Shifty v/ CC: Who Wins?

[VBMEW-01]

The two abilities in question:

SHIFTY (minor; at-will)
The kobold shifts 1 square as a minor action.

COMBAT CHALLENGE
When an adjacent enemy shifts, make an immediate melee basic attack against them.

My dilemma is this; since both abilities exist to give their larger source greater meaning, which one wins when Shifty is employed? Does the fighter get his attack even though it was only a minor action? Does the kobold race have an ability that is a great bit less useful in a real fight?

I don't want to take anything away from either of them. To me, there are no more pathetic monsters out there now, and their racial powers seem to scale for higher levels, to make them worthwhile. At the same time however, fighters have always been meat and potatoes, the greatest of D&D stand-bys, and you really don't want to limit their function.

I opted to let my player's fighter win here, for the purpose of quicker and less rules-obsessive play-testing, but I wonder who is meant to win?

What do ya'll think?

 

[MaelStorm]

I would let the combat challenge win the situation. I hope there are rules which clarify potential power conflict like this.

 

[KPCMammon]

How about both of them win?

The fighter gets a free standard attack (not worded as an opportunity attack) and the Kobold gets to keep his move action for funner stuff, like moving towards the party's wizard.

Edit: The fighter ability doesn't say anything about shifting as a move action, so why wouldn't it apply to all shifts? Similarily, the kobold still gets to move away without provoking the dreaded opportunity attack at +2 to hit that will stop all further movement cold.

 

[Jack99]

Combat Challenge.

 

[VBMEW-01]

How about both of them win?

The fighter gets a free standard attack (not worded as an opportunity attack) and the Kobold gets to keep his move action for funner stuff, like moving towards the party's wizard.

But the fighter's ability is listed as an immediate, or extra, and aren't they free? This makes both actions kinda free (I know minors arent exactly free, but close enough) and makes it hard to decide, if immediate actions are free.

My brain hurts

 

[VBMEW-01]

Actually, I guess the real question is: is Combat Challenge an Interrupt- or a Reaction- type Immediate action?

 

[baberg]

But the fighter's ability is listed as an immediate, or extra, and aren't they free? This makes both actions kinda free (I know minors arent exactly free, but close enough) and makes it hard to decide, if immediate actions are free.

My brain hurts

From how I read those descriptions, CC wins. The goblin (on his turn and his turn only, it's minor after all) shifts away. CC is an interrupt (IIRC) which is an immediate action that can be taken out of turn. It's not an AoO because shifting does not provoke an AoO, it's just an attack.

If only we had a PHB to answer these questions... quick, somebody go steal one from the publishers

 

[VBMEW-01]

If only we had a PHB to answer these questions... quick, somebody go steal one from the publishers

I'm on it

STRIKE TEAM ASSEMBLE!

 

[pawsplay]

This is why I think 4e combat will not be faster than 3.5 combat.

 

[small pumpkin man]

Most of the points have already been addressed, but here is how I believe the fight goes like this, one fighter vs two kobolds already in melee.

First Kobold Shifts as a minor action, Fighter gets to attack as an immediate, assuming the Kobold survives, the kobold is now 1 square away and can move and then charge the Wizard, or double run away.

I believe the attack doesn't stop the Kobold from moving because it's not an OA, but lets be honest, the write up isn't exactly comprehensive. Realistically, the Kobold probably dies making that point moot though. It is obviously an interrupt since the entire point as a defender is to prevent characters from moving away from you.

The second Kobold then shifts as a minor, and doesn't get attacked because the ability uses an immediate action, and (I believe) you only get one immediate per round. Don't have a link to back that up though.