How do Iron Armbands work?

[Thundershield]

In regards to the Iron Armbands of Power, they're moderated by the fact that they only affect powers with a range of "Melee" and only on actual damage rolls. They don't affect Close bursts or static damage (such as the secondary damage of Cleave or Reaping Strike).

That said, they are fairly powerful magic items and rather plain. As Mengu pointed out, they are poorly designed, but I'm not sure I'll go so far as to outright ban them. I'll leave it to players if they wanna have boring magic items.

 

[Oompa]

I'm not really seeing the problem with the armbands, if an attack gives you melee damage, even if its a burst or blast or whatever, you get a +2 on the damage.. As long as it is melee damage..

 

[Skallgrim]

In regards to the Iron Armbands of Power, they're moderated by the fact that they only affect powers with a range of "Melee" and only on actual damage rolls. They don't affect Close bursts or static damage (such as the secondary damage of Cleave or Reaping Strike).

I'm not really seeing the problem with the armbands, if an attack gives you melee damage, even if its a burst or blast or whatever, you get a +2 on the damage.. As long as it is melee damage..

This is my whole freaking point. One person thinks it's perfectly clear that they don't work on Close Bursts (even ones using a weapon). Another person thinks that it's perfectly clear that they DO work on Close Bursts and Blasts, so long as it is melee damage.

Is there an official Customer Service answer on how these work, and does it accord with the Character Builder (which adds them to Close Bursts with a Weapon keyword)?

In short, as I guess I should have asked originally, is Character Builder right in how Iron Armbands work?

While I think that it is interesting that some people feel they are unbalanced, and other people do not, it is kind of secondary to the actual question. On that topic, it's interesting to me that +1 damage (Weapon Focus) is generally seen as OK, while +2 damage (Iron Armbands) is not. Kensai (or Pit Fighter) can generally get a character +4 damage at the same levels you can get Paragon Tier Iron Armbands, but I haven't seen those Paths listed as Broken (good, yes, but not broken).

 

[chitzk0i]

I'm not really seeing the problem with the armbands, if an attack gives you melee damage, even if its a burst or blast or whatever, you get a +2 on the damage.. As long as it is melee damage..

There is a specific definition of 'melee attack'. To fit that definition, a power must say "melee weapon" or "melee X" where X is the range. If a power says "close burst" or "close blast" it is not a melee power and thus receives no bonus from the iron armbands.

 

[Oompa]

So a fighter with a greatsword, who uses a close burst 1 power, and may attack with his greatsword does not deal melee damage? He makes a melee attack, he is within his range of the weapon...

fun quote from the PHB:

"If a power doesn’t specify a damage type, the damage has no type."

So, most fighter powers say [w] + str damage, but str damage is no automatic melee damage, so that makes the armbands useless.. unless.. we keep things simple and say when you make a melee attack, you also deal melee damage.. and melee attacks can be made with bursts...

 

[blargney the second]

They are also an extremely boring item that adds no interest or tactics to a character. They can do more damage all day every day. Pretty unfortunate design if you ask me.

I totally disagree. I run two PCs, so I look for any benefit that is as simple as possible to use. I've got enough processor load already that adding additional complications is something I actively avoid. These are highly useful items for one of my characters.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's unfortunately designed. It just means you don't like it (which is fine).
-blarg

 

[Starfox]

So a fighter with a greatsword, who uses a close burst 1 power, and may attack with his greatsword does not deal melee damage? He makes a melee attack, he is within his range of the weapon...

No, he makes a Close attack. Not the same as a melee attatck. Among other things, this means he only rolls damage once for the whole attack, not separately for each target.

"If a power doesn’t specify a damage type, the damage has no type."

This applies specifically to damage types - such as fire, acid, etc. No type = basic physical damage, which unlike 3E is the best damage type as no critter I know of has resistance to it.

Attack type is something different, of which there are four kinds - Melee, Ranged, Close Blast and Close Burst. What we are discussing here is attack type.

 

[abyssaldeath]

Attack type is something different, of which there are four kinds - Melee, Ranged, Close Blast and Close Burst. What we are discussing here is attack type.

Little correction. The attack types are Melee, Ranged, Close and Area. Burst or Blast is the area of effect.

 

[Pickles JG]

I totally disagree. I run two PCs, so I look for any benefit that is as simple as possible to use. I've got enough processor load already that adding additional complications is something I actively avoid. These are highly useful items for one of my characters.

Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's unfortunately designed. It just means you don't like it (which is fine).
-blarg

They are lazy unimaginative design to say nothing of being overpowered.

They are about twice as good as a feat of the same tier so resurrecting Christmas tree effects.
They are mechanically better than any other item in the same slot - so they are "highly useful items for" every character that deal damage in melee.
Their power level crushes the design space for other similar but less consistent items. For example the bracers that give +d6 damage if you hit with a main wepapon & an offhand weapon. It is both less reliable & less damaging & so is totally useless.

If I were to have them in a game I would make them level 10 items that give +1 damage. That means that they do not undermine weapon focus & leave lots of space for bigger but situational bonuses.

I concede there is a a bit of personal prejudice here - I like characters defined by their abilities not by what they happen to be carrying around.

The fact of their power level remains though.

I sympathise with a desire to have straightforward magic items but that would apply if they gave +1 (& it's still not clear if they effect bursts). I myself like mostly passive items too - the daily limit being one reason for this & power option overload another.

 

[Fluxx]

They are about twice as good as a feat of the same tier [...]

Are there any guidelines how powerful an item should be compared to feats? Has anybody compared other items to feats?
Can you really argue this way?