Rulings Required

[Incandescent]

To help keep up with all the rulings we keep asking for I'm starting a thread so we can all keep up with what we want to know and what we've gotten back from Wizards.

Outstanding Requests:
Push and Pull: We require a ruling on if push and pull are directly away from/towards the source square of the effect or if there can be some side to side movement as well so long as the target ends up further away from/closer to the source of the effect?  Quasi Answer: so long as there is line of effect and the target still ends up further away on each square moved, you can move them however you want.

Sneak Attack: I did some further reading and it seems that rogues can choose to apply sneak attack after the damage from their attack has been rolled see sneak attack side bar in the rogue section of the Players Handbook.  What I would like ruled on is does the rogue know if the damage from their attack is enough to kill the target before they decide to expend the use of their sneak attack for the round?  This becomes important with powers such as commander's strike from warlords where a rogue may want to be able to save the extra damage for a potential second attack later in the round if it is not needed to drop their current target.

Other Damage Maxed On A Critical: As it was ruled that rogue sneak attack damage is also maxed on a critical hit does this mean that other bonus damage that may optionally be applied after a hit can also be maxed on a critical? I.E. triggering a thundering weapon's daily power for extra damage (free action) for maximum.

Immobilized and Prone: Can an immobilized prone target use a move action to stand up since it is not moving from it's square?

Multiple Attacks As One Action: Are the attacks from powers that allow multiple uses of other attacks count as one attack for triggering other powers/effects or are they counted as individual attacks.

Responses Received
Commander's Strike: The target of the power must be within melee reach of the warlord and of the ally making the melee basic attack.  The ally does not have to be within melee reach of the warlord to be able to make the attack but must be able to hit the target with a melee basic attack.  Reach extends the distance the warlord and/or ally can be from the target so long as each could still hit the target with a melee basic attack.

Sneak Attack: A critical hit maxes the sneak attack damage as well if the rogue chooses to apply it to the attack.

[Seri]

as per wizards CS answers, sneak attack dice are maxed when a crit happens, I came across it when searching for rules for push and charging

push: as long as each square moves the enemy farther from the target, it can be moved in any way as long as there is line of effect. I'd still like to see an answer from CS on this .

charging: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1072708

Question:
Charge (p.287 PHB) says "you must move directly to the nearest square from which you can attack the enemy." There's two different opinions on what that means on the forums. Either:

a) When you charge an opponent it similar to if the opponent were Pulling you toward it (p.285). That is, each square you move must bring you nearer to the creature. If this is the case, then you can zig zag around obstacles a bit while you charge, provided every square you move is one square closer to the target;

or

b) You have to trace an imaginary straight line between you and the target and follow that line as closely as possible. (Note though that the charge description does not mention requiring line of sight or line of effect. However some people are reading "directly" to mean "in a straight line".) Interpreting it this way would prohibit charging around obstacles or corners, and it also begs the question of how you properly follow a straight line on a square grid map if the line is at an odd angle.


I can't seem to find any examples or diagrams of charging in the PHB to refer to. What's the official stance on 4th edition charging? It is like a monster pulling you, or is it that you follow an imaginary line between squares?


Answer:
You do not have to charge in a straight line, but you do have to charge to the nearest square from which you can make the attack.
You do have to be able to see the target you are charging.

Joe
Customer Service Representative
Wizards of the Coast

[thatdarncat]

That answer about charge is good but still not clear.

Answer:
You do not have to charge in a straight line, but you do have to charge to the nearest square from which you can make the attack.
You do have to be able to see the target you are charging.

We need to know if each square must move you closer. I think that's going to be the case, which means charging when you're adjacent to the target is still possible, but becomes a move+standard instead of a standard. (Move away, charge in as two seperate actions instead of one) I'm fine with that ruling, but I'll get clarification. Definitely can see the cinematics of doing it as move+standard.

[Fzoumah]

Is there a difference between "each square must move you closer" and "each square can't move you further away"?  I can see situations where, in order to get around obstacles, one would have to move further away, before closing.  An 'C' turn for example, you can't charge through a wall, but you can follow the path of the tunnel.  That would, in theory, allow you to charge to the square you are currently standing in, by simply running around your target in a circle (BTW, that's a tactic I would use as Caelas often to give him enough movement to Skirmish, yay tumble).

[thatdarncat]

There is. And the tactic you used for Caelas is fine - for the skirmish ability. For charge, I bet it's a "every square must bring you closer to your target" answer. If you have to get around an obsticle by moving further away then you're doing what I described as a move + standard (charge).

[Incandescent]

The way I read that charge ruling if you can currently hit your target from where you are standing you are already in the closest possible square, since you didn't move at least two squares to get there you can't charge the target.  However if you were to spend a move action to move away from the target (provoking attacks of opportunity as required) you could then charge back in as your standard action.  Combining this with teleport move actions to avoid the attacks on the way out could be interesting but I don't see a lot of benefits at this time.

Based on how they have described the movement requirements here is how I see checking if the movement for a push/pull/charge is legal or not:

Imagine a series of square rings around the square you are moving toward/away from.  Each point of move has to cross into the next ring closer or further from the square of effect (depending on the move direction).  You can move diagonally towards/away from the effect square so long as each movement point puts you in the next required ring.

[thatdarncat]

I see how you're looking at that Curt, and I think I agree with your logic. I wouldn't describe it the same way but I can follow it and agree.

My computer's been down (gradual failure of a harddrive - no data lost, and I'll be RMAing the drive under warrenty) so I'm a little behind on my emailing. I'll try and get all of this emailed into Wizard's CS tonight.

[wolfsrevenge]

Okay, lemme weigh in on this whole charge thingy. While physically it doesn't make sense, as written the criteria seem to be: 1) You have to end up 2 or more squares away from your starting location 2) you must charge the closest square to your opponent and 3) you must be able to see the target.  That means you need to be able to end your move on that closest square, so if it's occupied by your buddy, no charge for you! However, if you have LoS to the target, and the only route there is around a really big tree (meaning you have to move away from the target before moving closer) then you should be able to charge, according to the PHB as I see it. Similar to corners or going from room 1 to room 2 to reach your target. You may be able to see (through a window or something) but need to move further to get closer as part of your charge movement. Bottom line? Straight lines are so 3.5^e and we shouldn't have to use them for moving. None of this 'direct route' stuff for me, thank you very much