Warlock Hellish Rebuke

[Mal Malenkirk]

If you take damage, the target takes damage again. Once.

If a single source of damage activate the power against three different targets, so be it. But you don't get to add the damage thrice if you get hurt thrice in the same round.

I consider the wording clear and I know with certainty that the intent is clear as indicated by the fluff text (''The flames burst into life one more time before they fade away'').

Even if you want to argue against the first, you have to be intellectually dishonest to argue against the second.

And if you admit the power was never intended to cause more than 2X(1D6+con), it's childish to argue against it based on suspect grammar arguments.

 

[burntgerbil]

I agree on the wording with you. I disagree on the idea that the wording is clear enough for every DM - or every group to interpret this the same.

I believe there there is ambiguity there - how often is "If" checked ?
Once ? The way this is worded could be interpreted to repeatedly check the "If" clause after every moment until the end of the effects duration, applying the effect every time the condition is met.

*EDIT* I am not arguing that this should happen, but I have played (usually one session) with a lot of groups that would let things like this happen unless stated otherwise, and if this possibly needed correcting, I think that would help.

Also - I know in the past, we were advised not to adjudicate something based on the flavor text.

 

[Samadhi]

I think it's a tough job to make every power description completely unambiguous. So I'm going with common sense + flavour text to say that a level 1 at-will power can only to 2d6+mod damage. (Maybe at level 15 it would be different, see Blade Cascade - my new favourite power.)

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Hellish Rebuke. Deal X fire damage to target.

At the beginning of your next turn, the following script runs.

IF you have taken damage from any source since you used the Hellish Rebuke power.
THEN deal X fire damage to target.
ELSE deal no fire damage to target.

-TRRW

 

[burntgerbil]

It's not the guys who read things here that I worry about. I live in the south - the deeeep south and I have seen a few people that drive 1 hour+ to my FLGS from out in the boonies. After hearing their stories and how they have interpreted things in 3.5, I really realized that a lot of the gaming public does not come here or even check the errata.

From my standpoint, yes - common sense dictates that this power should not incur oodles of damage, especially at first level. I just wanted it to be clarified if necessary to prevent possible future mis-interpretation from the "It doesn't explicitly say he can't" crowd.

 

[FadedC]

you could circumvent that by having your weakest teammates punch you in the face to see your kobold and gobbo targets explode !

Punching you in the face would be a standard action though, so your teammate would be giving up an attack. Makes the combo far less attractive then.

 

[burntgerbil]

TRRW - why does the script not run immediately after use ?

 

[theredrobedwizard]

... from the "It doesn't explicitly say he can't" crowd.

See, that's covered by the "Simple Rules, Many Exceptions" part of the rules. If it doesn't say you can, you can't. Sure, DM Fiat comes into play, but the heart of the rules is "Here's what you can do, unless something else tells you that you can do otherwise."

TRRW - why does the script not run immediately after use ?

That's just the best way to explain the power to the "It doesn't explicitly say he can't" crowd, as you put it. WHEN implies multiple triggers. IF implies one trigger, a static condition.

WHEN you take damage: This condition is fulfilled every time you take damage.
IF you take damamge: This condition is fulfilled once you have taken damage, but not each time.

-TRRW

 

[Fifth Element]

Even if you want to argue against the first, you have to be intellectually dishonest to argue against the second.

Welcome to the wonderful world of character optimization!

 

[Incendax]

That could work, though as a DM I'd probably rule you aren't guaranteed to only take 1 damage. I'd probably use the blood mage ability that causes a minor injury to himself as a model (1d10 damage).

The Blood Mage ability is definitely a precident for damaging yourself. It is also a Free Action. If you wanted to keep it a free action I'd definitely say 1d10 damage for a 'minor' wound. However, maybe a compromise would work in the sense that you would have to use the Minor Action to get the benefit, but in such a case you could use whatever weapon you had handy (Dagger 1d4 or Unarmed Attack 1d4).