Effects..

[Oompa]

Do effects happen with a miss?

Because if i look at the warlock dailies, none of those at level 1 has the 'reliable' keyword or a 'miss' entry line.. But they do have a 'effect' line..

And i thought i've readt somewhere effects of dailies do happen? (this could be my own imagination)

Anyone?

 

[Rechan]

PHB page 59.

Many powers produce effects that take place regardless of whether your attack roll succeeds

Yes, the Effect happens regardless of hit or miss.

 

[Oompa]

But how does someone take ongoing fire 5 damage, when the whole power does not hit?

I'm talking about "Flames of Phlegethos Warlock (Infernal) Attack 1", but there are more powers..

 

[fissionessence]

But how does someone take ongoing fire 5 damage, when the whole power does not hit?

I'm talking about "Flames of Phlegethos Warlock (Infernal) Attack 1", but there are more powers..

Because it's a daily power. With dailies, even a miss can be effective . . . hehe.

All daily powers [should] have some kind of quirk that allows it to be useful even on a miss. Some have the reliable keyword, some attack multiple targets (giving you several chances to hit one or more targets), and some have an effect or miss line. In the case of flames of phlegethos, perhaps the fire got close enough to burn your foe even if it wasn't a direct hit.

~

 

[DNH]

The key is in how the power is laid out. If the effect (small 'e') is listed under the Hit: heading, then it only applies on a successful hit. If it is listed under an Effect: (large 'e') heading, then it applies whether the attack hits or misses. There are also effects, usually lesser ones, which apply only a missed attack; these are listed under a Miss: heading. I originally skimmed over the 'How to Read a Power' section of the PHB (pp54-59) but there's a lot of useful stuff in there, including lots of actual rulings.

fissionessence has it right - daily powers are special, particularly potent, and usually effective to some extent regardless of the success of the attack.

 

[Gruns]

Easy...

But how does someone take ongoing fire 5 damage, when the whole power does not hit?

The same way they take fire damage if it does hit: It's magic!

Later!
Gruns

 

[ppaladin123]

"Rivulets of clinging liquid fire appear and cascade over your
target. Anything that is flammable ignites at once and burns long
after the streams of magic fire fade away."

This attack targets reflex so:

On a miss the target jumps out of the way of the "streams of magic fire," but can't completely avoid the sparks/intense heat/rivulets of clinging liquid. The target finds itself on fire despite its best efforts dodge the attack but at least it was spared the full force of the eldritch blast.

There you go. Read the fluff description of the power, note the defense that is targeted (fortitude, reflex, will or AC) and think about how a targeted creature would respond to such an attack. There are degrees of successful response.

 

[Oompa]

Okay simply said, always apply Effects even as the attack misses..

 

[Rechan]

But how does someone take ongoing fire 5 damage, when the whole power does not hit?

I'm talking about "Flames of Phlegethos Warlock (Infernal) Attack 1", but there are more powers..

From a purely mechanical point of view, that's just how the power works.

From a fluff point of view, you have to do a little bit of creative description.

HP isn't just solid flesh to be hacked off. So, taking ongoing fire even though a power missed, well, your clothes could be smouldering and smoking, and you have to beat the flames out. It's Distracting a Demoralizing, thus eating at the guy's HP.

Mechanics and fluff don't go hand in hand sometimes, with 4e; the rules operate as normal unless there is a distinct and direct exception in the statblock/power. For instance, an ooze can be knocked prone; nothing in the statblock says otherwise. "But how can you knock an ooze down?" It splatters, or a hit causes it to momentarily break apart, so it has to spend a move action to "pull itself back together" ala the T1000 from Terminator 2 after it was frozen.