To further optimize for this Lair Assault, I'm thinking of giving my Storm Warden a Mark of Warding ("Whenever one of your powers grants a bonus to a defense, increase that bonus by 1.") (It also specifically makes the mark penalty -3.) Clearly, it would come in use with Form of Mountain's Thunder, which gives a +1 AC bonus.
But what else would be considered "bonus to a defense"? Note that it does not say "defense scores".
There's Nature's Abundance, which gives cover ("-2 penalty to attack rolls") for anyone in the zone, which could certainly be viewed as a bonus to defense. So, that bonus should be augmented. But there's a strong case to say no in that it affects the attack roll specifically.
Then there's Boiling Cloud, which gives concealment ("-2 penalty to attack rolls") for anyone in the cloud, which then would be the same idea as the cover argument.
The Warden also has a few powers which grant temporary hit points ("They're a layer of insulation that attacks have to get through before they start doing damage to you."), and that seems like a defense. Normal hit points don't seem like a defense, but temporary ones do, at least to me.
Then lastly, there's resistance, where Form of Mountain's Thunder also give a resist 3 all. Like temporary HPS, resists are certainly a type of defense, but it in this context?
Is there a definition of what constitutes a "defense" in that context of Mark of Warding? Opinions or rules? Of course, the more cheese it gives, the better for Lair Assault!
But what else would be considered "bonus to a defense"? Note that it does not say "defense scores".
There's Nature's Abundance, which gives cover ("-2 penalty to attack rolls") for anyone in the zone, which could certainly be viewed as a bonus to defense. So, that bonus should be augmented. But there's a strong case to say no in that it affects the attack roll specifically.
Then there's Boiling Cloud, which gives concealment ("-2 penalty to attack rolls") for anyone in the cloud, which then would be the same idea as the cover argument.
The Warden also has a few powers which grant temporary hit points ("They're a layer of insulation that attacks have to get through before they start doing damage to you."), and that seems like a defense. Normal hit points don't seem like a defense, but temporary ones do, at least to me.
Then lastly, there's resistance, where Form of Mountain's Thunder also give a resist 3 all. Like temporary HPS, resists are certainly a type of defense, but it in this context?
Is there a definition of what constitutes a "defense" in that context of Mark of Warding? Opinions or rules? Of course, the more cheese it gives, the better for Lair Assault!