Can you miss on purpose?

[Nikosandros]

The question arose last session when the party was fighting a bloodied dragon. The pacifist healer cleric had a spiritual weapon on the dragon and she was just interested in maintaining the power so that she could grant CA, but of course she didn't want to hit, so as to avoid being stunned.

By RAW I think that the answer is no, but this can lead to a cheesy situation with the cleric falling prone and closing her eyes during the attack so as to get a -7 to hit. Note that the player didn't actually do this things, but they would seem logical, especially since the party was in dire straits with the rogue (down to 1 HP and 0 surges) who desperately needed the CA without having to flank in melee.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Well, I don't have any answers for you, but it strikes me the problem is with Pacifist Healer. There are other situations where players actually try questionable tactics to get some utility out of attack powers, but that is less common and more clear-cut. Pacifist Healer just throws up these kinds of issues left and right and honestly I am not fond of it. Its a tenuous RP concept at best and then the whole 4e system really cuts against it.

 

[Aulirophile]

No (though Prone+Blind is perfectly RAW and even easy. Fall prone minor, close eyes free, attack, stand up, end turn.) I don't see the problem with this... a pacifist could easily be torn between aiding their friends in a fight to the death and her core beliefs. I'd close my eyes if I was afraid to hit something.

 

[chitzk0i]

The easiest solution is to just go with another daily power. Implement vs AC? Weak! Iron to glass, on the other hand, will severely nerf an enemy's damage until the end of the encounter. Or you could pick up Weapon of the Gods and get an AC debuff to replace the combat advantage. If you don't already have it, Moment of Glory from level 1 is still awesome.

 

[brehobit]

I allow people to attack with a +0 (total) modifier if they wish. All attack rolls for that attack must use the same modifier. I figure there is no good reason why level and stats _have_ to be used.

But a 20 still hits. When you swing around a sword (or blast an area) sometimes you get (un)lucky....

And it's not just a pacifist cleric problem. The issue shows up with Grease too. Or on the rare occasion you want the bad guy to escape (to lead you to a hideout for example).

 

[Infiniti2000]

By RAW I think that the answer is no, but this can lead to a cheesy situation with the cleric falling prone and closing her eyes during the attack so as to get a -7 to hit.

And the pacifist healer concept itself isn't cheesy?! If you don't want to hit, don't pick attack powers! Oh wait...

 

[Larrin]

The less convoluted solution is too simply sustain the power and not make the attack. Unless it says 'must', you don't always have to do it (see secondary attacks, forced movement, etc). I think this is a perfectly reasonably thing to allow to be optional and there is some precedent (forced movement can be forgone, etc). Its a simple solution, one that doesn't require silly jumping through hoops actions on the part of the player. Go with that, even if you don't think its fully rules supported.

 

[Mengu]

I wouldn't be so lenient with the sustain interpretation so as to ignore the attack. It says when you sustain, you repeat the attack. I don't feel anything optional is implied there. Falling prone is a minor action. If the cleric wants to do that, I wouldn't stop them. Closing your eyes, or voluntarily becoming blind, or turning your back to an enemy are not a defined combat actions. So I wouldn't allow any of these to give yourself a penalty. If you need fluff justification, just say it's against basic survival instinct and the combat training a character has received. You're using a power that can hurt someone, you need to suffer the consequences. I have almost no sympathy for the pacifist healer.

And on that note, kill the pacifist healer, obliterate his soul, incinerate his corpse, and the problem goes away.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I would allow missing on purpose, but i would use the bag of rats rule whenever needed:

It is the intend. If someone tries to abuse the rules, just say no. Cancel the power used entirely. As I interpret the rules, you need to try your best to have the power have a (miss) effect. Closing eyes and falling prone just makes you look stupid andincompetent, not inspiring your fellows to perform better or the gods to aid you in your tasks.

 

[Ferghis]

I'd allow a character to reduce his or her attack bonus with a relatively controllable power, such as an attack with a weapon range (melee or ranged), or a ranged power that attacks a single target, but not with an area, burst or blast attacks that do not allow selective targeting. My logic is that non-selective area, blast or burst attacks, target a general area with the power, and the character unleashing the power would not have the ability to finely control it. On the other hand, you could easily fire a "warning shot" with a lightning bolt or a javelin, or even the warm light of divine glow...

But I don't have an answer to your more specific question. It's arguable whether, without a real threat, the target of the spiritual weapon would continue to grant CA to allies. On one side, you have the bag of rats argument (attacks must be real and genuine to be able to use powers), but on the other hand, the weapon's attack and the CA effect are listed separately, and are sustained by two separate sentences in the sustain section of the power. I can't really say.