Quick foulspawn berserker question

trumbeller

First Post
The foulspawn berserker has a berserker aura 1: when a creature in the aura makes a melee attack, it targets a RANDOM creature within its reach.

1) Let's say a fighter and berserker are standing next to each other in melee combat, with no other viable targets near either of them. If the fighter attacks the berserker, does he himself count as a viable target, so its 50/50 between the attack targeting the fighter or the berserker?

2) The aura specifically says a creature in the aura, so does that include other allied monsters nearby? Does that include the berserker himself as well?

3) When in the aura, does the player even choose a target for his attack, or does he simply declare which attack he is using and then have a target randomly assigned?

Thank you very much for any assistance, this aura is just rather confusing.
 

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Ketjak

Malicious GM
2. A potential target must be a creature. Are the allies creatures? Is the berserker? If yes, they are potential targets.
 

sfedi

First Post
1) Let's say a fighter and berserker are standing next to each other in melee combat, with no other viable targets near either of them. If the fighter attacks the berserker, does he himself count as a viable target, so its 50/50 between the attack targeting the fighter or the berserker?
No, in that case nothing happens since the only target available to choose is the Berserker.

2) The aura specifically says a creature in the aura, so does that include other allied monsters nearby? Does that include the berserker himself as well?
Auras don't include the origin, unless explicitly said.
Technically, yes, it would affect everyone.
I wouldn't run it like that though.
I would make it affect non-foulspawn. Or only enemies.

3) When in the aura, does the player even choose a target for his attack, or does he simply declare which attack he is using and then have a target randomly assigned?
What's the difference? Why does it matter?
This should only come up for things that trigger "when you are attacked" or similar. In that case, I would roll for initiative to determine the order in which the effects resolve.

Thank you very much for any assistance, this aura is just rather confusing.
Really? I've never felt so.
Think of it as a "if you gang up on this guy, you're gonna target each other".
Or "if you're next to this guy, your attacks won't target reliably" (this one accomplishes his Soldier role nicely)
 

The aura says "targets a random creature within its reach".

Every combatant is a creature, so the valid choices include the Berserker itself, the character's allies, the Berserker's allies, etc. Presumably you can't target yourself with most powers, though there may be some exceptions. It is limited to melee attacks, so I would guess it will be pretty rare for a PC to be able to hit himself, but honestly this is a bit of a gray area in the rules.

I would simply have the random targeting replace the normal targeting step. So the player declares what power he's using and then instead of selecting a target a random die roll is made and the power is treated as targeting whichever creature is selected. At that point it is just a normal attack and resolution proceeds in the normal fashion.
 


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