Questions about the Perfect Guardian preview

[1of3]

Hi,

I have two questions about todays preview for Primal Power.

1) How does the ability at level 30 work?

2) If a character uses Warden's Pounce to interrupt a ranged attack, will the triggering ranged attack provoke an opportunity attack?

 

[abyssaldeath]

Hi,

I have two questions about todays preview for Primal Power.

1) How does the ability at level 30 work?

I assume it the "until the second mark ends" that you find confusing. I agree the wording is weird, but I think it just means that until your mark ends -the one made with this feature- the enemy has a -5 to attack any creature if that attack doesn't include you if the enemy was already marked. The original mark will still go way as normal when you use this feature.

2) If a character uses Warden's Pounce to interrupt a ranged attack, will the triggering ranged attack provoke an opportunity attack?

No, the attack is already made. You are just interrupting the hit.

 

[mneme]

I assume it the "until the second mark ends" that you find confusing. I agree the wording is weird, but I think it just means that until your mark ends -the one made with this feature- the enemy has a -5 to attack any creature if that attack doesn't include you if the enemy was already marked.

You're reversing it. The mark this feature makes is always a -2 mark (well, unless it supercedes its own mark from the previous turn). But if you blow away your l30 mark with any -other- mark, whatever penalty that mark would be applying becomes a -5 (by strict wording, a "mark of marking" mark would arguably not become a -5, but that's just dumb) mark rather than a normal one; the l30 mark upgrades any mark by the same character that supercedes it. (This, BTW, is -much- better than the l30 mark being a -5 if it superceded a mark, as if you use a "mark until the end of the encounter" power to supercece the l30 one, you get a -5 mark until the end of the encounter).

 

[abyssaldeath]

You're reversing it. The mark this feature makes is always a -2 mark (well, unless it supercedes its own mark from the previous turn). But if you blow away your l30 mark with any -other- mark, whatever penalty that mark would be applying becomes a -5 (by strict wording, a "mark of marking" mark would arguably not become a -5, but that's just dumb) mark rather than a normal one; the l30 mark upgrades any mark by the same character that supercedes it. (This, BTW, is -much- better than the l30 mark being a -5 if it superceded a mark, as if you use a "mark until the end of the encounter" power to supercece the l30 one, you get a -5 mark until the end of the encounter).

Crap, you are absolutely right. Sometimes my brain reads what it expects to see and not what is actually written. Doh! The worst part is that I kept thinking it would work better the way explained it.

 

[WalterKovacs]

For a normal Warden, this power basically gives them a second use of Nature's Wrath each round, and if nothing else, they can mark the same group twice to get them to -5 if they don't attack the Warden.

 

[1of3]

Ah, thanks. Actually I found "on an enemy" confusing.

No, the attack is already made. You are just interrupting the hit.

Alright. No is as good an answer as any, but the explanation is not quite sound. (An opportunity attack is an interrupt, too. And when the Pounce is resolved there might be many more interrupts yet to come.) The reason for "no" would be that there is a single point of time, when engine checks for interrupts, and that time has passed. If that's what you're saying, all the better.

 

[DracoSuave]

Ah, thanks. Actually I found "on an enemy" confusing.



Alright. No is as good an answer as any, but the explanation is not quite sound. (An opportunity attack is an interrupt, too. And when the Pounce is resolved there might be many more interrupts yet to come.) The reason for "no" would be that there is a single point of time, when engine checks for interrupts, and that time has passed. If that's what you're saying, all the better.

However, there IS a caveat. If the ranged power used makes multiple ranged attacks, (see Halfing Slinger for an example) and you interrupt the first one, then the second and third attacks -will- potentially trigger an OA. This is because ranged powers trigger OAs, but also ranged attacks.

 

[eamon]

You're reversing it. The mark this feature makes is always a -2 mark (well, unless it supercedes its own mark from the previous turn)[...]

I don't think the mark can supercede itself: a "perfect mark" lasts until the start of your next turn - any subsequent "perfect mark" made as the first action of that turn would occur after the start of your turn and thus after the previous mark has lapsed.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I don't think the mark can supercede itself: a "perfect mark" lasts until the start of your next turn - any subsequent "perfect mark" made as the first action of that turn would occur after the start of your turn and thus after the previous mark has lapsed.

Actually that depends on what the phrase "until the start of your next turn" is modifying. Is it saying they are marked until the start of your next turn or that any enemy that is adjacent to you at any point between the time you invoke Perfect Mark and the start of your next turn becomes marked? Its typical poor WotC rules text authoring. They STILL have not learned to use declarative statements and order things in terms of the sequence of events, and I guess they never will.

Anyway, I agree with your interpretation and its almost certainly correct, but the debate will rage on that point until they eventually issue some errata. Sigh. When will they learn and stop employing writers to do the job of actual competent game designers?