Magic Garrote?

[RickVigorous]

Page 22 of the article, under the Garrote description:

I emphasize AS PART OF A GRAB ATTACK.

So, when you use the garrote, you make a grab attack. If you hit, you do damage, and you have the target grabbed.

You've got an iff where you should just have an if. The text says that if you make a grab attack and hit, you deal damage. It does not say that the only way to deal damage is by making a grab attack and hitting or that all garrote attacks are grab attacks.

 

[Alex319]

Using a garrote, when you hit, you grab the target.

Is this the text in the article? (I'm not a DDI subscriber so I can't check it myself) If so then its meaning is pretty clear. (Although what about multi-target attack powers?)

Someone proficient with the garrote can use it to deal damage as part of a grab attack.

If this is the text in the article then my interpretation of it would be the following:

- If you make a grab attack (using the standard rules for grab attacks) then you can do damage a part of a grab attack. (Unanswered questions: How much damage? Just 1[W]? 1[W] + stat mod? Does it go up to 2[W] at 21st level? Do you get to add the garrote's magic item bonus and proficiency bonus to your grab attack roll, since a grab attack normally does not have the weapon keyword?)

- If you do anything else with the garrote (like use an encounter power, make an OA, etc.) then you can still do it this way, it's just like using an normal weapon and this effect does not apply.