Rain of Blows

[Saeviomagy]

I try to read it in all kinds of ways, but the only one that makes sense to me is 2 attacks, where the first might trigger a "secondary" if conditions are filled.
What bugs me is that there is no damage specified for this "secondary" attack.

That would seem to prove that your reading is incorrect.

If you don't have the special weapons, the power reads:

Encounter Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Primary Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC, two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.

The second "hit" line is the damage for the secondary attack, because each primary attack triggers one.

The alternate reading is if you don't pay heed to the indentation, and read the power as always granting you a secondary attack, regardless of the primary attacks: the problem with that reading is that the secondary attack would have to be listed under "effect:" in that case.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The part in yellow is infact not written in at all in the original text...

Yes, it is. All of this is describing a secondary attack:

Secondary Target: The same or a different target
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.

The section that describes both primary attacks is above that:
Attack: Strength vs. AC, two attacks
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Weapon: If you’re wielding a light blade, a spear, or a flail and have Dexterity 15 or higher, make a secondary attack.

There are two "Hit" lines in the power. One describes the damage you deal when you hit with a primary attack (either one); the other describes the damage you deal when you hit with a secondary attack (either one).

-Hyp.

 

[Crazydwarf]

That would seem to prove that your reading is incorrect

Well I never said it wasn't.
Since ALL ways of reading it bug me in one way or other I simply took the one that bugged me the least.

It has a goldylocks syndrome going here..
2-4 attacks seems like too much.
1-2 attacks seems like too little.
2-3 attacks seems just right.

The second "hit" line is the damage for the secondary attack, because each primary attack triggers one.

Doesn't that leave the damage of the second primary attack unspecified instead, or at best assumed to be identical to the first ?
That seems a bit inconsistent to me, with how other powers are written.

But that would indeed then grant 4 attacks as a maximum.
Problem then is that this seems like way too much for a level 3 power, but meh...I like my fighters striker:ish anyway.

@Hypersmurf:
Posted while I was typing heh.
Well it makes sense then I guess, we must assume the primary attacks are equal and wasn't typed out because of that.
(other powers I have been comparing with that grants more attacks has different damage values on them)

4 it is then !

 

[brehobit]

As a note, the 4 attacks thing, while pretty huge, requires a 15 Dex. This is something a fighter is unlikely to have.

And as far as a MC rogue goes, remember these are STR based attacks. Most rogues just don't have that good of a STR. Even brutes tend to have a STR of 16 at the very very best.

So it's darn powerful, but hard to actually use. My heavy blade fighter will have a 15 dex by level 11. But even then he'd need to change weapons...

And finally, with the secondary attack relying on the primary attack hitting it doesn't add *that* much. If you have a 50% chance to hit, you are looking at 1.5 hits on the average. Good, but there is a first level ranger encounter power that averages out at 1.0 and it doesn't have "off-stat" requirements.

 

[mattdm]

As a note, the 4 attacks thing, while pretty huge, requires a 15 Dex. This is something a fighter is unlikely to have.

And as far as a MC rogue goes, remember these are STR based attacks. Most rogues just don't have that good of a STR. Even brutes tend to have a STR of 16 at the very very best.

So basically it's another example of options 4E gives you if you don't narrowly focus your character around one stat.

 

[Runestar]

A bugbear brutal scoundrel rogue has no problems starting with 18 str/dex at 1st lv, and boosting these 2 stats every 4th lv. Highly specialized, but this power just might be worth the multiclass feat investment.

 

[Saeviomagy]

As a note, the 4 attacks thing, while pretty huge, requires a 15 Dex. This is something a fighter is unlikely to have.

That doesn't make it ok that a fighter who does have it gets to have an encounter power that's unbalanced.

 

[brehobit]

That doesn't make it ok that a fighter who does have it gets to have an encounter power that's unbalanced.

Just as some feats that have "weird" prereqs (spell focus) are quite powerful, this is balanced against having to take the stats to begin with.

As noted, it isn't _that_ out of line with other level 3 powers (about 1.5 times as good as a ranger encounter power) and it takes giving up something else to get it. I'd call it fine.

Mark

 

[Arbitrary]

The wording is pretty spot on that it could produce 4 attacks but it absolutely reeks of being unintended so once again we are left with the lack of polish of the edition leading to a dispute. It reminds me exactly like the Pact Dagger Warlock + Daggermaster situation where the rules have an excellent foundation but a FAQ entry says no~

 

[PallidPatience]

What makes you think it was unintended?