New Statblock Layout and Immediate actions

[Doctor Proctor]

This really doesn't clear things up...
Their Variable Resistance power triggers on them taking the damage. They can't 'declare Variable Resistance' before they are dealt the triggering damage. Thus, they have to take the damage. By the time they use the Free Action to gain resistance, it doesn't matter for that attack, as the damage has already been done. If it were labeled as an Immediate Interrupt instead of a Free Action, then the damage clearly is resisted. If it were labeled an Immediate Reaction, the damage clearly is not resisted. Free Action? Ambiguous. In my game, they will get the resistance for the triggering attack, as it seems that this is what is intended, but I'm still not sure on RAW.
Later!
Gruns

I'm confused, as you seem to have contradicted yourself here. Let's break it down though.

Trigger: The scavenger takes acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage.
Effect (Free Action): The scavenger gains resist 5 to the triggering damage type until the end of the encounter.

As you correctly pointed out, the trigger is based on them taking damage from one of those damage types. Therefore, the free action happens after damage has already been taken. But then you go on to say that you'll grant resistance to the triggering attack, as this seems to be what was intended? I guess I just don't see where you're getting this "intent" from.

It clearly says that the scavenger has to take the damage in order to satisfy the trigger, and that this then allows them use the free action to gain resistance to that damage type until the end of the encounter. The only "intent" that I'm seeing here is giving them a variable resistance to counter classes like the Wizard, who use a lot of elemental abilities. Some Wizards tend to select spells with a "theme", such as trying to go with a Lightning or Fire build. Variable resistance then means that after getting hit with the first attack, the scavenger gains resistance to that damage type, thus making it harder to hurt him with that same element type in the future. That's the only "intent" I see, and as written it works fine for fulfilling that intent.

 

[Gruns]

Ha!

I'm confused, as you seem to have contradicted yourself here. Let's break it down though.



As you correctly pointed out, the trigger is based on them taking damage from one of those damage types. Therefore, the free action happens after damage has already been taken. But then you go on to say that you'll grant resistance to the triggering attack, as this seems to be what was intended? I guess I just don't see where you're getting this "intent" from.

It clearly says that the scavenger has to take the damage in order to satisfy the trigger, and that this then allows them use the free action to gain resistance to that damage type until the end of the encounter. The only "intent" that I'm seeing here is giving them a variable resistance to counter classes like the Wizard, who use a lot of elemental abilities. Some Wizards tend to select spells with a "theme", such as trying to go with a Lightning or Fire build. Variable resistance then means that after getting hit with the first attack, the scavenger gains resistance to that damage type, thus making it harder to hurt him with that same element type in the future. That's the only "intent" I see, and as written it works fine for fulfilling that intent.

Exactly what I'm talking about!
What you're saying COMPLETELY contradicts what several others have said!
I know I contradicted myself, and pretty much said so, because as it stands, the rule is obviously not clear.
I think, by RAW, that the monster takes the full damage on the turn it triggers. Most people disagree with this, claiming that Free Actions are faster than interrupts. In fact, you are one of the few that sees it like this, too.
That said, I still think the RAI is for the creature to be able to resist whatever damage type he wants to resist for the encounter, including against the triggering attack. This seems to fall more in line with the original wording of Variable Resistance in the MM. (Or at least MM2 from DDI). Then again, perhaps they intentionally weakened this particular creature's Variable Resistance to not be usuable the first time it takes the damage for balancing purposes...? The point is, I still do not know! And to reiterate, if they called it an Immediate Interrupt or an Immediate Reaction, it would be much more clear.
I still haven't found anywhere in the rules that says Free Actions work like Immediate Interrupts, as in, they can pseudo-retroactively prevent triggers from happening...
Later!
Gruns

 

[Doctor Proctor]

And to reiterate, if they called it an Immediate Interrupt or an Immediate Reaction, it would be much more clear.
I still haven't found anywhere in the rules that says Free Actions work like Immediate Interrupts, as in, they can pseudo-retroactively prevent triggers from happening...
Later!
Gruns

Well, one reason to make it a free action is that there are several conditions that prevent the use of Immediate actions. Namely: Dazed, Stun, Surprised, and a few others that don't matter so much like being unconscious, since they take away all actions (including free).

So, let's say that the Wizard in the party hits the monster with something that does elemental damage and a daze. If the variable resistance were an Immediate Interrupt, then it would gain resistance to the initial attack, which I don't think was their intent. If you make it an Immediate Reaction though, it's still problematic because now the monster is dazed and therefore can't take any Immediate Reactions.

Or alternatively, what if the monster is surprised? That means can't take any actions, other than free actions. In the case of Variable Resistance then, what would happen is that the monster takes the elemental damage, but is unable to use any Immediate actions to use his Variable Resistance power.

By making it a free action though, you eliminate all of this. The trigger is taking the damage, which means that the original damage is not resisted, and then the monster can use the free while dazed or surprised. So you get a one round whammy on the guy, and then he develops a little bit of resistance to it from then on. The only way he couldn't use his free action to trigger the power was if it was something like Ice Tomb (Wizard Encounter 17 in PHB1) that does elemental damage and stuns the enemy, since you can't use any actions while stunned.

I admit, at first blush it seems confusing, but I think they worded it pretty well when you think about it. It triggers after the damage, and the only thing that prevent it from being used is a stun or unconsciousness as part of the same power causing the elemental damage. That, to me, seems like it was probably the RAI behind the RAW.