Static Shock (Artificer At-Will) Melee or Ranged 5!?

[Shin Okada]

This power says,

Standard Action Melee or Ranged 5

Does that mean, "Melee 5 or Ranged 5"!?

I have never seen any other melee implement power which has reach of 5.

But if "5" is not the reach of melee version of this power, is should be something like "Melee Touch or Ranged 5" or "Melee 1 or Ranged 5".

A Melee power should always have some additional number or word to indicate it's reach. Right?

 

[blargney the second]

I can tell you right off the bat: ain't no way that's supposed to be melee 5.

Go with melee 1 or melee touch.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

I'd treat it as "Melee 1 or Ranged 5".

EDIT: Ninja'd!

 

[Ebylon]

Melee means melee. So unless you have a reach weapon or you turn into Dhalsim and can stretch your arm to ten or fifteen feet, it's adjacent to you.

The 'or' means that it is strictly Melee --- OR --- Range 5. They're two separate designations. You can either smack somebody with the Shock, or toss it 25 feet.

 

[MrMyth]

Melee means melee. So unless you have a reach weapon or you turn into Dhalsim and can stretch your arm to ten or fifteen feet, it's adjacent to you.

The 'or' means that it is strictly Melee --- OR --- Range 5. They're two separate designations. You can either smack somebody with the Shock, or toss it 25 feet.

I agree that is the intent. The issue is, there is no such range as simply "Melee".

There is "Melee weapon", where range depends on weapon (and thus is larger with a reach weapon; there is "Melee 1" where range is always against adjacent enemies only; and there is "Melee touch" where range is based on natural reach.

For a power like "Aggravating Force" (another Artificer at-will), it is thus easy to list the range as "Melee or Ranged weapon" - either a melee weapon or ranged weapon. But that doesn't work for Static Shock, since a similar reading results in "Melee 5" or "Ranged 5", which seems unlikely to be the intention. I suspect they simply copied the template from one of the similar weapon-based powers, and didn't realize they needed to adjust the melee range in doing so.

Like others have suggested, though, I'd go with using Melee Touch - it does seem the most reasonable choice, and keeps it in line with all the other similar weapon-based artificer powers.

 

[Ebylon]

Definition of a melee action as per the PHB - "A melee power affects a target (or targets) within melee reach."

By simply stating 'Melee', I think it's a pretty easy correlation to make that whatever your innate melee reach is (unless it does in fact say 'weapon', like Aggravating Force does) is the range of the attack, a la Melee touch. I don't think it's really necessary to throw 'Touch' in there. It's just common sense.

EDIT: I'd say it'd also be at the DM's discretion based on the description of a power that simply says 'melee' whether or not it can be modified by reach weapons or not.

 

[MrMyth]

Definition of a melee action as per the PHB - "A melee power affects a target (or targets) within melee reach."

By simply stating 'Melee', I think it's a pretty easy correlation to make that whatever your innate melee reach is (unless it does in fact say 'weapon', like Aggravating Force does) is the range of the attack, a la Melee touch. I don't think it's really necessary to throw 'Touch' in there. It's just common sense.

EDIT: I'd say it'd also be at the DM's discretion based on the description of a power that simply says 'melee' whether or not it can be modified by reach weapons or not.

I won't deny that it is pretty easy to arrive at via common sense. But at the same time - there doesn't exist a single power in the game that is listed as "Melee" without also providing the complete range. Keep in mind that by the rules (from that same page you are quoting) that "Melee" is the attacks 'type', but not its 'range'. 'Weapon', '1', or 'Touch' is the actual range - and while you might often be able to figure out which fits based on the flavor text or common sense, that isn't always so.

Indeed, the very power in question is a good example. While I agree the intent is likely for it to be "Melee touch" or "Melee 1"... I could well imagine an artificer power that involved a magical melee attack with larger than normal reach. The flavor text doesn't give any real guidance in the matter.

Like I said - I'm in agreement that common sense indicates "Melee touch" is probably the way to go. But it would be nice to see some actual errata, and I would caution against assuming that "Melee" alone is an actual range for the power - since, by the rules, it's not.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

The power reads:

Melee or Ranged 5

The formatting certainly does follow that of other artificer powers:

Melee or Ranged weapon

That said, if it is Melee 5, is there any purpose in also saying that it is ranged 5?

I agree that it is unclear - I suppose any given DM needs to decide on whether they think its a ranged power that doesn't provoke opportunity attacks, or it is a ranged power that doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when used against an adjacent enemy.

Because, as far as I can see, that's the ONLY difference between the 2 interpretations (Melee 5 and Ranged 5 vs. Melee touch and Ranged 5).

I would interpret it to be the latter, as otherwise there is no need to put "ranged" into the description at all - at least not for an implement power, such as this one.

 

[abyssaldeath]

There is a post about this in the WotC errata forum from a year ago, but it has gotten no attention. I just bumped it so that maybe the devs will see it and address the issue. WotC_GregB has been posting in those forums that certain rules are being reviewed or if they are working as intended. Hopefully he will see the thread and make a post.

 

[Mengu]

If I had to go with a strict ruling based on wording, I would have to give the benefit of the 0.0001% doubt and say Melee 5 or Ranged 5. If someone asked me how I would rule in my game, I'd say Melee touch or Ranged 5.

The only similar implement power with multiple range I can find is the invoker power Brand the Heretic, which says Melee 1 or Ranged 5. Most artificer melee implement powers seem to have melee touch, so Melee touch or Ranged 5 makes the most sense to me.