D&D 4E 4e ask a simple question, get a simple answer

MwaO · Nov 25, 2017

The entire thing is a move. So just 2d6 extra cold damage. Also, simply moving turns that into a true state - it did move, so it does take just the extra 2d6 cold damage once.

You're looking for each time it moves or per square or something similar where the state of being true happens every single time.

darkbard · Nov 25, 2017

Thanks, MwaO! That's what I thought, but Zathris's alternate Warlock guide on the old boards stated differently, so I wanted to make sure.

darkbard · Dec 7, 2017

If a villain uses a permanent teleportation circle for the linked portal ritual, say, to flee from threatening PCs, must the villain use an arcana roll to determine how long the portal remains open after him? Can he close the portal immediately after his use to prevent them from following him?

I can't seem to find any specific rules about teleportation circles (via the Compendium, at least), aside from the rituals themselves. The wording of the Linked Portal ritual is: "At the completion of this ritual, make an Arcana check. The result determines the duration that the portal remains open."

Yes, I realize that said rule is for PC use and that NPCs, etc. abide by different rules, but I would like there to be consistency in the game world (why would a teleportation circle work differently for the PCs than NPCs?), and arbitrarily ruling the villian can escape this way when it's beyond the rules feels like a (mis)application of DM Force.

Joshua Randall · Dec 7, 2017

I can't find any definitive rules support for this, but I would allow any ritual caster (PC or NPC) to choose one of the lower check-result lines, for any ritual, if they wanted to. This would mean you could choose a shorter duration for Linked Portal.

I'd probably allow a ritual caster to end the ritual whenever they wanted to (i.e. not tied to a specific line-item duration) as a Standard Action, or hell, just as a Free Action. But this is pretty much a house rule at this point.

darkbard · Dec 8, 2017

Is it legal RAW to grab a Blade of Winter's Mourning via the Gritty Sergeant background. Ren refers to this as a rules loophole in his Rogue handbook, but I'm dubious.

MwaO · Dec 8, 2017

darkbard said:
Is it legal RAW to grab a Blade of Winter's Mourning via the Gritty Sergeant background. Rene refers to this as a rules loophole in his Rogue handbook, but I'm dubious.

No. It is an outcome from a class feature, not a purchasable item. And you can't acquire it as treasure because as soon as the Hexblade drops one, it vanishes. And it explicitly cannot be enchanted.

darkbard · Dec 8, 2017

That's certainly what I thought but couldn't account for why Ren would suggest such in his handbook (albeit in a throwaway reference in the themes section)!

Junkyard Dog · Feb 10, 2018

As DM I am running "Heart of the Forbidden Forge," from Dungeon 167. In Encounter 9, a PC got hit by the Ghostly Flame Jets and began taking ongoing 5 fire and necrotic damage (save ends). While the PC was still under the effect of that ongoing damage, one of the Tomb Mote Swarms hit the same PC with Swarm of Bones, the effect of which reads as follows: "1d6+1 necrotic damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). A creature already taking ongoing 5 necrotic damage instead takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends)." I believe that the PHB and the Rules Compendium consistently refer to combined damage types (emphasis on the plural), but never to combined types as being a single type. The applicable rules question in this case, then, is whether or not "fire and necrotic" and "necrotic" are different types of ongoing damage, or are the same type. I ruled that the PC was now taking 10 ongoing fire and necrotic damage (save ends). Was this correct?

MwaO · Feb 10, 2018

Junkyard Dog said:
ongoing 5 fire and necrotic damage (save ends). While the PC was still under the effect of that ongoing damage, one of the Tomb Mote Swarms hit the same PC with Swarm of Bones, the effect of which reads as follows: "1d6+1 necrotic damage, and ongoing 5 necrotic damage (save ends). A creature already taking ongoing 5 necrotic damage instead takes ongoing 10 necrotic damage (save ends)."

Things are specific here, so let's go with that:
Ongoing 5 fire+necrotic is not necrotic. So the PC is not taking ongoing 5 necrotic right now, so he's going to be taking ongoing 5 fire+necrotic and ongoing 5 necrotic.

They're roughly the same thing - actual outcome makes it easier to save out of part of it+resist it while also making it more likely that the whole thing is not saved out of. But they're again, roughly the same thing.