Crescent Moon power from Dragon 386

[Shin Okada]

Crescent Moon Paladin Attack 7
You cut a wide arc with your glowing weapon, drawing a crescent moon of light that careens toward your foe.
Encounter Divine, Radiant, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged 5
Special: If you are wielding a heavy blade, the range is 10 squares.
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. Reflex
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier radiant damage, and you subject the target to your divine sanction until the end of your next turn.
Published in Dragon Magazine 386, page(s) 72.

This is somewhat a strange power. It is a ranged weapon power but the range is a fixed number instead of weapon's range.

Also, the flavor text somehow suggesting that the user is no actually hurling his weapon but producing a crescent moon of light from it.

Well, for this power, what kind of weapons can be used by RAW?

A) A melee weapon, could be thrown or not.
B) A melee weapon, which is either heavy thrown or light thrown.
C) A ranged weapon.

I guess the flavor text suggests that any of the A, B, C weapons can be usable.

But I am afraid that only B or C can be usable for a ranged weapon attack. Though, I cannot find any direct rule text to say so.

Would someone please lead me to the text which clarify this issue?

 

[noodle fish mice]

The fluff implies that you carve a crescent of radiant light in the air with a melee weapon and then the light shoots forward as the attack. I suppose by RAW you could use a ranged weapon, too, but it's not a ranged weapon attack - it's a weapon attack with a range.

It sounds like a silly distinction, but that's the grammar of 4E powers for ya.

 

[Shin Okada]

The fluff implies that you carve a crescent of radiant light in the air with a melee weapon and then the light shoots forward as the attack. I suppose by RAW you could use a ranged weapon, too, but it's not a ranged weapon attack - it's a weapon attack with a range.

Hmm. But Crescent Moon is a Weapon power. And as the text does not otherwise say, the attack is a weapon attack.

Also, the attack line says it is a ranged attack.

So isn't that a ranged attack?

Hmm, I think this needs more broad argument. I will make another thread.

 

[noodle fish mice]

Yes, it's ranged attack and a weapon attack, but it is not, oddly, an attack intended for ranged weapons.

I think.

 

[DracoSuave]

Believe it or not, there isn't actual rules text requiring that you use a ranged weapon with ranged attacks, or a melee weapon with melee attacks. The only real thing that stops it is common sense, DM rulings, and the weapon range on Melee weapon and Ranged weapon powers.

 

[Lord Ernie]

Believe it or not, there isn't actual rules text requiring that you use a ranged weapon with ranged attacks, or a melee weapon with melee attacks. The only real thing that stops it is common sense, DM rulings, and the weapon range on Melee weapon and Ranged weapon powers.

I believe this is key, yes. Note that melee attacks generally have a range of "Melee Weapon", whereas this power has range 5. Combined with no requirements for what type of weapon you're wielding, that means you can use this with either type (melee or ranged), with an extra 5 range if you're using a heavy blade.

 

[Mengu]

I mentioned this in the other thread but will say it again here. A melee weapon can be used with ranged attack powers *if* they have the heavy thrown or light thrown properties (see PHB page 215). So no, you cannot use a melee weapon that is not a thrown weapon with Crescent Moon.

This is likely not the intent of Crescent Moon, I believe it is currently worded erroneously. It should have been either "Melee 5" instead of "Ranged 5" (though this would eliminate the opportunity attack aspect of it), or it should have special text like the requirement and effect of swordmage powers such as Falcon's Mark and Blade Bolt (if the power is intended to provoke opportunity attacks).

 

[Klaus]

This is somewhat a strange power. It is a ranged weapon power but the range is a fixed number instead of weapon's range.

Also, the flavor text somehow suggesting that the user is no actually hurling his weapon but producing a crescent moon of light from it.

Well, for this power, what kind of weapons can be used by RAW?

A) A melee weapon, could be thrown or not.
B) A melee weapon, which is either heavy thrown or light thrown.
C) A ranged weapon.

I guess the flavor text suggests that any of the A, B, C weapons can be usable.

But I am afraid that only B or C can be usable for a ranged weapon attack. Though, I cannot find any direct rule text to say so.

Would someone please lead me to the text which clarify this issue?

I can answer that, since I wrote that power!

You can use any weapon (melee or ranged). You don't actually throw or shoot your weapon, just draw an arc through the air with it.

 

[Nichwee]

Wouldn't that be more of a Implement attack than a Weapon one tho (if the weapon isn't used as a weapon at all just as a "thing to hold and swing")?

 

[Klaus]

Wouldn't that be more of a Implement attack than a Weapon one tho (if the weapon isn't used as a weapon at all just as a "thing to hold and swing")?

That's not really mandatory.

As a Weapon power, it derives its damage from the weapon's damage, and is improved by a magic weapon (something a Paladin is far more likely to have than a magic holy symbol). And it builds upon the story elements of Sehanine mentioned in the article, which states that followers of Sehanine prefer big, curved blades like scimitars and falchions (hence the longer range when wielding a heavy blade).

The "draw crescent arc" aspect is just one possible description, really. Mechanics-wise, it works just as if the Paladin had hurled his weapon, or created a magical duplicate of the weapon to mimic his strikes. The crescent of light was just more in line with a power associated with the Moon Goddess.