) and then coup de grace him while he's unconcious, waiting to be revived by Unnatural Life, does he get killed if you lower his hp to negative bloodied?

Unless otherwise stated, monsters don't autodie when they are reduced to negative bloodied; this is a rule specific to characters/PCs.

Rolan would thus heal up to 0, then regain 135 HP.

That said though, I see no problem in ruling that this kind of overkill straight up annihilates him.

[Yakk]

A360: As noted, there is no way to "kill" a non-PC other than reducing it to 0 HP under RAW. So while Roland is helpless, further damage to Roland doesn't do anything by RAW -- what is left is DM's interpretation.

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While a coup-while-unconscious seems like a tempting solution to preventing him from getting up again, I'd argue for the opposite. I wouldn't want PCs to have to feel they have to coup every enemy, and having the "resurrect" ability of the Prince be short-circuited by a coup would encourage just that.

Then again, I would be tempted to include a non-RAW method to prevent the resurrection, that would involve a particular maneuver (cut off some part of Roland's body in particular) which you have to do to keep Roland down. And if Roland was a reoccuring villain, the first time they tried to take out Roland they would learn about the unnatural life, and after that try to figure out how to counter it...

[Fallbot]

Q381
What happens to an object cleaned by prestidigitation when the 1 hour duration of the spell expires? Does the dirt return, or does it stay clean?

[Dentarthur]

A381
Prestidigitation allows you to "Color, clean, or soil ... for up to 1 hour." The item is clean for only 1 hour, then reverts to its previous dirty state, just like it would only be colored or soiled for 1 hour if you chose one of those options.

[INDYSTAR188]

Q382:

Please explain the difference between Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction. Can they both be used or is it one or the other?

[Snowbody]

Q383

If a charge that was apparently valid becomes invalid due to an off-turn action (readied or other immediate action, or a change in terrain), what of the following happens?

• The charger's motion stops immediately and the action is forfeited.
• The charge becomes a regular move action and the charge can use any additional squares.
• The charge may be redirected to another target, as long as the total move would be a valid charge.

[Snowbody]

A381

Prestidigitation continues cleaning the object for up to an hour, and after that it may accumulate dirt as normal. The object really is being cleaned, it isn't just an illusion, the dirt does not magically reappear when the hour is up.

[NecroRebel]

A 382

Divine Challenge is a power that the Paladin has that has certain effects, including marking the target and dealing radiant damage if it makes an attack that doesn't include the Paladin. Divine Sanction is a status effect, outlined on Divine Power page 82, that has similar effects to Divine Challenge - it also marks the target and deals 3+Cha radiant damage to it the first time in a round that it makes an attack that doesn't include the Paladin - that is explicitly intended to complement the Divine Challenge ability.

Because both of them mark the target and a target may be subject to only one mark at a time, Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction do not stack. Sanction only allows you to put a pseudo-DC on other creatures.

A 383

None of those things happen. The charger would still be charging unless the interrupting effect stopped it, so they'd need to continue abiding by the rules of a charge. In other words, they'd still be required to move up to their speed with every square of movement taking them closer to the target and they'd still need to end this move at least 2 tiles from where they started. They just wouldn't be able to make any attack at the end of the charge because the target wouldn't be within range of their MBA or bull rush abilities.

It's unclear what would happen if a change in terrain made it impossible for the charger to fulfill those requirements. If a pit suddenly opened up, they might be required to attempt the charge out into open air, but what happens if a wall appeared is simply not covered by the rules.

[tcrudisi]

A 382

Divine Challenge is a power that the Paladin has that has certain effects, including marking the target and dealing radiant damage if it makes an attack that doesn't include the Paladin. Divine Sanction is a status effect, outlined on Divine Power page 82, that has similar effects to Divine Challenge - it also marks the target and deals 3+Cha radiant damage to it the first time in a round that it makes an attack that doesn't include the Paladin - that is explicitly intended to complement the Divine Challenge ability.

Because both of them mark the target and a target may be subject to only one mark at a time, Divine Challenge and Divine Sanction do not stack. Sanction only allows you to put a pseudo-DC on other creatures.

A 382 Addition

Everything said above is accurate. I want to add that you can use both at the same time, just not on the same creature. For example, you can have 3 monsters marked with Divine Sanction and one marked with Divine Challenge, all at the same time.