Shard Mind Shared Agony?

[Tequila Sunrise]

One of my players is playing a shard mind warlock with the Shared Agony power from FRPG, an encounter power which allows him to take 10 psychic damage to reroll a missed attack. Again and again and again, so long as he has hp to burn. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but he's also a shard mind which means he currently ignores 10 psychic damage.

Normally, options that allow PCs to lose hp in exchange for some benefit say "You can't avoid this damage in any way." They also normally deal typeless damage.

So my question is, is this combo cheesy or just good sense? And, how would you rule it:

1. Rule that the psychic damage stacks, thereby limiting the PC to one free reroll before the damage overcomes his resistance.

2. Assume that Shared Agony is in need of errata, and add a "You can't avoid this damage in any way" proviso.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I think it is a good combo. As a DM, I would probably allow it. But I am usually generous as a DM when it comes to cool combos my players come up with.

 

[Mentat55]

Are you 100% sure you can keep rerolling each time you miss? I guess the text places no limit on the number of rerolls, so each time you trigger the "Miss" line, you can do it.

Regardless, an auto-damage 2d12 + modifiers power is nice damage for a level 3 encounter power, but not outrageous by any means. I mean, it is already a vs. Will attack. This probably increases the hit rate from ~70% (maybe even higher) to 100%. The warlock has a lot of powers with interesting riders, so it is still a trade-off to go with pure, but absolutely certain, damage.

 

[Almacov]

1. Rule that the psychic damage stacks, thereby limiting the PC to one free reroll before the damage overcomes his resistance.

This looks like a good compromise.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Are you 100% sure you can keep rerolling each time you miss?

Now that you mention it, no, I'm not sure. I wonder if the text would specify if the limit was one reroll, or if there was no limit?

 

[Mengu]

I don't have a problem with the resist. But I'd add to the miss line: You must use the second roll. I'm stingy and paranoid that way.

If I allowed the power to be continually rerolled, a smartass player would fall prone, and try to hit a target with superior cover, where he only hits on a 19-20 or something, giving himself a 50% crit chance.

 

[Neverfate]

Read the effect aspect of damage wrong. Was corrected.

 

[Mengu]

Well if you make a successful attack against a monster and that attack does 10 damage + daze and the monster has resist 10 damage, then the monster is not dazed.

This is false.

Only rule that comes close is for a limited number of immunities, namely: "A creature that is immune to charm, fear, illusion, poison, or sleep is not affected by the nondamaging effects of a power that has that keyword."

Aside from that, whether a creature takes damage or not does not change the fact that effects must still be applied.

 

[Neverfate]

This is false.

Only rule that comes close is for a limited number of immunities, namely: "A creature that is immune to charm, fear, illusion, poison, or sleep is not affected by the nondamaging effects of a power that has that keyword."

Aside from that, whether a creature takes damage or not does not change the fact that effects must still be applied.

Ha wow. Teach me to read a little closer. My cursory glance at that was wrong. Thanks for the catch.

 

[RigaMortus2]

I don't have a problem with the resist. But I'd add to the miss line: You must use the second roll. I'm stingy and paranoid that way.

If I allowed the power to be continually rerolled, a smartass player would fall prone, and try to hit a target with superior cover, where he only hits on a 19-20 or something, giving himself a 50% crit chance.

Wow, that's pretty sweet. He could also close his eyes (-5 blindness)