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

[rjthom5]

Q556 For a dragon's bloodied breath it states:
The dragon’s breath weapon recharges, and the dragon uses it
immediately.

Does immediately mean on it's next turn, or as an immediate reaction?

[allonym]

Q556 For a dragon's bloodied breath it states:
The dragon’s breath weapon recharges, and the dragon uses it
immediately.

Does immediately mean on it's next turn, or as an immediate reaction?

A556
Neither.

No part of the wording of Bloodied Breath states that the use of the newly-recharged breath attack takes a specific action. "Immediately" here, despite sounding similar to "Immediate Action", would seem to imply merely that it is used right now. The use of the power is part of the same action of Bloodied Breath - ie., a free action with a trigger.

This means that it happens even if the dragon has already used an immediate action this round, and even if it is bloodied during its own turn.

Being a free action with a trigger, it acts similarly to an immediate reaction - the triggering event (the attack which bloodied the dragon) completely resolves before the triggered action can resolve.

[EvilAvocado]

Q557


For powers that roll an attack die to hit, but don't do any damage(Such as a cleric's astral seal, at-will) On a crit do you still apply the damage bonus from your magical weapon or implement?

And if so does that bonus damage trigger any actions that key off dealing (or receiving, if you are the monster) damage.

Thirdly, if you astral seal a bloodied enemy, crit, and have the pacifist healer feat. Does the extra damage trigger your stun? If so can you choose to NOT roll the additional crit die?

[allonym]

Q557


For powers that roll an attack die to hit, but don't do any damage(Such as a cleric's astral seal, at-will) On a crit do you still apply the damage bonus from your magical weapon or implement?

And if so does that bonus damage trigger any actions that key off dealing (or receiving, if you are the monster) damage.

Thirdly, if you astral seal a bloodied enemy, crit, and have the pacifist healer feat. Does the extra damage trigger your stun? If so can you choose to NOT roll the additional crit die?

A557

No.

Attacks that don’t deal damage still don’t deal damage on a critical hit.

[Kurald Galain]

A557

In addition to what Allonym said, for any "bonus damage" or "extra damage" to apply you need to be doing damage in the first place.

[EvilAvocado]

Thanks for the clarifications!

Really helped for my game tonight :)

[docHigh]

Q558 Does Shaman see from his spirit companion (see, hear, understand surroundings)?

In PHB2 there is a reference (which kind of implies it), but that applies to powers, not normal exploring.

Spoiler

Show

Spirit
You can use a spirit power only if your spirit companion is present in the encounter. If a spirit power includes “spirit” in its range, you determine line of
sight and line of effect from your spirit companion’s space, which is the power’s origin square.

[Dimers]

A558

A spirit companion is a conjuration, which is not a creature. A conjuration cannot sense or know anything. In order to attack using a conjuration, you need to have line of sight to the target yourself, and the conjuration must have line of effect. As a DM, I would ignore the mention of LoS in the text you quoted. But going strictly by RAW, I would say that both you and the conjuration need LoS to attack with such a power, since the text doesn't say it overrides the general requirement. In any case, no RAW gives the spirit companion any sensory ability, and I can't recall any power that lets you sense things as if you were in the SC's square.

[docHigh]

Thank you, Dimers! I thought so too since didn't read it out from any source-books. The shaman-spirit powers were what got me confused. Now all is clear.

[Yakk]

Q558 Does Shaman see from his spirit companion (see, hear, understand surroundings)?

In PHB2 there is a reference (which kind of implies it), but that applies to powers, not normal exploring.

Spoiler

Show

Spirit
You can use a spirit power only if your spirit companion is present in the encounter. If a spirit power includes “spirit” in its range, you determine line of
sight and line of effect from your spirit companion’s space, which is the power’s origin square.

A558: No, by RAW the shaman does not see from his spirit companion.

However, ignoring the reference to LoS in the above text is wrong. What it means is that such powers can be used without LoS from your own space, as you determine LoS for the purpose of such powers from your spirit companions square.

The general requirement is that you need LoS from your square. This power overrides this, and says you determine LoS from the spirit companion's square. You'll note it doesn't say "you need LoS from the spirit companion's square", but rather "you determine LoS from the spirit companion's square", so it does indeed specifically override the general rule.

It is a very strange set of rules, but the rules for spirit companions are in general exceedingly strange.

[2gig]

Q559
Does the property of Devastating Ki Focus apply to Assassin's Shroud and/or Sneak Attack (from Rogue Multiclass feat)?

[Mandrake]

Q 560

Does standing up from prone when done as a move action provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent opponents?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Q 560

Does standing up from prone when done as a move action provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent opponents?

No. Only ranged attacks or leaving a threatened square. Standing up isn't leaving the square.

Grey Wolf

[Tegu8788]

Q 561

Woke up with this thought, may not be clear. Hybrid Monk|Druid. Unarmed Strike turns your fist into a weapon. Can you be in Beast Form, using your hand to perform Monk attacks? The movements shouldn't be an issue, but can you Unarmed hit someone with your claws?

[Badgerish]

A559

When you roll damage for an implement attack or a weapon attack with this ki focus, any die that shows a 1 or a 2 instead deals 3 damage.

Sneak attack damage is 'extra damage' on the weapon attack, so: yes, that should work.

A560

Moving Provokes: If an enemy leaves a square adjacent to you, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy. However, you can’t make one if the enemy shifts or teleports or is forced to move away by a pull, a push, or a slide.

Ranged and Area Powers Provoke: If an enemy adjacent to you uses a ranged power or an area power, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy.

These are pretty much the only two things that provoke OAs in 4ed. Anything else that provokes will be called out in the mechanics of that event.

A561

While you are in beast form, you can’t use weapon or implement attack powers that lack the beast form keyword, although you can sustain such powers.

So you can't make basic attacks with your unarmed strike (as it's a weapon and lacks the 'Beast' keyword) and you can't make Monk Implement attacks (as they lack the 'Beast' keyword).

Balance wise, I'd be happy letting you do basic attacks in Wildshape, frees up a at-will power. Monk powers, not so much.

Random note: This means you can use Dragonborn Breath and most other racial attack powers in Wild Shape, as they lack Weapon/Implement keywords!
edit: 'Flurry of Blows' also lacks Weapon/Implement keywords, but the hybrid version can only be triggered by Monk/Monk-PP attacks, so I don't see a way to use it.

[Tegu8788]

Q 562

Does a Ki Focus count as a magic implement for Dual Implement Spellcaster? Is it a matter of not being "slotted" in the hand in the CB?

[Badgerish]

A562

Benefit: When you use an arcane attack power and you are wielding a magic implement in each hand, you can add the off-hand implement’s enhancement bonus to damage rolls.

By RAW, no. You don't have an implement in each hand.

Balance wise? Implements that don't need to be wielded already have an advantage, but it's hardly a massive one (especially with the number of weapmelments around).

[Tegu8788]

Q 563

In terms of general versus specific; minions never take damage from a missed attack, but Vital Strike deals half damage on a miss. The power is more specific than the general rule, but somehow I doubt it works that way. Can someone verify this for me?

[Badgerish]

A 563
Dealing damage on a miss isn't a 'special rule' it's a standard rule. Reaping Strike, Fireball, Flamestrike they all say "Miss: half damage" or "Miss: Str-bonus damage".

How else would you do damage on a miss, without it being written onto the 'miss' line (or Hammer Rhythm the Paragon feat)?

So, the general rule is: when you miss with a power, the 'miss' line of the power happens.
The specific rule that overrides it is: minions never take damage from a miss.

[ghost_warlock]

Q 564 When using the Nusemnee's Atonement feat to deal damage to yourself instead of an ally, does the damage you take retain its type (e.g., does a power that would deal fire damage to your ally still deal fire damage to you)?

@v Thanks! Honestly, though, Ancient Soul is the exploit feat in that build. I was just wondering if there was a way to actually trigger the secondary benefit from Thunder's Rumble since I've been playing a character for 10 levels and I don't think I've taken thunder damage even once.

[obryn]

A 564
Yes, and it's a horrific exploit which gives us the Re-Breather.

-O

[gandrasch]

Q565

First off, sorry for my bad english.


I've started a new 4e group and don't have that much of experience. I've started playing DnD beginning of this year and played twice as a player and lead a couple of times in a group of friends of mine.

All of the player's in the new group aren't that expirienced and because the other DM (we do roundrobin DM) can't be here for the next session, but we are still in his adventure, I wanna do an trainings encounter for the other players. So that they can learn their new characters.
Especially for one guy who never played DnD before.

What kind of setup would you recommend? Grouplevel is 6. So many Level 7 Monsters or one Level 9 and few others? Solo, Elite, Standard?

Best regards,
gandrasch

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Q565

First off, sorry for my bad english.


I've started a new 4e group and don't have that much of experience. I've started playing DnD beginning of this year and played twice as a player and lead a couple of times in a group of friends of mine.

All of the player's in the new group aren't that expirienced and because the other DM (we do roundrobin DM) can't be here for the next session, but we are still in his adventure, I wanna do an trainings encounter for the other players. So that they can learn their new characters.
Especially for one guy who never played DnD before.

What kind of setup would you recommend? Grouplevel is 6. So many Level 7 Monsters or one Level 9 and few others? Solo, Elite, Standard?

Best regards,
gandrasch

This is better asked and answered in its own thread; it's not a simple RAW question that can be answered by quoting a book, but will instead depend on a number of parameters.

Yours,

Grey Wolf

[2gig]

Q566
Is Student of Caiphon a valid paragon path for Binder and/or Hexblade? If not, I'd like to understand why.

Q567
Is there any way to get dagger/light blade/heavy blade implement proficiency as an Avenger without multiclassing or a hybrid class?

[obryn]

A566

Q566
Is Student of Caiphon a valid paragon path for Binder and/or Hexblade? If not, I'd like to understand why.

You have "star pact" as a prereq. If you are a Star Pact Hexblade, it's fair game. I don't think there's a Star Pact Binder, (but why would you be a Binder anyway?)

[2gig]

A566

You have "star pact" as a prereq. If you are a Star Pact Hexblade, it's fair game. I don't think there's a Star Pact Binder, (but why would you be a Binder anyway?)

Hm, I was asking about Binder since I was merely exploring the options for Student of Caiphon and I noticed that Binder (which does have a Star Pact), was unable to select Student of Caiphon as a paragon path. I shouldn't have mentioned Hexblade; I must've merely glanced over it, expecting it to not be there, but it's definitely available in my builder. But yeah, there's definitely a Star Pact Binder, and it definitely won't let me take Student of Caiphon in my builder. Is Binder really that terrible? The Star Pact free action sounds ok and has flavor since I'd probably go Binder|Executioner.

[allonym]

If you want to discuss the merits of a class, this is not the thread for that. Feel free to make a new thread discussing it.
For the record, yes, Binder really is that bad.

[Urpriest]

Q 568

What bonuses apply to the attack and damage rolls of a creature summoned by a Summoning power? In particular, if the character who uses the power has feats that trigger off of powers with a particular keyword, what determines whether those keywords apply: the keywords of the power that summoned the creature, or the keywords of the creature's powers in the creature's statblock.

I'm specifically curious about the Hexblade's Summon Warlock's Ally, if that functions differently.

[Badgerish]

Attacks and Checks: If a summoning power allows the summoned creature to attack, the summoner makes an attack through the creature, as specified in the power description. If the summoned creature can make a skill check or an ability check, the summoner makes the check. The attack or check uses the summoner’s game statistics, unless the descriptions of the power or creature specify otherwise. Attacks and checks made through the creature do not include any temporary bonuses or penalties to the summoner’s statistics.

A568

Despite how it really looks like the Summoned Creature is doing the actual attacking... in game terms, it's the Summoner who makes the actual attack. Thus, all relevant bonuses and penalties that aren't from 'states' on the Summoner are used.

The summoner's base stats +
The summoner's weapon/implement (if the power has that keyword) +
The summoner's feats/class features etc +
The summoned creature's states

So if the summoner is prone, they don't take -2 while attacking through their summon.
If the summoner creature is prone, then the do take the -2 when attacking through the summoned creature.

The Hexblade Summons don't have a Weapon or Implement keyword, so you don't add those bonuses, but you do still add the "Pact Reward" damage bonus, as this is a 'Warlock' power.*

If you have a feat like "Student of Moil" (+1/tier damage with Necrotic powers) and your summoned creature deals necrotic damage, then it will get this bonus as well, as it's really the summoner doing the attack.

I'd use both the keywords from the Summoning Power and the summoned creature's attack, when the summoned creature attacks.

* actually this is an assumption, but these powers are no where near good enough to be considered 'striker' powers without a bonus to damage from either implement or Pact Reward.

[Urpriest]

A568
snip

I'd use both the keywords from the Summoning Power and the summoned creature's attack, when the summoned creature attacks.

Is this just your opinion, or is there text or FAQ to back this up?

As for the question of whether the striker feature applies, it explicitly has an exception letting it apply, which probably means by default it wouldn't.