Reaper's Challenge (Swordmage Daily 15) and Absentee Tanking

[Starfox]

Reaper's Challenge (Swordmage Daily 15)

My Swordmage player was in a cranky mood and wanted to use this power on a solo, then run away and hide in the next room, forcing the target to pursue or be indefinitely weakened. I ad DM decided on the spot this was un-defender-like and said she had to remain within 5 squares of the enemy to sustain the power. I know 4E does not generally have a range restriction on Sustain, but it does require line-of-effect if I recall?

Was I unfair and arbitrary, or did I defend WAI defendering?

 

[ExploderWizard]

It is a daily power. I would allow it. Sometimes there are good reasons to draw danger away from an area, to move to terrain favoring the defender, to avoid fighting in an area where innocents or valuables could be harmed, or allowing another party member to accomplish something important in the original room.

If her intent was to fight the creature (perhaps on more favorable ground) then she was still doing her job.

As DM's we cannot get too caught up in running combats as "scenes" that require particular set dressing. This is a form of scripting. Combats spilling into multiple areas can be fun and feel more natural.

 

[Infiniti2000]

But, being cranky is not a good reason. Nor, I doubt, was it an attempt to draw danger away.

Starfox, you have a larger problem on your hands because the player seems to rather be disruptive to the game. Doing what she did is an obvious intention to make the game suck for others. Because of that you are being neither unfair nor arbitrary. Personally, I might've gone a step or two farther: no XP for this combat, this combat doesn't count as a milestone, or perhaps even, okay, no Dragon mag powers.

 

[ExploderWizard]

But, being cranky is not a good reason. Nor, I doubt, was it an attempt to draw danger away.

Starfox, you have a larger problem on your hands because the player seems to rather be disruptive to the game. Doing what she did is an obvious intention to make the game suck for others. Because of that you are being neither unfair nor arbitrary. Personally, I might've gone a step or two farther: no XP for this combat, this combat doesn't count as a milestone, or perhaps even, okay, no Dragon mag powers.

I don't know if we have enough info to call the player disruptive. Were the other players upset by this move?

 

[interwyrm]

Since the power lasts until the end of the encounter (IIRC) I would say that running away counts as ending the encounter as far as the swordmage is concerned. I wouldn't put arbitrary distance restrictions on it, but clearly running and hiding is an intent to "leave the encounter".

For example, running away and hitting the solo with any ranged attacks, or engaging other monsters in the area... that would keep the challenge active.

 

[Starfox]

I don't know if we have enough info to call the player disruptive. Were the other players upset by this move?

No, the player was ok with the ruling. And it was the last fight of the day, and ended soon after, so it never really became an issue.

 

[DracoSuave]

So, wait.

You have a class designed around the idea of marking someone, and then moving away to force that opponent to follow or face the consequences... and someone is using that -exact tactic on the Monster-?

This is a class that has Aegis of Entrapment for gossake. I call shinanegans. It's a perfectly valid tactic. The DM is just too caught up in WoW-esque Stay-In-Melee-To-Tank mentalities.

I know this, because you're calling it 'tanking'.

EDIT: It's no different than a Wizard using his powers to keep a monster at bay and out of the fight. Oh wait, no it is different, the Swordmage is likely to be damaged, or the monster still has capability (albiet reduced).

So really, it's more like talking half a monster out of the fight, except now the party is split.

Which is not actually optimal for the party in many situations.

 

[hero4hire]

I would say having him have to keep LOS with the target to be able to effect it is a perfectly valid ruling. Keeping within 5 squares is not.

Swordmages mark and then run (usually teleport) away. It is kinda their schtick.

 

[Destil]

It's a valid tactic. If anything it's way too weak if you make it stop when you loose line of sight, since then the bad guy can just move out of it.

There's no maintaining of this power by the rules. No more than when a rogue uses a daily to deal ongoing damage. Do they need to keep line of sight for that? I'd at least agree in theory if it were 'maintain: minor' or something... But it's not. It's an effect.

Swordmages force the enemy to come to them, part of how they work. They're really good against lone opponents, too.

 

[Turtlejay]

I had hesitated to chime in on this since it seems like I'm in the minority, but I agree with Destil here. It is not like the player used the power and then took a portal to the moon, you said she was in the next room.

This is the Swordmage utilizing a wee bit of control, as they can sometimes do. If this enrages the enemy to the point where he targets the swordmage exclusively in retaliation, then good job defender. If the enemy decides that his rider effects are good enough he can ignore dealing damage, then again, good job defender.

Jay