burning spray question

Ah, the joy of indenting. OK, I'm a bit lost on burning spray. The Dragon Magic section in the description is indented under the "hit" heading. So we know it is only supposed to apply if you get a hit. Now, what happens if you hit lots of people? Does that activate for each person?

Burning Spray (close blast 3)

Hit: 1d8 + Charisma modifier fire damage.
Dragon Magic: The next enemy that hits you with a melee attack before the end of your next turn takes fire damage equal to your Strength modifier.

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• If you hit zero people, I believe the extra damage doesn't apply.
• If you hit one person, it does.
• If you hit two people, do they take 2x STR damage (once for each effect?)

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I assume if the power read "target takes 2 extra damage" they'd all take 2 extra damage and if the power read "all adjacent to the target take 2 extra damage" then people could end up taking 4 or 6 damage if lots of people near them got hit. But somehow this seems like it was intended to only apply once.

Thoughts?

If you hit infinity people, it'd still only be the next enemy that hits you with a melee attack takes damage. It is specific.

And yes the indent means it only applies on a hit (so minimum you have to hit one person).

Aulirophile said:

If you hit infinity people, it'd still only be the next enemy that hits you with a melee attack takes damage. It is specific.

And yes the indent means it only applies on a hit (so minimum you have to hit one person).

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I think that's right and that is how I read it the first time. But do you agree if it said "each creature adjacent to the target takes 2 damage" then it would be possible to do (say) 4 damage to a creature adjacent to two targets?

If not how about

"Make a basic attack against an enemy adjacent to the target"

Would you make an attack against only one enemy no matter how many folks you hit?

Bah. I think it can be read more than one way, but I'm going with the same final reading you did.

brehobit said:

I think that's right and that is how I read it the first time. But do you agree if it said "each creature adjacent to the target takes 2 damage" then it would be possible to do (say) 4 damage to a creature adjacent to two targets?

If not how about

"Make a basic attack against an enemy adjacent to the target"

Would you make an attack against only one enemy no matter how many folks you hit?

Bah. I think it can be read more than one way, but I'm going with the same final reading you did.

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Then each creature adjacent to the target takes 2 damages. Because it says so, and yes that'd result in 4 damage if it was adjacent to two targets.

Powers in 4e are very straightforward, for the most part. Read power, do what power says.

"Make a basic attack against each enemy adjacent" sure, do that. Note if you're not in range it wouldn't work, unless the power said "regardless of if you're in range" (and there are powers that say exactly that). If a power says "You miss a target with an attack" and it is an area attack, you can use it as long as you miss one target in the area, even if you hit all the others, contrast with the wording "miss all targets." Both of those wordings exist in 4e.

TL;DR: Powers do what they say they do, and in 99% of cases all relevant information is on the power card. This one of the great things about 4e.