Trying to get hit?

[Uruush]

There's a Genasi Swordmage in our group that has a couple different powers that require him to be hit for them to trigger.

The rules don't really cover this area that I can see.

I ruled that if he wanted to be hit, he could be hit. In this case he was using an Encounter power to waste a minion so he could get some temporary hit points. I thought to myself, "If someone wants to use a Encounter power on a minion, why not?"

But what about generally? Does this seem cheesy to you? In 3E simulation terms I'd be inclined to say that anyone who is trying to get hit probably at least risks getting sliced considerably worse than they might like. How you get hit is probably harder to control than whether or not you get hit by an opponent out for your blood.

The fact that we were playing 4E contributed to my makeshift ruling. What do you think?

 

[Larrin]

I think he can certainly stop adding his dex/int bonus to AC if he's in light armour, and he can stop using his "experience" to avoid being hit (stop adding half level), and drop any sheilds he has. So basically, a person 'letting' themselves be hit has an AC of 10+armour. At low levels this might not lower it much (especially for the heavy armor folks), but at higher levels you're pretty much sure to get hit.

 

[Starglim]

I think it would be reasonable for him to make himself helpless against attacks (-5 to all defences, grants combat advantage and subject to coup de grace). He would make this choice on his turn and it would last until his next turn. It would be quite obvious to all opponents.

Leaving an opening for only one opponent is trickier. Perhaps he could make himself helpless as a free action on his turn, then delay so that he could regain his defences after an opponent's turn.

Dropping the half level bonus seems problematic, as you get this increased defence even when you're unconscious. I think it has a considerable component of general toughness, divine protection and the other sorts of things that also increase hit points, which I don't see that a character could drop or regain easily or quickly (it's more the sort of change a ritual would make).

 

[Uruush]

Thanks for your input.

I'm weighing these along with something that requires no calculations (I'm big on that) like "Fine, you get hit, but you grant CA to everyone and their critical range is doubled against you until the beginning of your next turn."

 

[brehobit]

I'd say it would be fairly easy to let one person hit you. I'd just let someone do it with no penalties. Maybe they still miss on a "1" or something?

Mark

 

[Bleoberis De Ganis]

If he wants to get hit then he should be considered helpless and the hit should be auto and be a critical. How that would effect a minion I don't know, but the hit should be really nasty. No-one, no matter the power, should want to get hit on purpose. It's just silly.

 

[crantastic]

If he wants to get hit then he should be considered helpless and the hit should be auto and be a critical. How that would effect a minion I don't know, but the hit should be really nasty. No-one, no matter the power, should want to get hit on purpose. It's just silly.

apparently, threads like this bring out all the cranky old men (i'm 35). and
i agree wholeheartedly with BdG, this is just plain silly.

i think a character letting himself get hit requires justification through character development and role-playing. maybe he's a berserker, and needs to get his blood boiling, perhaps he's a masochist, maybe he's just an arrogant bastard who thinks he's such a skilled warrior that he'll never cut down a foe until he's given them what he always justifies as a fair chance ("go ahead, gimme your best shot!"). if a character won't fight an opponent who can't prove himself as worthy, then the PC should be strictly in defensive mode until said opponent lands a strike.

if such an action isn't appropriate to the character, it simply shouldn't happen. and if the player can't play it out (last time i checked, even 4e is an RPG), it still shouldn't happen. a player letting his character be hit because he'll get a stat bump should go play d&d on his computer, where numbers are all that matter.

finally, if your players have so little concern for the welfare of their characters, maybe you need to reevaluate the difficulty of your encounters. gaining temporary hp should ensure they can eke out a victory, not so they can just buff up with more crap they obviously don't need.

 

[CardinalXimenes]

I'd say it's perfectly fine to let yourself get hit. As the OP pointed out, it's just generally a really dumb idea. Exceptions exist, but it's almost never a good plan to let the shapeshifter hit you. The consequences of really dumb actions tend to provide all necessary balance to the tactics in question- or are people really afraid that their PCs will gain an unfair advantage by letting themselves get beaten silly?

 

[Syrsuro]

I would go with a house rule similar to the following:

A player can turn their Dex or Int bonus into a penalty as a free action. If the player does this, it remains a penalty until the end of the current creatures turn (i.e. it apples to all attacks by the current attacker and all triggered attacks occuring during that same turn).

Carl

 

[blargney the second]

I'm interested in this topic for a slightly different reason - my warlord just took the 1st level at-will Opening Shove, and I'm seriously contemplating targetting allies with it. It appears to be legal to target your buddies, so I'd like to know if there is anything they can do outside their turn to make it easier to hit them.
-blarg