Hit or Miss: Odd Wording on Avenger Powers

[Justin D. Jacobson]

So several of the avenger powers use "hit or miss" instead of "attack". For exaple, Bond of Retribution says: "The first time an enemy other than the target hits or misses you before the end of your next turn...." It seems like it could just as easily say: "The first time an enemy other than the target attacks you before the end of your next turn...."

Any ideas on why it is worded this way? The only thing I can come up with is to clarify the that the enemy's attack resolves before the effect takes place, but it seems unnecessarily awkward to me.

 

[Trebor62]

My guess is thats because other powers sometimes kick in on a hit, others on a miss, they said on a hit or miss to avoid any doubt for when the Avengers kicks in.

 

[arcseed]

It's clarifying what an attack is-- making sure people don't think it triggers off of the cleave kicker or rain of steel or whatnot.

 

[NMcCoy]

It may also clarify timing issues - it's triggered by the attack roll being made and compared to your defense. "When you're attacked" isn't so clear.

 

[Dan'L]

It may also clarify timing issues - it's triggered by the attack roll being made and compared to your defense. "When you're attacked" isn't so clear.

This is more or less how I took it. Basically, it works like an Immediate Reaction -- taking place after the attack -- but it doesn't use up your once-only-per-round Immediate Action, and it can happen on your own turn.

If the power just read "when you're attacked," some would try to interpret it as happening before the attack itself is resolved as a "hit" or "miss."

-Dan'L

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, there were some other powers that used the more obvious language and they had to issue errata to clarify things. So now they use the more technically exact wordings for certain things. PHB2 has quite a bit more exactly written powers and whatnot. Of course they still manage to create corner cases and mess up once in a while.

 

[nightwyrm]

I agree that it's a timing issue. "When you're attacked..." triggers after the intention to attack is declared but before the attack roll is resolved. "Hit or miss" triggers after the attack roll is resolved.

 

[Blizzardb]

How about the damage from the paladin's divine challenge? The rules state that it triggers the first time when an enemy makes an attack that does not include the paladin as a target. Does this mean that the damage will apply before the attack is resolved?

I have a paladin character that would be very grateful for a clarification on this issue.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Does this mean that the damage will apply before the attack is resolved?

When else would you apply the damage?
They're making the attack, it doesn't include you, conditions met.
Burn them before figuring out if they even hit.

 

[DracoSuave]

It's not an interrupt, so no.