Swordmage Dimensional Dodge question

[Dalzig]

Step 2) Attack remains as rolled, and square is checked to see if enemy is in it. Enemy is not in it, and it is declared a miss.

Uh, what? Do you have any basis for this? You attack the person, not the square.

Edit; The closest I can find is Evade the Blow [Ranger 16], which supports the results you state, but not the method of determining them. This is a little weak, though, as it depends on flavor text.

Edit2; Also Hit the Dirt [Ranger 22].

 

[Milambus]

Step 1) Attack declares ranged attack
Step 2) Attack is rolled, and is declared a hit.
INTERRUPT) Swordmage interrupts the hit, which happens -before- the triggering action. Swordmage teleports out of that spot.
Step 1) Attack is not re-declared. It remains as is.
Step 2) Attack remains as rolled, and square is checked to see if enemy is in it. Enemy is not in it, and it is declared a miss.

There are a ton of Ranger powers that work on this exact principle of not being where an attack lands, and work the exact same way. Interrupts go before the interrupted action, then the action continues -as declared-. There's a reason why it's a Daily.

You don't target squares with ranged attacks, you target individuals (PHB pg 270). The Ranger powers stop the attack only when they move you outside of the reach of the creature attacking you. Since the teleport is unlikely to move you outside of the range of the attack, it does not necessarily invalidate it.

An immediate interrupt lets you jump in when a certain trigger condition arises, acting before the trigger resolves.

Having relooked at the rule, I would modify my sequence as:
1. Enemy attacks Swordmage
2. Enemy begins to hit Swordmage
3. Swordmages uses Dimensional Dodge and teleports next to enemy
4. Since the Swordmage is now adjacent to the Enemy during the attack, he SHOULD be able to make an Opportunity Attack, however since he just used his one Immediate Action for this round to perform the teleport he does not.
5. If the Swordmage is still a legal target (meaning there is no minimal distance or other weird requirement for this attack), then the hit continues.
6. Enemy deals damage to Swordmage and any effects are put into place
7. Enemies attack concludes

If Dimensional Dodge worked on Area attacks, then teleporting next to the Enemy could likely invalidate the attack from actually hitting the Swordmage.

If using Dimensional Dodge didn't use up your single Immediate Action per turn, then the Swordmage would be allowed to perform an Opportunity Attack.

As the power is currently written, there is no reason to have it be an interrupt rather than a reaction.

 

[Caliban]

4. Since the Swordmage is now adjacent to the Enemy during the attack, he SHOULD be able to make an Opportunity Attack, however since he just used his one Immediate Action for this round to perform the teleport he does not.

Opportunity Attacks are not Immediate Actions. They are Opportunity Actions.

 

[Milambus]

Actually the one benefit I can see to the Interrupt is if the power is something like Force Orb or Acid Arrow. Since you teleport in the middle of the spell being cast, the Enemy is now adjacent to you and would be hit by the Secondary Attacks.

 

[abyssaldeath]

I agree with DracoSuave. If it didn't work the way he describes then what would be the point of the Shield spell for wizards?

 

[Milambus]

Opportunity Attacks are not Immediate Actions. They are Opportunity Actions.

You are correct, sorry. Opportunity Attack, Opportunity Action... its right there in the name, not sure why I got it wrong.

So the Swordmage would get to make an Opportunity Attack, and if he kills the Enemy then their attack is invalidated =)

 

[Dalzig]

I agree with DracoSuave. If it didn't work the way he describes then what would be the point of the Shield spell for wizards?

Shield seems to work differently. Shield happens before the action that triggered it is resolved. So if Bob has an AC of 17, gets hit with an 18, and uses Shield... the attack is now against an AC of 21, which fails.

In comparison, Dimensional Dodge does not change anything except what square you are in. You are still in range, the attack still beats your defense, and you still have LoS/LoE. The only thing that has changed is your position, which has no bearing on whether the attack is successful. You attack a person, not a person at a specific position at a specific time.

[Note that I would probably rule differently as DM. I'm arguing RAW.]

 

[abyssaldeath]

You do not teleport before the attack though. You teleport before the hit. The projectile is already flying through the air.

 

[Milambus]

You do not teleport before the attack though. You teleport before the hit. The projectile is already flying through the air.

Actually, no it is not. The arrow doesn't fly until the end of the hit. And when it does, it is instantaneous.

4e is not a simulation. You don't fire an arrow out into space and see if it eventually intersects with something like in a FPS.

4e is a narrative game. You declare your attack, you make a roll, it hits or misses. In game time that all takes place instantaneously. Whether the arrow hits or not is determined before you release the drawstring.

The example given on PHB pg 268 shows this pretty well:

For example, an enemy makes a melee attack against you, but you use a power that lets you shift away as an immediate interrupt. If your enemy can no longer reach you, the enemy's attack action is lost.

In that example, the only reason the attack fails is if the target moves out of the attackers range. Its not because the target is no longer in the same square as when the attack was announced, its because they can no longer reach them. Range attacks don't have this problem. You can shoot an arrow at someone standing next to you, you just provoke an Opportunity Attack for doing so.

 

[Patlin]

Page 268 of the PHB under interrupt: "If an interrupt invalidates a triggering action, that action is lost. For example, an enemy makes a melee attack against you, but you use a power that lets you shift away as an interrupt. If the enemy can no longer reach you, the enemy attack action is lost."

Normally, teleporting next to the attacker will not invalidate a ranged attack. However, in certain circumstances it may -- for example, posit a power which targets a secondary attack on a hit against someone within 5 of the primary target. If your new position is not within 5 of the primary target, a secondary attack against you would be invalidated.

That's my conclusion anyway.