Do attacks granted from a Sustained Range Power grant Opportunity Attacks?

[abyssaldeath]

I don't think that word (consensus) means what you think it means.

I said that I believe attacking with the power would count at "using" it for this purpose. I said nothing about sustaining it. Sustaining wouldn't provoke, because that's not using the power, just maintaining it.

And when I asked Customer Service, they did say that attacking with it would provoke, which is partly what I'm basing my ruling on.

I know what consensus means, but that first sentence you quoted of mine is so poorly written that I'm not even sure how I was trying to use it anymore.

I'm talking specifically about sustaining though, not any extra attack you may make while sustaining. So, specifically pertaining to the sustain action I would say that there is a consensus or "general agreement" if you will.

Now for any attack you may get in the same action as a sustain or after you sustain I agree that there is no consensus. I do agree with Mengu's interpretation though.

 

[Caliban]

I know what consensus means, but that first sentence you quoted of mine is so poorly written that I'm not even sure how I was trying to use it anymore.

I'm talking specifically about sustaining though, not any extra attack you may make while sustaining. So, specifically pertaining to the sustain action I would say that there is a consensus or "general agreement" if you will.

Now for any attack you may get in the same action as a sustain or after you sustain I agree that there is no consensus. I do agree with Mengu's interpretation though.

Then you are correct, there is a consensus that sustaining a power in and of itself does not provoke. Attacking with a power seems to be "whatever the DM thinks is correct" for now.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Right now, my rule of thumb is "if it costs you an action to make the attack, and it's a ranged power, it provokes an Opportunity Attack"

Merely sustaining it doesn't provoke, but if the minor action of sustaining it also includes making an attack, then I would say it provokes.

The conversation I had with CustServ came to a similar conclusion - their justification was that p268's "OAs are triggered by ranged attacks or area attacks" is a separate and different rule to p271's "ranged powers/area powers provoke OAs" and p290's "ranged powers/area powers provoke OAs".

Essentially, according to CS, there are two rules - using a ranged or area powers provokes an OA; and making a ranged or area attack provokes an OA.

So, for example, Curse of the Black Frost provokes an OA when you use it; it is a ranged power and a ranged attack. Sustaining Curse of the Black Frost does not provoke; it merely deals damage without requiring an additional ranged attack.

Summons of Khirad provokes an OA when you use it; it is a ranged power and a ranged attack. Sustaining Summons of Khirad also provokes an OA, because it involves making another ranged attack.

CS did concede that by this logic, a wizard provokes an OA any time someone enters his Freezing Cloud, since this results in an additional area attack, and per CS's interpretation of p268, area attacks provoke OAs. They said they'd pass that on to a developer for possible update or FAQ entry.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

CS did concede that by this logic, a wizard provokes an OA any time someone enters his Freezing Cloud, since this results in an additional area attack, and per CS's interpretation of p268, area attacks provoke OAs. They said they'd pass that on to a developer for possible update or FAQ entry.

-Hyp.

That is why I add "if it costs you an action, the attack provokes".

My logic is that if the power makes an attack without you having to spend an action, then you are not actually using the power at that moment (your "use" of the power ws when you spent your action to initiate it).

Hopfully the designers will make the same call when they get around to clarifying it further.

 

[Hypersmurf]

My logic is that if the power makes an attack without you having to spend an action, then you are not actually using the power at that moment.

But if p268 is a separate rule, whether or not you're using the power is irrelevant, because you're not provoking under 'use a power', you're provoking under 'make an attack'.

And if you distinguish between "the wizard attacks' and 'the cloud attacks', then you have cases like Spiritual Weapon, where the cleric sustains the power, but it's the weapon that attacks, not the cleric.

-Hyp.

 

[Caliban]

But if p268 is a separate rule, whether or not you're using the power is irrelevant, because you're not provoking under 'use a power', you're provoking under 'make an attack'.

And if you distinguish between "the wizard attacks' and 'the cloud attacks', then you have cases like Spiritual Weapon, where the cleric sustains the power, but it's the weapon that attacks, not the cleric.

-Hyp.

Actually, I would count Spiritual weapon as an exception to my previous statement, since the power specifies that "you conjure a weapon that appears and attacks". So all you would be doing is sustaining it, and the conjuration would attack on it's own.

 

[Hazard_53188]

There are a number of ranged sustain powers that allow you to move the effect (such as flaming sphere and spiritual weapon).

Does the range defined on the power have any effect on how far away you can move the effect? For example, could a wizard cast a flaming sphere at a range of 10 (it's maximum) and then move it 6 squares to have it out at a range of 16?

 

[Caliban]

There are a number of ranged sustain powers that allow you to move the effect (such as flaming sphere and spiritual weapon).

Does the range defined on the power have any effect on how far away you can move the effect? For example, could a wizard cast a flaming sphere at a range of 10 (it's maximum) and then move it 6 squares to have it out at a range of 16?

No, that's specified in the section on conjurations in the pHB (where it explains how to read the power descriptions). At least one square of the conjuration has to remain within the range of the power, if I remember correctly (I don't have my books in front of me).

 

[Llamas Notsheep]

The way I've always conceptualized it, the action you take is what provokes an opportunity attack. A move action, a ranged attack, etc. When you're sustaining (e.g. "sustain minor"), you're not taking an action that appears on the list of those provoking OAs. Therefore, you don't provoke one.

But, in looking back over 290, I see it's not that explicit. Still, sustaining definitely does not fit the bill of "uses a ranged power or an area power."

It's the same reason that, tragically, Bleeding Precision won't work with Spitting Cobra Stance.