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

[Mark Hall]

(This is a fairly high procedure thread; please read the entire instructions carefully before posting. Thanks.)

Ever have a simple, straight-forward rules question that you can’t figure out the answer to? Ask it here. No question is too simple. No more worrying about whether your question is “worth” starting a thread. Ask here and receive an answer. You are, of course, welcome to start a thread for your question, and if you think your question is subject to many interpretations or will start a debate, you are encouraged to start a new thread for it.

This thread will serve as a catch-all for simple, discreet questions that can be answered quickly according to the RAW (Rules As Written). This thread is for all simple RAW questions about D&D 4e.

The Procedure:

Do:
Label your questions with bold Q#s.
Label your answers with the bold Q# that you are responding to and/or quote the question.
Be sure that your answer is correct before you post it; if you are the least bit uncertain, just let it pass and get the next one.
Try to give your answers in as clear and straightforward terms as possible.
Feel free to quote or link to relevant rules in the SRD, Errata, or FAQ that supports your answer. (You may want to give your answer and then modify it to add support – otherwise someone else may answer while you’re assembling yours.)

Don’t:
Ask Homebrew rules questions here.
Ask trick questions or attempt to “stump the panel,” so to speak.
Answer a question that’s already been answered.
Offer contradictions, clarifications, exceptions, or extensions of prior answers unless, in your opinion, the answer give is plainly and completely wrong.
Post to debate the answers given.
Post to carry on other conversations whether tangentially related or wholly unrelated.

Dispute Resolution Procedure:
If you dispute someone’s answer – meaning that they got it wrong in a critical fashion – post your answer and suggest that the original questioner start a thread to discuss it further if they want it hashed out.
If someone disputes your answer, don’t respond. Just wait to see if the original questioner starts a new thread to discuss it.
If your question leads to a disputed answer, start a new thread if you’d like it discussed further.

Here are some sample questions. “Bad” questions just mean they should be asked in their own thread where you can get many answers and opinions. “Good” questions just mean that these are the types of questions that are amenable to a quick straightforward answer (probably).

Sample “Bad” Questions:
How do I play D&D? (Great question, but not for this thread.)
What is the best class? (Far too broad and requires much opinion)
Which is better GURPS or D&D?

{The first several versions of this thread seemed to run pretty efficiently, but if you have any comments about how this thread could be improved please PM me.}

Please start over with the numbering. Thanks.

[tcrudisi]

The first iteration of this thread can be found here.

If you need an answer in a hurry, I suggest searching that thread and seeing if it has already been answered. Generally answers are given here relatively quickly, but nothing is as fast as just finding it without even having to ask.

With that said, I'm not trying to sound as if we are unhappy to answer questions. Just the opposite! Feel free to ask if anything is stumping you.

[Snowbody]

Q 360

Is there a general rule for when you have to state you're using a encounter or daily damage-enhancing power or item power? Or does each power state it individually (you have to declare before your attack roll/after the attack roll but before you know if it's a hit/after you know it's a hit but before you roll damage/after you roll damage)?

In particular, the MC Executioner power to add 1d8 to any damage roll.

[Surrealistik]

Originally Posted by Snowbody

Q 360

Is there a general rule for when you have to state you're using a encounter or daily damage-enhancing power or item power? Or does each power state it individually (you have to declare before your attack roll/after the attack roll but before you know if it's a hit/after you know it's a hit but before you roll damage/after you roll damage)?

In particular, the MC Executioner power to add 1d8 to any damage roll.

In general timing and declarations are foremost dependent on what the power/feat/ability/etc actually specifies.

With respect to the MC Executioner feat ability, the timing is implicit in the fact that it deals extra damage, therefore you declare it upon dealing damage given that it lacks any other specifications.

[LaZodiac]

Q361: Does ongoing damage get increased by Vulnerability? Say I have some spiderlings inflict damage on an enemy, giving them 9 vulnerability to poison, and then they get ongoing poison damage. Does the 9 get added to the ongoing damage?

[DeltaEmil]

A 361

Yes. If the enemy is vulnerable to some specific damage type and takes ongoing damage from that specific damage type, it's vulnerability does make it take even more damage.

[Surrealistik]

Originally Posted by LaZodiac

Q361: Does ongoing damage get increased by Vulnerability? Say I have some spiderlings inflict damage on an enemy, giving them 9 vulnerability to poison, and then they get ongoing poison damage. Does the 9 get added to the ongoing damage?

The ongoing damage itself isn't actually increased, but they take 9 additional poison damage whenever the ongoing poison damage is applied at the start of their turn so long as they have 9 vulnerable poison.

[Musco]

Q362

A Warlock MC Wizard chooses Wizard of the Spiral Tower as his Paragon Path. Corellon's Implement (11th level feature) states that he can use a longsword in place of a wand as if it were that type of arcane implement when casting your spells.

Would this extend to his arcane spells cast as a Warlock, which can also use a wand?

Corollary: I ask this becuase the MC Wizard feat specifies (or there is a clarification somewhere, not sure which right now) that you can use Wizard implements only when casting Wizard spells (he sticks to wands because Warlock spells also benefit from it), but the feature has no such restriction, so I'm inclined to believe it would, indeed work for Warlock spells as well.

[Mandrake]

A362

As far as I can read, it does apply. Also, if it's easier that way, or others prove me (and you) wrong, check out page 74. of Adventurer's Vault - There's a Pact Sword, as an item there, in case you hadn't known already.

[Dimers]

A 362

The MC feats have been updated such that you can use any implement power you know through any implement with which you have proficiency.

[MeeposFire]

Originally Posted by Dimers

A 362

The MC feats have been updated such that you can use any implement power you know through any implement with which you have proficiency.

Not exactly true. There are still certain feats out there that are still class specific for the implements (though they are not the MC feats) but they are fairly rare. I believe one of the essentials updates (which are harder to find for some reason) has a list of these.

[malachi]

363
So I was looking in the superior implements section of PH3 for what other types of superior daggers you could get other than just a basic accurate dagger.
And then proceeded to not see the section on superior daggers. Where are they from?

[dariathalon]

A 363

Superior dagger implements can be found in Dragon 385 or Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium.

[Yakk]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...postcount=1529

Q 359
If someone starts their turn dazed and uses a move action that results in them being no longer dazed, do they get a standard and minor action this turn?

I can think of two interpretations that are consistent with the rules as written.

First, you get your complement of actions at the start of your turn, and you spend them over your turn. In this case, being dazed during your turn does NOTHING to your actions in your turn. I have yet to meet a party that interprets the rules this way.

Alternatively, the dazed condition ends your turn after you do your one standard/move/minor condition on your turn. In that case, the move action cleared the dazed condition, and you can proceed to spend more actions on your turn.

There is no verbage in the "Turn" rules that state the turn runs by handing out 3 action-tokens that you spend over your turn. It simply lists the kind of actions you get to take on your turn (one of each). Dazed changes this list to (one of any of them).

The alternative interpretation above (that conditions when removed, no longer affect you) is consistent with how other conditions in 4e work.

[Musco]

Q364

What happens if a character with Immunity or Resistance to a certain type of energy would gain Vulnerability to it because of a power or effect? Like, a cold-resistant (or immune) creature hit with a [Cold] power by someone with the Wintertouched feat?

[Snowbody]

A364

A vulnerability applies (and adds on its additional damage) when you take damage of a the specified type. The immunity prevents damage of a specified type. So a mob with [Cold] immunity being hit with a [Cold] power would take no damage, and thus the vulnerability would not add any damage.

The exception is if you can find a way to pierce the immunity. If you can add another keyword to your power, e.g. [Radiant], to which the mob is not immune, then the power would deal XdY+Z [Radiant] + [Cold] damage on a hit, and thus the [Cold] vulnerability would add additional damage.

[Yakk]

A364 The previous poster's answer on Immunity is a valid interpretation. Another interpretation that is consistent with the RAW is that being immune to cold, the vulnerability doesn't apply. (If the vulnerability applied, the creature would have been affected by the cold damage type -- the affect being the bonus damage from vulnerability, which immunity says does not happen). Ie, if a power has more than 1 damage type, you remove all damage types you are immune to, and work out resistance/vulnerability there (and if all damage types are removed, the damage is also removed).

On the subject of resistance and vulnerability:

With a single damage type, things are easy. Subtract the Resistance from the Vulnerability, and deal that much extra damage (or less damage if negative).

When you have multiple damage types, the wording gets awkward, and things get ambiguous.

Resistance alone is easy. You take the lowest resistance to any of your damage types, and only that applies.

Vulnerabilities alone is easy. You add up all vulnerabilities that apply.

A single resistance and vulnerability is easy. The vulnerability reduces the resistance, and if it overwealms it you deal extra damage.

There is no blatant RAW that says what happens when you have multiple vulnerabilities and multiple resistances.

The most "generous" reading says that you add up all vulnerabilities that apply, and then use them to reduce all resistances.

So if you had 5 cold resist and 0 radiant resist and 5 cold vulnerability, and you where dealt 10 points of radiant and cold damage, you'd take 15 damage (the radiant damage would mean you would use the lower of the two resistances. Then you'd trigger vulnerability, and get 5 extra damage).

A less generous one means you first pair up vulnerabilities and resistances, and evaluate them individually.

In the same situation, the 5 cold vulnerability and the 5 cold resist would first cancel out, and you'd have 0 cold and radiant resist. Then you'd take 10 points of cold and radiant damage.

As mentioned, the RAW does not include definitive information asto which of these two interpretations is valid.

[Rhaegar14]

Q 365

Should Gith Plate Armor give more AC than a regular suit of Plate Armor with the same enhancement bonus?

This may seem like a stupid question, but when I switch between the two on Character Builder, nothing appears to happen, so I'm wondering if this is right or if it's a bug.

[Yakk]

A 365: WotC started baking in the masterwork bonus on "normal" plate armor, because if they didn't do this, people building higher level characters would forget to pick masterwork and end up with gimped characters. This was, if I remember correctly, around about when essentials came out. Apparently the online character builder does this for you.

[Surrealistik]

Originally Posted by Yakk

A364 There is no blatant RAW that says what happens when you have multiple vulnerabilities and multiple resistances...

...As mentioned, the RAW does not include definitive information asto which of these two interpretations is valid.

I don't see how the example you provided (5 cold vul, resist and 0 rad resist/vul) is at all ambiguous. You deal 15 cold and radiant damage.

In cases where damage of multiple types is dealt you _always_ apply all existent vulnerabilities for each of those damage types, and you _always_ apply the lowest resistance/immunity against those damage types.

Where cold and radiant damage are concerned, examples:

Spoiler

• If you have resist 9001 cold and vulnerable 2500 radiant, the vulnerable 2500 applies.
  
  
• If you have immune radiant, resist 0 cold and vulnerable 42 radiant, the vulnerable 42 applies. There is nothing in the RAW that suggests that the damage type to which a creature is immune of an attack with multiple types is actually negated; does an attack that deals damage feature one of the types of a vulnerability? If so, vulnerability applies.
  
  
• If you have resist 1000 cold and resist 0 radiant, no resistance applies.
  
  
• If you have resist 10 cold, resist 10 radiant, vulnerable 10 radiant all apply and the net damage adjustment is +0.
  
  
• If you have resist 15 cold, resist 10 radiant and vulnerable 20 radiant, the resist 10 radiant applies as does the vulnerable 20 radiant for a net damage modifier of +10.
  
  
• Finally, if you have resist 15 cold, resist 10 radiant, vulnerable 20 radiant and vulnerable 20 cold, the resist 10 radiant applies, and _both_ vulnerabilities apply for a net modifier of +30 damage.

From the Compendium:

Spoiler

Immune: A creature that is immune to a damage type (such as cold or fire), a condition (such as dazed or petrified), or another specific effect (such as disease or forced movement) is not affected by it. A creature that is immune to charm, fear, illusion, poison, or sleep is not affected by the nondamaging effects of a power that has that keyword. A creature that is immune to gaze is not affected by powers that have that keyword.

Against Combined Damage Types: Your resistance is ineffective against combined damage types unless you have resistance to each of the damage types, and then only the weakest of the resistances applies. For example, if you have resist 10 lightning and resist 5 thunder and an attack deals 15 lightning and thunder damage to you, you take 10 damage, because the resistance to the combined damage types is limited by the lesser of the two resistances.

Against Combined Damage Types: Vulnerability to a specific damage type applies even when that damage type is combined with another. For example, if you have vulnerable 5 fire, you take 5 extra damage when you take ongoing fire and radiant damage.

As an aside, it should be noted that if you have vulnerable 5 fire and vulnerable 5 radiant, and take fire and radiant damage, _both_ vulnerabilities are triggered. The non-cumulative rule for same damage types regarding vulnerability doesn't apply precisely because radiant and fire are different damage types: you have 2 separate vulnerabilities for 2 separate damage types.

[Tegu8788]

Q 366

When you take a Leader MC feat that grants you use of "___ Word," you get it a a daily instead of an encounter power. Simple change in description. When the power lets you use it twice an encounter but only once per round, what does that mean for the MC? That you can now use it twice a day? If so, can it be used in seperate encounters during a day?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Originally Posted by Tegu8788

Q 366

When you take a Leader MC feat that grants you use of "___ Word," you get it a a daily instead of an encounter power. Simple change in description. When the power lets you use it twice an encounter but only once per round, what does that mean for the MC? That you can now use it twice a day? If so, can it be used in seperate encounters during a day?

A 366

No, you can only use it once a day. The "twice per encounter" is now irrelevant. It is still there, but since you no longer have unlimited daily uses, it no longer matters how many times per encounter you can use it.

Grey Wolf

[Yakk]

Originally Posted by Surrealistik

I don't see how the example you provided (5 cold vul, resist and 0 rad resist/vul) is at all ambiguous. You deal 15 cold and radiant damage

I had read a comment by wizards that resist+vulnerability added up and negated. I can no longer find it, and it was probably superseded by the compendium.

[*]If you have immune radiant, resist 0 cold and vulnerable 42 radiant, the vulnerable 42 applies. There is nothing in the RAW that suggests that the damage type to which a creature is immune of an attack with multiple types is actually negated; does an attack that deals damage feature one of the types of a vulnerability? If so, vulnerability applies.

There is something in the RAW that suggests the when you are immune to a damage type, the vulnerability (which is triggered when you take damage of that type) is negated:

A creature that is immune to a damage type [...] is not affected by it

Triggering a vulnerability when damaged by damage of that type is being affected by that damage type.

It is ambiguous, I will admit.

[Musco]

So basically I'm screwed and will have to call it. Well, it's in the job description, so, can't complain.

[Tegu8788]

Q 367

Can a Bladed Light Shield be used as a Warlock Pact Blade, or Swordmage implement?

Q 368

I recall a Warlock Rod that doubled as a Mace. What is its name/source?

[Dimers]

A 367

Yes, and yes.

A 368

Battle Pact Rod, from Adventurer's Vault 2, page 34. They start at level 18.

[Badgerish]

A368
There are actually a few:

Rod of Smiting (Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium) IL2+
Ironscar Rod (Player's Handbook Races: Tiefling) IL3+
Battle-Pact Rod (Adventurer's Vault 2) IL18+
Rod of Dispater (Manual of the planes) IL28

[malachi]

Q369
a) When a creature takes a move action, does it declare its destination and then move to it, or does it declare each square it is moving to one at a time?
b) If the former, what happens when it is slid during its movement - does it get to re-choose its movement choice, does it have to move as close to the destination as it can, does it stop its movement, or what?

[Yakk]

A369
Each square. If slid by an OA or interrupt (but not reaction), a given square of movement can fail. The first comes from a clarification of the dragon shield shift power (that it interrupts the mini action of a square of movement), the second from the general rule of interrupts and OAs invalidating the triggering action.

[Tegu8788]

Q 370

Is there any mechanical benefit, or ruling, for stabbing your weapon into the enemy so that it gets stuck?