I've tried to read all I could find on the subject and I have doubts about what would be the official standpoint. apparantly gleemax hates me, so I thought I would try here.
First of all specific beats general is a bit vague when what is specific and what is general isn´t always totally clear. The wording of Combat Challenge is pretty vague or more to the point I don't get why the last two sentences isn't changed to "grants a opportunity attack" as the rules content of the two (immediate interupt with a melee basic attack) is exactly the same.
Going to the specific beats general my ruling would be that in this case Combat challenge is two parts, an automatic effect (marking) and a specific beats general issue, the attack. I see it as an opportunity attack (p. 290) with two new specific triggers adding to the general rule of opportunity attacks. Attacking anything not including the fighter and shifting. I just find it plain weird that the main defender trademark can't take advantage of Combat Superiority and all the heavy blade feats, especially after seeing a preveiw earlier stating that sword and board would be the go-to defender build.
(The excerpt article about weapons)
So my question, would you rule that the attack from Combat Challenge is an Opportunity attack?
Same line of thinking can be brought into the rogues Riposte Strike, again we have an ability that effectively gives an extra trigger to the opportunity attack rule. Without using the wording Opportunity.
And now to the optimazation part of this post, and maybe why these two aren't called opportunity attacks from a balance point of view.
I present: the two-weapon paragon fighter with epic awesomeness to boot or why rangers would suck:
fighter class
get 16 str and 16 dex and around 14-16 wis (elf or human is good)
buy a short sword and a longsword
Do the full rogue multiclass line, on lvl 11 go for Fighter Rogue Paragon, on lvl 11 choose Riposte Strike and all the blade feats and two-weapon feats you can get your hands on (blade opportunist/twf/twd, maybe paragon feats heavy-blade opportunist, light blade precision).
Use Riposte strike as your standard move, marking it up. now watch while the monster can do nothing but stand and glare without getting whacked over the head with a str+wis+6 (prof/weapon talent/blade opportunist) and be prevented from moving, now get to lvl 21 and get two weapon flurry (p. 207) and cry with laughter.
In general i find that the two powers should grant oppotunity attacks to take advantage of the feats, but Combat Challenge should be rephrased to only activate on fighter powers for balance (to avoid for example the build above, but also the lvl dragonborn breath marking I've seen mentioned elsewhere)
First of all specific beats general is a bit vague when what is specific and what is general isn´t always totally clear. The wording of Combat Challenge is pretty vague or more to the point I don't get why the last two sentences isn't changed to "grants a opportunity attack" as the rules content of the two (immediate interupt with a melee basic attack) is exactly the same.
Going to the specific beats general my ruling would be that in this case Combat challenge is two parts, an automatic effect (marking) and a specific beats general issue, the attack. I see it as an opportunity attack (p. 290) with two new specific triggers adding to the general rule of opportunity attacks. Attacking anything not including the fighter and shifting. I just find it plain weird that the main defender trademark can't take advantage of Combat Superiority and all the heavy blade feats, especially after seeing a preveiw earlier stating that sword and board would be the go-to defender build.
(The excerpt article about weapons)
So my question, would you rule that the attack from Combat Challenge is an Opportunity attack?
Same line of thinking can be brought into the rogues Riposte Strike, again we have an ability that effectively gives an extra trigger to the opportunity attack rule. Without using the wording Opportunity.
And now to the optimazation part of this post, and maybe why these two aren't called opportunity attacks from a balance point of view.
I present: the two-weapon paragon fighter with epic awesomeness to boot or why rangers would suck:
fighter class
get 16 str and 16 dex and around 14-16 wis (elf or human is good)
buy a short sword and a longsword
Do the full rogue multiclass line, on lvl 11 go for Fighter Rogue Paragon, on lvl 11 choose Riposte Strike and all the blade feats and two-weapon feats you can get your hands on (blade opportunist/twf/twd, maybe paragon feats heavy-blade opportunist, light blade precision).
Use Riposte strike as your standard move, marking it up. now watch while the monster can do nothing but stand and glare without getting whacked over the head with a str+wis+6 (prof/weapon talent/blade opportunist) and be prevented from moving, now get to lvl 21 and get two weapon flurry (p. 207) and cry with laughter.
In general i find that the two powers should grant oppotunity attacks to take advantage of the feats, but Combat Challenge should be rephrased to only activate on fighter powers for balance (to avoid for example the build above, but also the lvl dragonborn breath marking I've seen mentioned elsewhere)
