Another Halo Of Warding question

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Just wanted to make sure I'm interpreting something else about Halo Of Warding right, since (once again) the wording seems a little ambiguous:

"While you are adjacent to your Oath Of Enmity target, you can make an opportunity attack against any other enemy that moves into a square adjacent to you, provided the enemy does not shift or is not moved into that square by teleportation or forced movement"

Okay, in a recent session in Death's Reach, some Knight could teleport 10 squares next to me if he had me marked. The DM ruled I didn't get an attack because he teleported.
I don't think this is right. I read it as if he had been teleported there by someone else, or forced movement.

How does everyone else read it? Thanks!

 

[Zaphling]

I think your DM was right. It stated "provided THE enemy does not shift or is not forcefully moved or teleported..."
The knight teleports into your square, so it counts.

The only case where your DM will be wrong is when YOU are teleported beside the knight.

 

[OnlineDM]

I also agree with your DM.

If the creature enters the square by shifting, you don't get an opportunity attack.

If the creature enters the square by forced movement (being pushed or pulled or slid there), you don't get an opportunity attack.

If the creature enters the square via teleportation (willingly or not), you don't get an opportunity attack.

The only time you DO get an opportunity attack is if the creature walks into the square, charges into the square, runs into the square, etc.

 

[Ryujin]

Nope, teleport bypasses it.

 

[DarkLord Of DForce]

That's what I was afraid of.

/sigh... wording like this just confuses the heck out of me, I'll be honest here.

Why didn't they just say that if the target itself teleports into the adjacent square, then HOW doesn't work?

The way its written now, (to me) it appears to group it with forced movement, in other words as if someone else teleports them there, instead of doing it themselves.

Why didn't they make it like this:

"While you are adjacent to your Oath Of Enmity target, you can make an opportunity attack against any other enemy that moves into a square adjacent to you, provided the enemy does not shift or does not move into that square by teleportation (whether by its own power or someone else's) or by forced movement"

 

[keterys]

If it matters, teleport, shifts, and forced movement bypass OAs no matter how it happens, so even without the "clarifying" line it would still apply.

The _really_ amusing thing is when you try to OA a creature 10 squares away before it moves adjacent. That's one way you know things aren't working right.

 

[OnlineDM]

If it matters, teleport, shifts, and forced movement bypass OAs no matter how it happens, so even without the "clarifying" line it would still apply.

Generally true, yes, but with 4e's exception-based design you could potentially see a trait that reads, "Whenever an enemy adjacent to you shifts, you may make a melee basic attack against that enemy as an opportunity action" or something like that. I think that DarkLord was hoping that might be the case for this particular power and teleportation, but it is not.

 

[keterys]

Yeah, it'd have to be specifically overriding the general rule (and would probably be a pretty bad idea, but hey, those happen

 

[DarkLord Of DForce]

Pretty much.

 

[mneme]

Wow, that's a terrible feat. How many Avengers bother to invest in reach? It's normally a pointless ability for them.

Also, I think it's clear that the -intent- of Halo of Warding is that the OA happens after the movement. But the rules of OAs are clear and it's clearly before. Any ideas on how one could clarify wording of immedates, triggered free actions, and OAs so that writers wouldn't constantly make this mistake?

My best thought here would be to insert "about to" to triggers that are intended to happen on the attempt to do something rather than after it has happened.

So:

You gain an OA when a creature is about to make a ranged attack or a move that is not a shift while in a square you threaten.

Or if one wanted a Bear's Endurance that matched the apparent intention of the designers:

Trigger: When you are about to fall unconcious or die due to being reduced to 0 hit points or fewer.
Effect: Spend a healing surge.

Halo of Warding would then have its current text, and operate after the move rather than before.