Hit, Miss, Or...

[webrunner]

Imagine the following situation:

Monster A has an ability:
Encounter, Immediate Interrupt, when hit with an attack: teleport 3 squares.

Fighter B has an ability:
Daily
Melee
str vs ac
Hit: 4[w]
Effect: The target is dazed (save ends)


B uses it and hits monster A.
Monster A uses it's ability, teleporting away so the attack no longer hits.

Now, here's the confusing bit:
The attack no longer hits, but it didn't miss either, by standard definitions. Does the Effect still stand with the monster now dazed? If it didn't, does that mean the attack itself never happened and is not expended, since Effects are supposed to happen anyway?

 

[Neubert]

As far as I remember, the "Effect" line always occurs, no matter if it is a hit or a miss, so the monster would be dazed.

 

[Mengu]

The attack no longer hits, but it didn't miss either, by standard definitions. Does the Effect still stand with the monster now dazed? If it didn't, does that mean the attack itself never happened and is not expended, since Effects are supposed to happen anyway?

The attack definitely happened, and is expended. But you're right, it neither hits, nor misses, the target is no longer a valid target for the attack. I'd say the effect does not happen either. Such is the power of immediate interrupts.

 

[Markn]

I agree with Mengu's response simply for the fact that he is no longer a valid target for the attack.

 

[-Avalon-]

The attack definitely happened, and is expended. But you're right, it neither hits, nor misses, the target is no longer a valid target for the attack. I'd say the effect does not happen either. Such is the power of immediate interrupts.

Problem: If a player attempts to use a power, but there are no valid targets... the power never occured. So, if the monster truly interrupts the power and removes itself from the area in an interrupt fashion, the player MUST choose a second target to use it on. If there are no other available LEGAL targets, then the power does not fail, it is unavailable to be used. The interrupt removed the creature BEFORE the attack was made, such is the power of an immediate interrupt (it rewinds the activity to right before the triggering event occured, in this case, the attack could not even be rolled, the target was not there)

 

[baberg]

I think RAW is pretty clear on this - PHB p 268

An immediate interrupt lets you jump in when a certain trigger condition arises, acting before the trigger resolves. If an interrupt invalidates a triggering action, that action is lost.

The triggering action: Hit with an attack
The interrupt: Teleport 3 squares
The trigger resolves: Melee attack no longer can hit that target
The result: The interrupt invalidated the triggering action, so therefore the action (the daily power) is lost

I can see how some might argue that the "action" is the hit of the daily power and not the daily power itself, but generally 4e makes no distinction between an "attack" and an "attack power". It comes down to whether or not you think of each step of an attack as an "action" or whether it's considered as a whole. I'm inclined to call it a whole.