Targeting

[xAndurilx]

Target: One Creature
Secondary Target: One Creature within 5 squares of the Primary Target.

By RAW, couldnt the Primary Target and the Secondary Target be the same target?

Thanks!

 

[James McMurray]

By a literal interpretation, yes. What power is it?

 

[xAndurilx]

Lightning Clash (Swordmage Attack 1, Encounter)

 

[MrMyth]

Given that other powers often specifically call out when the Secondary Target must be different, I have no problems with the Primary Target also being the Secondary Target for this power.

 

[James McMurray]

The description of the power says that the lightning hits their nearby ally, so it seems intended that it only work against a different creature than the first.

 

[eamon]

It should be noted that many powers which allow to hit the same thing with your secondary attack explicitly say so. It might be true in some mathematical sense that given a creature X, then X is a creature within 5 squares of X - but generally, if you talk of a creature nearby, you mean another creature. It's clearly not the intention to hit the same creature twice, but the power looks poorly phrased.