Even CustServ doesn't know how Grasping Shadows works

[Branduil]

Subject
Grasping Shadows Dragon 364

Customer (Branduil) 07/12/2008 07:36 AM
In Dragon 364, there is a Wizard Attack 1 encounter power called Grasping Shadows. In addition to the hit line, there is an effect that lasts until the end of your next turn. It says that any enemy that enters the area of the spell takes psychic damage equal to your intelligence modifier and is slowed until the end of its next turn.

If you start your turn in the area of the spell, does it count as entering the area of the spell?

Response (Support Agent) 07/12/2008 09:43 AM
Branduil,

Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately, there isn’t an official answer for the situation you describe. I’ve passed along this conversation to the game’s developers. Hopefully, we’ll see an update or FAQ entry covering it soon, but until then it’s up to the campaign’s Dungeon Master to decide. The DM is always the final arbiter on how they want their campaign to run. Have fun!

Please let me know if you need anymore help!

Good Gaming!

Rob
********************
Page Number: 61
Book Name: Dragon 364

...

 

[James McMurray]

That's a lot better than them answering how they feel and multiple agents contradicting each other.

 

[Stormtower]

No, not an acceptable answer...

It's totally correct, IMO, to defer to the authority of the DM for "how they want the campaign to run."

It's another ball of wax entirely, to suggest that each DM should be keeping her or his own set of houserule notes on every ambiguously-worded power that spawns from the pages of eDragon mag.

Bad business, WotC... I am really liking 4E but this inconsistent support is really getting me down. We need some EXAMPLES OF PLAY for complicated, ambiguous rules like stealth, etc. and less of this "handwave it, you're the DM" mentality when it comes to hard-coded published rules such as new powers.

 

[CountPopeula]

I'd have thought yes.

 

[James McMurray]

That's not what WotC said. That's what Customer Service Representative #1392 said. And he accompanied it with "I've forwarded it on so you can get an answer." They're very different situations.

But I do agree that WotC shouldn't expect DMs to have to handle all of the rules vauaries. Luckily I haven't seen that so far. But to be honest, I'd rather every CustServ response be "I don't know" then have them ignore/recreate the rules and contradict themselves.