Holy Symbols bonus Damage Question

[Thatwackyned]

Our Cleric has a Holy symbol that Adds 1d8 damage to all attacks that have radient in the key terms.

With the Cleric daily (not with my books sorry) that lowers all NADs by 2 and does some healing to the first one that hits the target.

Now that attack doesn't do any damage, but uses the holy symbol. The Holy symbol adds 1d8 damage.

So would the attack start doing 1d8 damage, or not?

 

[Joshua Randall]

No, an attack has to deal damage to begin with in order to benefit from the extra damage.

extra damage
Many powers and other effects grant the ability to deal extra damage. Extra damage is always in addition to other damage. This means an attack that deals no damage can’t deal extra damage.

 

[Thatwackyned]

That is the best answer to the question at hand.

 

[Nichwee]

No, an attack has to deal damage to begin with in order to benefit from the extra damage.

And WotC CS contradicts things again - as I was told I can Hunter's Quarry (which is extra damage) on any hit, even with a power that hits for no damage.

And the Druid in our party was told that he can do the extra 2d6 damage of Earthfall Totem to all those knocked down as the effect of a power that only damages the target but knocks all adjacent enemies prone.

How new is this posting in the DDI Compendium?

 

[DracoSuave]

And WotC CS contradicts things again - as I was told I can Hunter's Quarry (which is extra damage) on any hit, even with a power that hits for no damage.

And the Druid in our party was told that he can do the extra 2d6 damage of Earthfall Totem to all those knocked down as the effect of a power that only damages the target but knocks all adjacent enemies prone.

How new is this posting in the DDI Compendium?

It's in the PHB2.

 

[Nichwee]

So my Quarry damage does require base damage - good. I always hated the idea of "precision based damage" being added to an effect that doesn't damage at all.

But what would this do to the Druids ability? The power is Tremor.
Only the original target takes damage from the power (but the power does deal damage) then the target and enemies adjacent are knocked prone.
CS said Earthfall Totem deals them all 2d6 damage from the prone effect - but that is extra damage not in addition to base damage for all those not originally targeted by the power. And as the Druid was released in PHB2 this reply was after that clarification.

 

[DracoSuave]

So my Quarry damage does require base damage - good. I always hated the idea of "precision based damage" being added to an effect that doesn't damage at all.

But what would this do to the Druids ability? The power is Tremor.
Only the original target takes damage from the power (but the power does deal damage) then the target and enemies adjacent are knocked prone.
CS said Earthfall Totem deals them all 2d6 damage from the prone effect - but that is extra damage not in addition to base damage for all those not originally targeted by the power. And as the Druid was released in PHB2 this reply was after that clarification.

This is where quoting the rules text involved makes answering questions easier.

In this case, the property DOES say 'extra damage' so, yes, you need to have done damage originally in order to deal this extra damage.

Customer Service is not so good at highly technical rules questions.

 

[Joshua Randall]

The rule seems unambiguous to me: an attack must deal "base" damage in order to deal extra dmage. Period.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

This is where quoting the rules text involved makes answering questions easier.

In this case, the property DOES say 'extra damage' so, yes, you need to have done damage originally in order to deal this extra damage.

Customer Service is not so good at highly technical rules questions.

Yeah, it is a bit sad that they blew that one. lol. This should be an easy question for them.

 

[Nichwee]

According to the player of the Druid he asked about this specifically - and was told that the passage in the PHB2 was supposed to be for BONUS damage not EXTRA damage. i.e. Feats that add to damage should need a base damage to add to. Effects that add extra damage on conditional circumstances add the extra damage regardless of intial damage if the conditions are met.

It would appear they can't even be consistant in their inconsistancy (tho imo the Druid is just glad to be able to defend his cheese with rules - as I was shocked he asked CS when he already knew about the PHB2 information).