Question on Immediate Interrupts

[NewJeffCT]

I think I may have been playing this incorrectly in the past, but I wanted a clarification to be sure.

In a showdown with my BBEG corners the party fighter, but then finds that the party rogue has come up behind him and can strike from a flanking position. However, the fighter goes first in initiative.

The BBEG knows a bit about the party and knows that the rogue can be deadly when flanking.

The BBEG also has an immediate interrupt encounter power for when he is attacked in melee - it causes the melee attack to miss (and something else). I have been playing my bad guys that the first attack that triggers this ability sets it off, so if the fighter hits, his attack would be interrupted and leaving the BBEG open for a flanking attack from the rogue for potentially a lot more damage than the fighter.

Is this correct, or can the BBEG hold his immediate interrupt and wait until he gets hit by a big damage melee attack (i.e., the rogue) and then interrupt it? In looking at the rules, I think I may have the option of holding it, but I'm not sure.

 

[Umbran]

This is a 4e-specific rules question, and does not belong in the General forum. Moved to the 4e forum.

 

[Spatula]

I don't have a page site, but I would say it's absolutely the DM's choice, just as it's your choice when the monster chooses to expend an encounter power. Actions are a resource like any other. Since you only get one interrupt/reaction per round, you should use it wisely.

 

[OnlineDM]

PCs and monsters alike have the flexibility to choose whether or not to use an immediate action when its trigger condition is met. Now, it's important to not use excessive metagame knowledge in punishing the players like this, but in this case you made it clear that the BBEG knows that the rogue's melee attack is the important one to dodge, so it makes sense for him to wait until the rogue attacks to use his interrupt.

That is completely okay.

 

[Dross]

I think I may have been playing this incorrectly in the past, but I wanted a clarification to be sure.

In a showdown with my BBEG corners the party fighter, but then finds that the party rogue has come up behind him and can strike from a flanking position. However, the fighter goes first in initiative.

The BBEG knows a bit about the party and knows that the rogue can be deadly when flanking.

The BBEG also has an immediate interrupt encounter power for when he is attacked in melee - it causes the melee attack to miss (and something else). I have been playing my bad guys that the first attack that triggers this ability sets it off, so if the fighter he, his attack would be interrupted and leaving the BBEG open for a flanking attack from the rogue for potentially a lot more damage than the fighter.

Is this correct, or can the BBEG hold his immediate interrupt and wait until he gets hit by a big damage melee attack (i.e., the rogue) and then interrupt it? In looking at the rules, I think I may have the option of holding it, but I'm not sure.

Unless the power has something along the lines of "The first time you would be hit by a melee attack" you have control over when you get to use the power.

So without that clause, the BBEG should wait until the rogue tries to hit him.

 

[Riastlin]

Agree with the above. In theory, you should declare prior to damage being stated (i.e. so that you don't choose not to use it simply because the rogue rolled min-damage) but most groups in my experience roll to hit and damage together so there will be a bit of metagaming that may be hard to avoid.

 

[Mengu]

You can certainly "hold off" your immediate action until you want to use it, unless the power specifically narrows your options.

The part that sees some table variation, is when exactly do you use the power... In some groups, you have to declare you're using an interrupt the moment someone decides to attack you. In some groups, you wait to hear if they hit you and by how much. In some groups you also get to hear how much damage they do and what conditions they inflict before using the interrupt. I'm in the last camp. When I DM, I rattle off everything at the same time, "31 vs AC, take 28 poison damage, you're slowed and taking ongoing 10 poison damage, save ends both, don't forget you're in his gas aura and have vulnerable 5 poison on top of that." Then the sorcerer says "no thank you, immediate interrupt, I pop Sudden Scales putting me at AC 33, and that misses."

 

[Infiniti2000]

The BBEG can likely use it whenever he wants, but MAKE SURE you're not using metagame knowledge, and make sure you're party thief knows this. This otherwise seems like simply punishing him for being effective, which is not cool. However, is not worried about the fighter's mark? That will screw him up in the long run, especially if the fighter hits and the rogue doesn't. The other point here is that you're simply contributing to grind. If the party cannot use its strikers effectively, then the combat will just take longer, possibly making it less fun for everyone, except maybe the DM.

Whatever you decide, just consider all the angles and choose wisely!

 

[Karmic_vegeance]

However, is not worried about the fighter's mark? That will screw him up in the long run, especially if the fighter hits and the rogue doesn't. The other point here is that you're simply contributing to grind.

This power can't prevent the fighter mark - that occurs whether the fighter hits or misses. And it's an encounter power, so I don't see blocking a single hit from the rogue as a big deal in terms of grind. I feel like the only thing that makes sense is for him to interrupt the rogue's attack.

 

[filthgrinder]

I feel like the only thing that makes sense is for him to interrupt the rogue's attack.

Since this is a one time thing, and the rogue will get to apply sneak attack other times, I think it's purely justified.

If I were running it, I would make a note on the BBEG's stats to taunt it out. Maybe when the rogue moves into flanking, have the BBEG give out a little quip or something to taunt the rogue, and then the pay off is the cancelled attack. That way, it sets up the cancelled attack.

Plus, since it's a BBEG, you will definitely need him to get away and come back later in the game. Then you can use the taunt again, to set up for the power's use once again.