Can you Interrupt an Interrupt?

[Reaper Steve]

So, this came up several times in today's game. I've reread the OA rules and the immediate interrupt/reaction rules in the PHB several times (and couldn't find anything in the DMG) but I am still unsure if I played this 'correctly.'*

Wizard is adjacent to a kobold dragonshield (KDS). Said KDS is marked by an adjacent Fighter.
On the Wizard's turn, he moves away from KDS, provoking an OA. However, the OA meets the criteria of the Fighter's Combat Challenge (it's an attack made by a marked enemy that doesn't include the Fighter), so the Fighter gets an immediate interrupt basic melee attack against the KDS.

So I interpret this as: the Fighter get his combat challenge attack first, then the KDS gets his OA, and then the Wizard moves?
Yes/No/Almost?
I can't find any wording regarding interrupting an interrupt to know if that is allowed or the priority. But I also didn't see anything that would prohibit it.

(*'Correct" or not, I thought it would be the most fun way to play it, which is the whole reason I play. The player's enjoyed it immensely, especailly because everytime they did this maneuver to provoke an OA that would be interrupted by the fighter, the provoked enemy got obliterated by the fighter's combat challenge!)

PS: I love the Fighter's Combat Challenge! A skilled player can brutalize with it.

Thanks for any insight,
Steve

 

[ForbidenMaster]

So, this came up several times in today's game. I've reread the OA rules and the immediate interrupt/reaction rules in the PHB several times (and couldn't find anything in the DMG) but I am still unsure if I played this 'correctly.'*

Wizard is adjacent to a kobold dragonshield (KDS). Said KDS is marked by an adjacent Fighter.
On the Wizard's turn, he moves away from KDS, provoking an OA. However, the OA meets the criteria of the Fighter's Combat Challenge (it's an attack made by a marked enemy that doesn't include the Fighter), so the Fighter gets an immediate interrupt basic melee attack against the KDS.

So I interpret this as: the Fighter get his combat challenge attack first, then the KDS gets his OA, and then the Wizard moves?
Yes/No/Almost?
I can't find any wording regarding interrupting an interrupt to know if that is allowed or the priority. But I also didn't see anything that would prohibit it.

(*'Correct" or not, I thought it would be the most fun way to play it, which is the whole reason I play. The player's enjoyed it immensely, especailly because everytime they did this maneuver to provoke an OA that would be interrupted by the fighter, the provoked enemy got obliterated by the fighter's combat challenge!)

PS: I love the Fighter's Combat Challenge! A skilled player can brutalize with it.

Thanks for any insight,
Steve

An interupt occurs before the triggering action, so IMO it looks like you played it right. Also, do note that A) a creature can choose not to take an OA, and B) that part of the fighters combat challenge can only be used once per round (as it is an immediate interrupt).

 

[Reaper Steve]

An interupt occurs before the triggering action, so IMO it looks like you played it right. Also, do note that A) a creature can choose not to take an OA, and B) that part of the fighters combat challenge can only be used once per round (as it is an immediate interrupt).

A) Yeah, I try to be judicious in my use of OAs by monsters. I base my decision on how I view the monster's instincts and it's assessment of the situation. But I'll always make sure to make OAs now and again so that the PCs get to use their abilities. If I was playing the fighter, I think I would be frustrated if DM never had marked monsters shift or make OAs as that would be denying me the use of some of my class features!

B) Nice catch. It never happened more than once in a round, if I don't think I would have caught that subtlety.

Also note that the combat challenge provides an 'immediate inetrrupt basic attack', which is what an OA is. However, it is NOT an OA (otherwise they would have labeled it as such) so it doesn't get the +Wis bonus from Combat Superiority.)

Fourthly, it looks to me like opportunity actions and immediate actions are two different types of triggered actions. You are limited to one of each per other combatant's round, not one triggered action.
So it looks like a fighter can use both in one combatant's turn, thusly:
If a marked kobold attacks someone other than the fighter, the fighter can use combat challenge to take a basic melee attack as an immediate interrupt (instead of the standard OA) and then if the kobold (EDIT: takes a move action,) the fighter can take an OA against him.
Thoughts on that?

 

[James McMurray]

So I interpret this as: the Fighter get his combat challenge attack first, then the KDS gets his OA, and then the Wizard moves?

That's exactly right.

 

[Zsig]

Fourthly, it looks to me like opportunity actions and immediate actions are two different types of triggered actions. You are limited to one of each per other combatant's round, not one triggered action.
So it looks like a fighter can use both in one combatant's turn, thusly:
If a marked kobold attacks someone other than the fighter, the fighter can use combat challenge to take a basic melee attack as an immediate interrupt (instead of the standard OA) and then if the kobold shifts, the fighter can take an OA against him.
Thoughts on that?

-You can make one Immediate Action (Interrupt/Reaction) per round of combat.

_You can make one Opportunity Action per combatant's turn.

Shifts doesn't provoke Op. Attacks, so, if in your example the kobold shifts away, the fighter will not get an Op. Attack.

 

[Reaper Steve]

Shifts doesn't provoke Op. Attacks, so, if in your example the kobold shifts away, the fighter will not get an Op. Attack.

Good point.
Let's change the scenario:
A marked KDS attacks someone else. The marking Fighter gets the immediate interrupt from combat challenge. Then the KDS takes a MOVE action, which does incure OAs. Does the fighter get the OA since it is an opportunity action (the other type of triggered action)?

 

[firesnakearies]

Good point.
Let's change the scenario:
A marked KDS attacks someone else. The marking Fighter gets the immediate interrupt from combat challenge. Then the KDS takes a MOVE action, which does incure OAs. Does the fighter get the OA since it is an opportunity action (the other type of triggered action)?

Yes, definitely.

 

[Shadeus]

Agreed. Opportunity actions and immediate interupts are different types of actions.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Shifts doesn't provoke Op. Attacks, so, if in your example the kobold shifts away, the fighter will not get an Op. Attack.

Right. Fighters normally get to smack marked opponents who shift... but that's another immediate interrupt from Combat Challenge, not an OA, so if he's already smacked the marked opponent for whacking his buddy, the opponent can shift with impunity.

-Hyp.