Messed up fighter power questions

[Ravingdork]

I noticed the fighter has an area effect attack that are also reliable.

If I use a reliable close burst 1 attack (thicket of blades) on 8 surrounding enemies, and I hit 7 of them, do I keep my attack per RAW? After all I did "miss" an attack.

Or is it the more strict interpretation--I have to miss ALL 8 of them in order to retain the power?

It seems the former makes it too powerful, but the latter means you will almsot never get it back.

...ALSO...

(Hope the below excerpt is okay. I left off the class and level among other things to keep it from being a direct copy.)

Stalwart Guard
Your thoughts turn to defense as you begin using your weapon or shield to protect nearby allies.
Daily
Minor Action - Close burst 1
Target: Each ally in burst
Effect: The targets gain a +1 shield bonus to AC until the end of the encounter. If you are using a shield, increase the bonus to +2 and apply it to your allies’ Reflex defense as well.

Do my allies keep the bonus if they move away from me? The flavor text seems to indicate that they would not. The mechanics text on the other hand clearly says they keep it. How on earth do I use my sword and shield to protect an ally 20 squares away from me?

 

[Oompa]

Hmm i havent read all the rules but i think its effect only adds when the ally keeps adjacent to you..

 

[small pumpkin man]

I believe the WotC explaination of a similar Warlord Power was that the bonus applies to any ally who is currently in the burst.

 

[VannATLC]

As soon as they move out of the burst, they are no longer targets.

It generates a field of shieldness, basically.

 

[Ravingdork]

Wouldn't it be a zone in that case? Bursts and blasts are instantaneous.

 

[SadisticFishing]

Wouldn't it be a zone in that case? Bursts and blasts are instantaneous.

Agreed.

 

[theNater]

For the reliable burst power, I'd say you only get it back if you miss all targets. The point of reliability is to ensure that you get some effect out of your daily power, and even just hitting 1 foe fulfills that.

As for Stalwart Guard, it reads here as continuing to provide the bonus to those allies, even if they move out of the affected area. If you are between the enemies and your allies, you can intercept the attacks as they go past you. If you are near the enemy or the ally, you can push, grab, yank, or otherwise move them, reducing accuracy or getting them out of the way. If you are far away from them both and not between them, there's only one possibility...

Shield-tossing.

I can see it now: Slash MacStabberton has gotten separated from Brick Strongut in an attempt to assassinate some enemies on the other side of the field. Now Slash is engaged in melee with an enraged hobgoblin, and things are looking grim. The hobgoblin raises his sword for the final blow, and then Brick's shield comes flying between the two combatants, deflecting the hobgoblin's stroke at the last moment. The shield then richochets off of a nearby tree stump to return to Brick's waiting hand. The hobgoblin is so flabbergasted by this turn of events that he's open on Slash's turn, so Slash eviscerates him, winning the fight for our heroes.

 

[Badgerish]

reliable vs multi-target powers.

I'm pretty sure it's only retained if it misses ALL targets (although i don't have my books on me). You don't have to use it when you are completely surrounded after all.

Stalwart Guard

This should be an 'aura' not a 'burst' or 'zone'* by my reckoning, as that makes it work as i expect it to, only protecting people who are currently close to you. As a burst by RAW, it works as theNater suggests... also, if you have an ally that's out of reach when you use the power they can't get the benefit later, when they stand by your side.

To abuse this power(by RAW not RAI), you start combat with the party all surrounding the fighter, who has a shield out. After using the power, the fighter switches to 2h weapon and everyone spreads out as normal

*zones are stationary by nature (although they can sometimes be moved by the caster/creator).

 

[Pabloj]

I believe the most reasonable approach is treating it as a zone centered in the fighter. Any ally in the zone gets the benefit. If they start in the zone and move away, they loose it. If the were away but come into the zone later on (even allys which werent in it on the first place), they gain the benefit, again or for the first time.

Also, If the fighter drops his shield for any reason, the "zone bonus" should decrease accordingly.

 

[DSRilk]

I believe the most reasonable approach is treating it as a zone centered in the fighter.

I'd treat it as an aura 1, which I think is the term for a zone that moves centered on a person. Unless there's some rule about aura vs burst that I'm unaware of. For example, one power in KotS confused me because it said 1 target in the burst X, which to me seemed like it should just be 1 target in range X. However, close burst doesn't draw AoE and ranged does. Maybe there's some reason like that, that it's burst 1 instead of aura 1. I vote for aura 1 though, until I see some reason I shouldn't. It just makes more sense to me.