Why are single target powers stated as Close Burst?

[Frankie1969]

Could someone explain the logic of why WotC templates powers this way:

Close burst [X]
Target: You or one ally in the burst
​

instead of:

Range [X]
Target: You or one ally
​

??? The latter makes about tenfold more sense to me. Anyone (dis)agree?

Presumably there is some (fairly common) rules law situation which applies differently to close bursts than to ranged powers, but I haven't seen it yet.

 

[Mengu]

So that they don't provoke opportunity attacks, since using a ranged power provokes an opportunity attack.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Opportunity attacks - ranged powers provoke, close don't. And in the case of offensive powers concealment - bursts ignore it, ranged attacks don't.

 

[Frankie1969]

Aha. I must have missed the paragraph that says "close" does not count as an area. Bursts and blasts sure look like areas from an ordinary-language point of view. Thanks for the info.

Nevertheless, I still don't like that templating. Hmm... if I were evil TSR overlord, I would have used operator overloading on a different keyword:

Reach [X]
Target: You or one ally
​

And if the desired ally is concealed from you, well tough buns for them.

 

[Joshua Randall]

What they said.

Other tricksy things to be aware of:

A close burst does not include you (the "caster") unless the power specifically says it does.

You'll sometimes see a PC power that is an immediate action and is ranged -- often punishment-type attacks. Because the PC is making a ranged attack during the monster's turn that triggered the immediate, the monster does not get an OA against the PC for making a ranged attack, because one cannot make an OA on one's own turn. (This always trips me up which is why I mention it.)

 

[Mapache]

Aha. I must have missed the paragraph that says "close" does not count as an area. Bursts and blasts sure look like areas from an ordinary-language point of view. Thanks for the info.

All Attack Powers are exactly one of four types: Melee, Ranged, Close, or Area. It's not how I would have set things up, but there it is. (Frankly, Close and Area seem unnecessary, and you could work things just fine with Melee Burst, Melee Blast, and Ranged Burst, and it would be clearer for the most part.)

Hmm... if I were evil TSR overlord

Sorry to be the one to break this to you, but TSR's been gone for 13 years…

 

[fanboy2000]

Sorry to be the one to break this to you, but TSR's been gone for 13 years…

1) Not in my heart it isn't.
2) Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page still takes me to the page I expect it to.

Yeah, I know, it takes me to www.wizards.com

 

[pclaw8]

1) Not in my heart it isn't.
2) Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page still takes me to the page I expect it to.

Yeah, I know, it takes me to www.wizards.com

Sorry to get off topic here. That I'd interesting. I figured wizards would have dumped that domain name. Why pay for something that isn't even your company (it was over a DECADE ago).

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

 

[mudlock]

As others have said, it's about ranged triggering OAs and close not. But I still feel that "ranged 5, target: you or one ally, special: this power does not provoke opportunity actions" would have made more sense, because I recall being similarly confused and having to search around for the answer too. Even though it works out the same in either case.

 

[DracoSuave]

The don't do burst and blasts for Ranged and Melee attack-type powers because those powers have their own baggage when it comes to targetting multiple individuals, and as well, there are bonuses to Melee powers you do not want assigned to Close powers. There's also things that key off of close and area powers but not ranged and melee, and things that key off of ranged and area but not close nor melee.

It's just easier, plus, areas are not restricted to bursts or blasts, but also include walls and even singular squares.

How to get it all straight:

Close powers are not melee powers.
Area powers are not ranged powers.
'How do bursts and blasts work with...' is not the way you should be thinking about power interractions with the exception of a handful of feats that work with those ranges.
Personal powers are none of the above.

So, as for why close burst powers exist with a single target: Opportunity attacks, and possible line of sight/effect problems.