Sequence of Events

[BendBars/LiftGates]

So, in general, I'd like to know more specifically about the sequence of events and how sustains, forced attacks, and saves interact. The pertinent power in this case is the Warlock level 5 spell Crown of Madness. It deals psychic damage on a hit and then has a line "Sustain Minor: The target makes a melee basic attack against one of its adjacent allies of your choice (save ends)."

1. Do you have to take a minor action in the same round as using a power to sustain it? That is, does one of your actions that turn have to be sustaining the spell?

2. Does the target get to save immediately?

3. Does the target attack one of its allies during the turn in which you cast this spell? That is, does it make one of these attacks right after you cast crown of madness?

[underfoot007]

Originally Posted by BendBars/LiftGates

So, in general, I'd like to know more specifically about the sequence of events and how sustains, forced attacks, and saves interact. The pertinent power in this case is the Warlock level 5 spell Crown of Madness. It deals psychic damage on a hit and then has a line "Sustain Minor: The target makes a melee basic attack against one of its adjacent allies of your choice (save ends)."

1. Do you have to take a minor action in the same round as using a power to sustain it? That is, does one of your actions that turn have to be sustaining the spell?

2. Does the target get to save immediately?

3. Does the target attack one of its allies during the turn in which you cast this spell? That is, does it make one of these attacks right after you cast crown of madness?

1 nope
2 no, why would it? saves happen at the end of your turn
3 yes, again why would it not?

[Danceofmasks]

1. You can't sustain on the same turn as you use a power. PHB p278
2. (save ends) is also a duration tracker, so yes. On their turn, the target gets to try to shrug it off.
3. No. The extra attack occurs when you sustain the effect, and you can't sustain on the turn you cast the spell.

[Markn]

Originally Posted by BendBars/LiftGates

So, in general, I'd like to know more specifically about the sequence of events and how sustains, forced attacks, and saves interact. The pertinent power in this case is the Warlock level 5 spell Crown of Madness. It deals psychic damage on a hit and then has a line "Sustain Minor: The target makes a melee basic attack against one of its adjacent allies of your choice (save ends)."

Sustain Minor is the action that the Warlock may use on the round following his use of Crown of Madness. This means, if he uses a minor action then the target makes a melee basic attack against one of its adjacent allies of the warlocks choice. This still leaves the Warlock a move and a standard action to do other things.

As for the save portion, once the warlocks target saves (at the end of the targets normal turn) the warlock can no longer sustain the power. He can only sustain it if the target keeps failing the save.

Hope that helps.

Edit - The target takes the psychic damage immediately and then the target would make an attack assuming a) it failed the save for that effect at the end of its own turn and b) the warlock sustains the power.