Multiclass ranger - extra Hunter's Quarry uses?

[Bagpuss]

With Warrior of the Wild it says among other things post errata....

Once per encounter, you can use the ranger’s Hunter’s Quarry class feature. The target you designate as your quarry remains your quarry until the end of your next turn.


What happens if you get powers (either from Ranger Paragon paths or multiclassing) that say things like

Effect: You designate the target as your quarry...

Does the specific power over-rule the general rule that you only get Hunter's Quarry once an encounter?

 

[Starglim]

I don't see any ranger multiclass-available powers in the PHB that have the effect of designating a creature as your quarry - does Martial Power have some?

The Beast Stalker paragon path power Beast Stalker's Target would indeed make the target your quarry until the end of the encounter, and allow you also to designate another creature as your quarry until the end of your next turn with the use you get from Warrior of the Wild.

No over-ruling is required, as the general rule is that Hunter's Quarry lasts until the end of the encounter or you designate a different quarry. Warrior of the Wild is one specific exception. Beast Stalker's Target is another, distinct and separate use of Hunter's Quarry that uses the general rule plus its own specific rules.

 

[Bagpuss]

I don't see any ranger multiclass-available powers in the PHB that have the effect of designating a creature as your quarry - does Martial Power have some?

I've spotted a few so far.

Sylvan Archer has Elf-Eyed Archery and Named Arrow

phrased "...you designate the target as your quarry...."

Borderland's Marshall has Tag Quarry and New Victim.

Although they are phrased "...and you can designate the target as your quarry as if you had used the Hunter’s
Quarry class feature." Which to me implies you are not using the feature, just something that mimics it's rules.

Interestingly Borderland Marshall is a paragon path in the Warlord section, you need to be both a Warlord and a Ranger to take it so it seems to have been clearly written to get round any rule questions.

Sylvan Archer is in the Ranger section and has only Elf, and Ranger as requirements (why it is missing the Archer Fighting Style is another question), so does make it unclear for multiclass rangers.

The Beast Stalker paragon path power Beast Stalker's Target would indeed make the target your quarry until the end of the encounter, and allow you also to designate another creature as your quarry until the end of your next turn with the use you get from Warrior of the Wild.

Except you couldn't take the Beast Stalker Paragon Path with Warrior of the Wild because you don't have the Archer Fighting Style, from the multiclass feat. The problem is most of the Ranger paragon paths in Martial Powers don't have that restriction.

 

[Bagpuss]

There are general ranger powers MP that force you to designate the target as your quarry.

Tag the Prey

Hit: and you designate the target as your quarry until the end of your next turn.

If you pick them up though multiclassing does that mean more access to the Hunter's Quarry class feature? Or you have to use your one use? What if you have already used it?

Seem there are issues with balance with the Rogue multiclass feat, since there aren't anywhere near as many powers that grant additional use of Sneak Attack.

 

[fba827]

I know of no "official" word on this. But based on my reading I would say that those powers do not grant you extra uses, you still only have the one use and if you've used it up then you can't use it again.

I make that judgement call based on a couple things
1) the balance factor, such as you mention, there isn't anything like that for rogues and it seems odd to make multiclass rangers stronger than multiclass rogues
2) there is no wording to the effect of "you gain the ability to use ...." , it's just "use .." similar to how some powers require action points to use, they don't grant you additional action points, but they still have wording about 'using an action point'

all that said, without any official word, i guess it comes down to a judgement call by your dm/group/magic 8 ball for the time being.

 

[James McMurray]

The multiclass feat lets you use hunter's quarry once per encounter. The powers have a secondary effect of applying hunter's quarry. There's no contradiction, so no need for any special rules. Each ability does exactly what it says it does, which is let you use hunter's quarry.

At least, that's how I'd rule it if it came up.

 

[Bagpuss]

It does make the wording of Borderland Marshall's powers odd though. Why do they clearly get an extra use, where as Ranger Paragon paths that do exactly the same sort of thing don't. Seems like they thought about multiclassing for the Warlord/Ranger one (because it required Multiclassing) but didn't for the Ranger ones, because they forgot you could multiclass into it.

I can imagine the Sylvan Archer original had the Archer Fighting Style requirement when first submitted but in editing it was removed (probably by an editor, not the writer of the class) because they decided they wanted to make more Paragon classes available to more people but didn't think of think knock on effect.

 

[Thundershield]

Whenever a power makes you do something, it is in addition to what uses you normally have. In other words, when these powers make you designate a target as your quarry, it doesn't count toward your Warrior of the Wild use. Likewise, you don't have to spend a minor action designating the target as your quarry.

So, indeed, you get an extra use of your Hunter's Quarry by picking up these powers, although it is a conditional use (as you have to use the power that grants the extra use to designate an extra quarry, as it's tied to that).

Keep in mind, though, that unless the powers granting additional or special uses of abilities, such as Hunter's Quarry, says otherwise, you have to stick with the normal limitations of such powers. For instance, unless a power says that you can have more than one Hunter's Quarry, you're still limited to one quarry at a time.

 

[Byronic]

Sylvan Archer is in the Ranger section and has only Elf, and Ranger as requirements (why it is missing the Archer Fighting Style is another question), so does make it unclear for multiclass rangers.

I think it's because Elves seem to tend to be Archers. Since the path doesn't require an Archer Fighting Style, Elven Wizards, Rogues etc can choose it simply by choosing the ranger multiclass feat.