Damaging Allies in Combat - Is it acceptable?

[abyssaldeath]

There seem to be plenty of ways to protect a Wizards allies from his burst or blasts, but I wish the same were true for his zones.

 

[Scholar & Brutalman]

My Wizard(*) tends to think of them as "co-workers" rather than "allies"...

That said, I only targeted them when they had resistance to the damage type or after I got War Wizardry. Even with War Wizardry, after one bad experience I made sure to avoid any powers with conditions as well as damage. The -5 to hit allies means their effective NADS are only slightly less than the monsters, rather than a lot less.

(*) Now Wizard|Swordmage hybrid, with one of the reasons being Sword Burst is enemies-only.

 

[DracoSuave]

My Wizard(*) tends to think of them as "co-workers" rather than "allies"...

I don't hit my co-workers with my vehicle to save me a few seconds on my performance ratings.

It's -sometimes- acceptable, but for the most part, if the wizard keeps singing me with fire spells and I -know- he could have aimed better or less destructively, I'm going to have words with him.

And if I -am- the party wizard, I don't attack my party without some go-ahead first. These are not inconveniences, they are hostile acts that are used to harm an enemy; hitting a player with them is equally as hostile without prior warning.

I don't see how a fireball or thunderwave becomes magically benign just cause it hits your party-mate rather than a kobold.

Tho, as always, there are exceptions, but do not confuse 'exceptions' with 'the general rule.'

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Too true. Take a breather you guys.

As for damaging allies, it helps if you don't think of HP=damage. The warrior caught in the edge of the fireball perhaps didn't sustain an injury, but the wash of heat maybe singed his eyebrows and threw off his honed battle concentration. The woodsman in the path of the cleric's radiant power is perhaps dazzled by the holy radiance. On and on, you get the picture.

And really, I look at this as an in-character choice. I have had PC's that surely would protest at being targeted, and some that almost welcome it, if they know it will bring pain to their enemies.

Just be careful of status conditions. I remember hitting an ally with a power that dazed, and our cleric was down to one action a round for most of a fight. In the end it was certainly not worth the cost, as the enemies died or shook it off long before.

Jay

and still i would not be glad if the wizard blasts enemies so close to me that the heat disturbs my battle concentration... once in a desperate situation ok, if hit happens all the time i would start questioning the wizards ability of preplanning and his care about the health of his allies...

even if the wizard risks dazing an ally in the mid of combat... this is usually a very dangerous act... (imagine due to bad luck the fighter is the only one dazed while adjacent to some rogues...or in this casedaze the cleric who has good things to do with his minor and standard actions... especially when things get desperate)

 

[Ryujin]

This can also be symptomatic of something else; lack of party co-operation. It isn't just the Wizard failing to plan, it's others who get in the way of an effective attack. While the character with the area attack is the one who 'pulls the trigger', he doesn't bear sole blame.

 

[abyssaldeath]

When I was playing my Sorcerer the Avenger in our party would keep telling that if I had to I could hit him with one of my spells. Then I showed him that my minimum damage was more then his healing surge value. He didn't bring it up so much after that.

 

[Kzach]

This can also be symptomatic of something else; lack of party co-operation. It isn't just the Wizard failing to plan, it's others who get in the way of an effective attack. While the character with the area attack is the one who 'pulls the trigger', he doesn't bear sole blame.

Blame? In a system where there is a high amount of movement, you can hardly blame a melee character for not being in the precise right position so that your lazy ranged striker/controller can get maximum benefit.

Not only that, but the blame falls solely on the attacker for not communicating their pre-planned strategy to blast a certain area.

I play a pursuit avenger in a weekly game with a dwarven blasting wizard. The player has asked me a couple of times to avoid a certain area so they can blast it come their turn and I have happily done so. This is teamwork. This is how adults communicate. This is how everyone can benefit.

 

[Ryujin]

Blame? In a system where there is a high amount of movement, you can hardly blame a melee character for not being in the precise right position so that your lazy ranged striker/controller can get maximum benefit.

Not only that, but the blame falls solely on the attacker for not communicating their pre-planned strategy to blast a certain area.

I play a pursuit avenger in a weekly game with a dwarven blasting wizard. The player has asked me a couple of times to avoid a certain area so they can blast it come their turn and I have happily done so. This is teamwork. This is how adults communicate. This is how everyone can benefit.

Which is why I specifically referenced party co-operation

 

[Prestidigitalis]

I'm glad to see the sniping has stopped. Now can someone give me some feedback on my idea at #36 ? Please??? I invested literally minutes typing that in.

 

[sfedi]

Yeah, friendly fire is usually lack of good tactics, and maybe teamwork.