Combat Timing and multi-attack powers

[Riastlin]

Okay, so a bit of an odd situation that as a practical matter probably won't come up all that often, but I wanted to run it by y'all anyway.

A monster has a an attack power that says something like "Frenzy: Effect: The monster makes two claw attacks." The attacks can be against the same target. Say the first claw is enough to knock the PC unconscious. Does the unconscious (and any effects that might derive from that) occur first or does the second claw attack occur first?

The main time this might come into play would be either a) the PC has an ability which triggers off being reduced to 0 HP or b) the PC is engaged in something that requires active concentration (like holding onto a ladder).

In the case of b), I could see where if the unconscious state triggers first, the PC then lets go of the ladder and falls, which might then put him out of range for the second claw attack. If the claws are at the same time though then it doesn't really matter.

For that matter, I guess this could affect any interrupt power too.

Anyhoo, as I said, I don't envision this coming up all that often, but I could certainly see where it might and was curious as to how others would rule it.

 

[the Jester]

I rule that it happens one attack at a time, just as I rule for pcs.

Ask yourself: How do I rule a twin strike in a case like this? And apply the same principles.

 

[Riastlin]

I rule that it happens one attack at a time, just as I rule for pcs.

Ask yourself: How do I rule a twin strike in a case like this? And apply the same principles.

Cool. That makes total sense, and is pretty much what I was thinking, but wanted to make sure since it so rarely came up.

 

[Stumblewyk]

I rule that it happens one attack at a time, just as I rule for pcs.

I totally get this ruling. I'm sure it's even the RAW interpretation, but personally, I like the idea of the creature going berserk, and ripping into the PC twice before anyone even knows what happened. I always roll all the attacks at once for multiple attack powers on monsters. And then just total up the damage.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Just to add confusion, the problem with the rules about attacks is that they are self-contradictory.

Rules Compendium, p. 214
Step 2: Choose targets. [Note the plural!]
Step 6: If the attack power has more than one target, repeat steps 3 through 5 for each of them.

So what happens when you have an attack power with multiple targets? Darned if I know.

 

[Nullzone]

I rule that it happens one attack at a time, just as I rule for pcs.

Ask yourself: How do I rule a twin strike in a case like this? And apply the same principles.

In which case I would say that the second attack simply fails to go off, as I don't allow Twin Strike to suddenly change targets if the first shot happens to drop something.

To my mind, that kind of rapid action requires you to commit to your choice before it happens, not in the middle of it.

For the OP's scenario, the two attacks would happen before anything else, dropping the PC well below 0 hp (possibly even killing him!). Then he would fall unconscious. A bloodthirsty creature who just goes ape-wild on someone isn't suddenly going to stop just because their prey passes out.

 

[Aulirophile]

Attacks resolve one at a time (and anything that reacts to the attacks occurs between the attacks).