Combat Challenge vs. Lightning Bolt

[Danceofmasks]

While working on my barbarian build, I got to thinking about a situation like this.
We're going to need clearer rules on how to resolve the order of (for instance OAs) triggered stuff.

3 PCs take OAs, but who hits first?
It matters when a thaneborn can grant a hitroll bonus by bloodying the foe
Or worse ... if a rageblood scores the killing blow, they can swift charge with howling strike, then rampage on a crit, etc etc.

The PCs may be deciding to take those OAs, and of course it's in their favour to decide the order, but I can see potential arguments (in LFR particularly) when the enemy goes, "I want the barbie to hit first! Barbie, hit me first!"

 

[Keenath]

3 PCs take OAs, but who hits first?

Most of the time it won't matter. If it does matter for some reason, I would handle it by going in initiative order.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Most of the time it won't matter. If it does matter for some reason, I would handle it by going in initiative order.

It seems to always matter when I'm playing .. though mainly 'cos one character likes to knock foes out, while another likes to kill 'em.
(And they get into numerous arguments over it .. the whole murdering prisoners outside of combat vs. not having the means to keep prisoners).

 

[On Puget Sound]

If the primary attack of the lightning bolt satisfies the trigger condition of the Aegis, the reaction will occur before the secondary attacks... at least, as long as we consider the person casting Lightning Bolt to be a monster.

-Hyp.

So before reacting, the swordmage needs to determine whether the caster has a lair, and minions, and treasure.

 

[DracoSuave]

So before reacting, the swordmage needs to determine whether the caster has a lair, and minions, and treasure.

No, because a monster doesn't need to have those three qualities.

You just need to determine if it's a DM-run creature, or a PC. That should be fairly easy. Just look at where the DM-screen is.

 

[Keenath]

It seems to always matter when I'm playing .. though mainly 'cos one character likes to knock foes out, while another likes to kill 'em.

Well, then like I say, use the existing initiative order, or have them roll a special initiative check to see who goes first.

So before reacting, the swordmage needs to determine whether the caster has a lair, and minions, and treasure.

Do you have a lair? I have a lair!

I believe the book uses "Character", "Creature", and "Monster" fairly interchangeably. Or rather, "character" and "monster" (and "NPC") are connotative terms that technically all mean "creature".

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, then like I say, use the existing initiative order, or have them roll a special initiative check to see who goes first.

Personally, I'd have people act in order of initiative modifier, since that's the rule for breaking ties when people have the same initiative result - effectively, simultaneously-triggering actions are a similar circumstance.

CustServ's answer to a similar question was that when multiple actions trigger simultaneously, the creature whose turn the triggers occur in can allocate the order they resolve. So if an orc triggers three OAs by leaving a square, the orc can decide which character takes his OA first, second, and third.

-Hyp.