Learned Boost - how many targets?

[Dr_Ruminahui]

My PCs have just reached paragon, and the wizard just took the Academy Master paragon path. It's 11th level encounter power is Learned Boost, which basically boosts the use of an at-will power. It reads:

Academy Master Attack 11 Learned Boost

Encounter Arcane, Reliable ; Implement or Weapon
Standard Action
Effect: Use one of your arcane at-will attack powers on the target. If you hit, you deal +2[W] damage, or +2 dice of damage if it is a nonweapon attack.

Now, what is the target? If you use an at-will that such as thunderwave that can hit several creatures, does Learned Boost trigger on all of them? Or does it just deal the extra damage to one of them?

My view is that only one creature is the target, while the player's is that all of them are.

Any thoughts?

 

[lostingeneral]

I would interpret that as an ability that affects all targets, based on the nature of the power, the description, and (by looking in the old version of the CB) the description of "varies" for its targeting.

 

[Ferghis]

The text does say "the" target, indicating only one, but this is hardly incontrovertible.

 

[Ferghis]

I have to point out that, with the reliable keyword, it matters much less if it's a multi-attack or a single-target attack. If it's a single target attack that misses, the wizard will get to cast it again. If it's a multi-attack, it's likely that the reliable keyword will not be of any help, since it'll probably hit at least one target.

 

[aurance]

If there is no Target: entry above all the Effect: verbiage, "target" has to relate back to the Target: entry in another power it's referencing. (See Refined Recall right below it.) It works exactly like the at-will it's modifying, except it being reliable with +2X damage.

 

[Marshall]

My PCs have just reached paragon, and the wizard just took the Academy Master paragon path. It's 11th level encounter power is Learned Boost, which basically boosts the use of an at-will power. It reads:



Now, what is the target? If you use an at-will that such as thunderwave that can hit several creatures, does Learned Boost trigger on all of them? Or does it just deal the extra damage to one of them?

My view is that only one creature is the target, while the player's is that all of them are.

Any thoughts?

No question to it, your players are right. This is the class level 11 encounter power. An at-will level attack that does 2 extra dice of damage. Its actually relatively weak.

 

[Azlith]

As people have pointed out there is no Target line in Learned Boost, so which do you apply it to? The first? Whichever one you want?

Also, if it was limited to one target it would likely say so, or limit the at-will to a single target power. There are a few cases where you get to use an at-will as part of a power or ability and it specifies 'single target at-will' in the power.

 

[mneme]

No question to it, your players are right. This is the class level 11 encounter power. An at-will level attack that does 2 extra dice of damage. Its actually relatively weak.

It's not actually -that- weak if you study the other secrets of the Academy (the White Lotus academy, that is). But clearly the intent is that the power does extra damage to all targets.

 

[Mengu]

The wording of the power is not quite epic fail, but it's at least paragon fail.

It's confusing, and it doesn't do anything for powers like magic missile or beguiling strands either.

Here is maybe how the effect could have been written:

Effect: Use one of your arcane at-will attack powers. The attack deals 2[W] extra damage if it’s a weapon attack or 2d8 extra damage if it is not a weapon attack.

It's not quite the same effect, but it's close enough, it works, and it's clearer.

 

[eamon]

The wording of the power is not quite epic fail, but it's at least paragon fail.

It's confusing, and it doesn't do anything for powers like magic missile or beguiling strands either.

Here is maybe how the effect could have been written:

Effect: Use one of your arcane at-will attack powers. The attack deals 2[W] extra damage if it’s a weapon attack or 2d8 extra damage if it is not a weapon attack.

It's not quite the same effect, but it's close enough, it works, and it's clearer.

This would introduce a die-roll to magic missile, which would dramatically affect it by virtue of all the bonuses that apply to damage rolls as opposed to damage in general. On an "auto-hit" that might be too much. Then again, it's a single target once per encounter - it might not be an issue.