Mordenkainen's Sword. Am I reading this right?

[Mahali]

Our group decided to make it automatically follow the target, otherwise none of us would take the power. For a lvl 9 daily it'd be woefully underpowered. You might as well just move yourself to stay safe and blast for the same damage.

[Ibixat]

Hmmm to me the question becomes, does the sword "occupy" the square, can a creature shift or move through it, I'm assuming no since it doesn't say they can. So does this sword benefit from flanking rules, can you use the sword to give your rogue buddy and the sword combat advantage etc.


I think that the sword takes the square and is impassable unless you have a way to move through occupied squares, I also think that the sword does count as flanking for allies, but that perhaps it can't have combat advantage itself since it cannot "see" and doesn't get the benefit of CA due to that.

[DracoSuave]

The sword does not provide combat advantage in any way.

Conjurations no longer occupy the space they are in (haven't for a long time) and Mo's Sword is no exception to that, therefore does not occupy.

The sword only benefits from combat advantage if -you- have combat advantage against the target.

[Ibixat]

Draco I believe you completely, but can you tell me where to look for that information myself or how you learned it, I've been reading the books and must have missed that somehow.

[Beckett]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

One might argue it is underpowered compared to Spiritual Weapon, which does basically the same thing but at 4 levels(?) lower.

However, the Sword targets Reflex, while Spiritual Weapon is attacking AC. One of the clerics I DM for will tell you that makes all the difference.

[Milambus]

Originally Posted by Ibixat

Draco I believe you completely, but can you tell me where to look for that information myself or how you learned it, I've been reading the books and must have missed that somehow.

PHB Errata, page 2
Official D&D Updates

Unless a power description says otherwise, a conjuration cannot be attacked or physically affected, and a conjuration does not occupy any squares.

[DracoSuave]

Originally Posted by Ibixat

Draco I believe you completely, but can you tell me where to look for that information myself or how you learned it, I've been reading the books and must have missed that somehow.

As well, it uses -your- attack to attack the target, which means that it is only an effect that permits attack, not an attacker itself. Just like Hunger of Hadar, it exists in a location but does not count for adjacency or flanking, but merely exists for you to attack through it.

Thusly, if you have combat advantage against them (using a ranged attack), then the sword 'does'. If they are prone, You'll be -2 to hit them, because you're directing it at range.

[Falling Icicle]

Originally Posted by Plane Sailing

One might argue it is underpowered compared to Spiritual Weapon, which does basically the same thing but at 4 levels(?) lower.

I was thinking the same thing, then I noticed that Spiritual Weapon attacks AC while Mordenkainen's Sword attacks Reflex. And spiritual weapon does not gain a proficiency bonus, which is what normally balances effects that target AC. In other words, Spiritual Weapon is alot more likely to miss than MS.

[Edit] Nevermind, Beckitt beat me to it.

[keterys]

Well, the main benefit of spiritual weapon is that it grants combat advantage, to be honest.

[Beckett]

Originally Posted by keterys

Well, the main benefit of spiritual weapon is that it grants combat advantage, to be honest.

True. Its own damage has been pretty poor in my game. However, the rogue loves it.