Mad Wraith Questions

[Markn]

I've got several questions about the Mad Wraith from the MM. Pasted below is the power that I specifically have questions about. Here goes...

Touch of Chaos (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅ ) ✦ Psychic
+9 vs. Will; 2d6 + 4 psychic damage, and the target moves up
to its speed and makes a basic attack against its nearest ally as a
free action.

To give a bit of background, last night we had an encounter where the wraith hit a PC. The PC then moved to the nearest ally which unfortunately moved him into a square that contained Blade Barrier (which was casted by the party cleric) and this was where his movement ended. This created two situations that we were unsure of. First, the PC could have chosen an adjacent square that would have kept him out of the blade barrier - so the choice of who moves the figure becomes important. Second, is it legal to move someone into a damaging effect when it is not forced movement as per the definition since it is not a push, pull or slide effect - in other words, was this legal? The power does not seem to fall into any established category of movement. It is not forced movement nor is it a dominate effect and seems to be on fuzzy ground and the rules are scarce on psychic effects.


In short here are the questions I am looking to have answered:

Does the DM move the character or does the player move the character?
What happens if the character can not end adjacent to the nearest ally - does he move at all?
Will the player enter a zone or effect that will damage it?
Are there any types of terrain that the character will not enter?

Thanks.

 

[Oompa]

I do not know the exact rules out of my head but:

- I would say it is forced movement
- I would say he would move to the nearest square where he could get the attack from, even if it is with the blade barrier, he would enter it without a saving throw needed (ST is only for trying to catch yourself)
- Forced movement ignores difficult terrain, so a creature would move through anything to reach his 'goal'

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Thanks for bringing this up.. my campaign will soon have one of these nasty critters involved.

The way I would run this is simple, allow the player to move the character but require that an attack must be made if there is a possible path..even if that path goes through hazardous terrain.

Much the same as many 'fear' effects where the PC has to flee from the critter, the Player would control the details of the 'running away'.

This way if there is an option to move around damaging terrain, it doesn't become a 'DM forced me to take this extra damage that isn't part of the monsters power' conflict point.

If the PC cannot reach the nearest ally, IMO, they still move. A major tactical advantage of this power is that the PC moves away, and the Wraith can shift one square and possibly be out of reach.

 

[NMcCoy]

As I understand it, "forced movement" is strictly defined as a push, pull, or slide. As I'd rule it, the only requirement of the power is that the target must do whatever it can to attack its nearest ally within the constraints imposed by the power. The target may avoid hazardous terrain if it's still possible to make the attack; if the only way to make the attack is through hazardous terrain, the target does so.

 

[Anthraxus]

As I understand it, "forced movement" is strictly defined as a push, pull, or slide. As I'd rule it, the only requirement of the power is that the target must do whatever it can to attack its nearest ally within the constraints imposed by the power. The target may avoid hazardous terrain if it's still possible to make the attack; if the only way to make the attack is through hazardous terrain, the target does so.

I would have to agree with this.

 

[Kinneus]

As I understand it, "forced movement" is strictly defined as a push, pull, or slide. As I'd rule it, the only requirement of the power is that the target must do whatever it can to attack its nearest ally within the constraints imposed by the power. The target may avoid hazardous terrain if it's still possible to make the attack; if the only way to make the attack is through hazardous terrain, the target does so.

This would be my ruling too, FWIW.