Warlord buffs

[James McMurray]

I'd rule that it wasn't for two reasons:

1) Adding a huge to hit bonus like that for the rest of the encounter is a huge bonus if you don't even have to be in the same area when it starts. It's more than I think a 1st level power should do.

2) Zones are "powers that create lingering effects that
extend over an area." Lead the Attack is not a zone.

 

[Tale]

It is most definitely an Aura.

"Until the end of the encounter, you and each ally within 5 squares of you gain a power bonus to attack rolls against the target equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier."


If it were meant to be instant, it would have a Close burst 5 descriptor somewhere in the text. Like beacon of hope or divine power. The burst descriptor would make it an instant, but since it's not there, It's an aura.

Melee and close burst descriptors are for range (and some behavior, since close doesn't incur OA) of the initial action of the power. You will never see close burst or area on anything where the power is initiated by making a single attack on a target within melee weapon range. You will only ever see melee weapon, regardless of the behavior of the hit, miss, or effect.

The description of the hit effect is nearly exactly the same as the description of the miss effect, only the miss effect does not last until the end of the encounter, yet also lacks the close burst descriptor. There's no way you can argue the miss effect is an aura for lacking close burst, so you can't claim the same as the hit effect just on the basis of lacking "close burst."

Not an aura.

 

[Phesic]

Melee and close burst descriptors are for range (and some behavior, since close doesn't incur OA) of the initial action of the power. You will never see close burst or area on anything where the power is initiated by making a single attack on a target within melee weapon range. You will only ever see melee weapon, regardless of the behavior of the hit, miss, or effect.

The description of the hit effect is nearly exactly the same as the description of the miss effect, only the miss effect does not last until the end of the encounter, yet also lacks the close burst descriptor. There's no way you can argue the miss effect is an aura for lacking close burst, so you can't claim the same as the hit effect just on the basis of lacking "close burst."

Not an aura.

Actually, the Miss effect DOES last until the end of the encounter.

The intention is crystal clear to me. It represents that moment in combat that the warlord truly takes charge and guides everyones tactics. In order to get the effect, you have to be close enough to understand what the Warlord is saying and what his signals are in the middle of combat, hence the 5 square range.

[quote-James McMurray]1) Adding a huge to hit bonus like that for the rest of the encounter is a huge bonus if you don't even have to be in the same area when it starts. It's more than I think a 1st level power should do.[/quote]
The + to hit until the end of combat only applies to the target of the power, so it's far from overpowered. It's just a really good power against SOLO monsters.

 

[Armadillo]

I'd rule that it wasn't for two reasons:

1) Adding a huge to hit bonus like that for the rest of the encounter is a huge bonus if you don't even have to be in the same area when it starts. It's more than I think a 1st level power should do.

That's why it's a Daily Power.

I agree that it should be played as an aura.

 

[Mengu]

The intention is crystal clear to me. It represents that moment in combat that the warlord truly takes charge and guides everyones tactics. In order to get the effect, you have to be close enough to understand what the Warlord is saying and what his signals are in the middle of combat, hence the 5 square range.

You're trying to justify a rule with fluff. Fluff is not rules. It goes the other way. You resolve the rules first, then attach fluff that explains it, which is possible to do with just about any interpretation of the rule.

2) Zones are "powers that create lingering effects that extend over an area." Lead the Attack is not a zone.

I think this is very key. If it was meant to work like an aura (or zone), it would have been written as such. Things that work as auras have very clear rules this way.

The wording is "each ally within 5 squares of you." A clearer wording would have been "each ally currently within 5 squares of you." But regardless, I interpret this as a pulse.

If they wanted it to work like an aura, it would say something in the lines of "While within 5 squares of the you, allies gain..." or more likely, it would be a zone. See Cleric Utility 16 Hallowed Ground for a similar effect that is a zone, has "While within" wording, and works as an aura.

 

[Phesic]

You're trying to justify a rule with fluff. Fluff is not rules. It goes the other way. You resolve the rules first, then attach fluff that explains it, which is possible to do with just about any interpretation of the rule.

Fair enough

I think this is very key. If it was meant to work like an aura (or zone), it would have been written as such. Things that work as auras have very clear rules this way.

I agree.

The wording is "each ally within 5 squares of you." A clearer wording would have been "each ally currently within 5 squares of you." But regardless, I interpret this as a pulse.

Actually, the wording is:
"Until the end of the encounter, you and each ally within 5 squares of you gain a power bonus to attack rolls against the target equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier."

The key for me is the identical wording in:

Warlords Feature "Combat leader" - "You and each ally within 10 squares who can see and hear you gain a +2 power bonus to initiative."

Half Elf's "Group Diplomacy" - "You grant allies within 10 squares of you a +1 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks."

Elf's "group awareness" -"You grant non-elf allies within 5 squares of you a +1 bonus to Perception checks."

Are these pulses as well? They aren't marked or listed as zones. The wording is nearly identical to the the "Lead the Attack" power.

"If they wanted it to work like an aura, it would say something in the lines of "While within 5 squares of the you, allies gain..." or more likely, it would be a zone. See Cleric Utility 16 Hallowed Ground for a similar effect that is a zone, has "While within" wording, and works as an aura.

I note that not ALL the zone powers use "While Within", not even most of them. Your basing all your opposition to the the word "While" not being in the description, when it's not in the description of most zones anyway. I maintain that the power is clearly designating an aura. You'll claim it's not because it doesn't say "Zone", I'll claim it is because it doesn't say "burst" and because it fits perfectly into the flavor of the warlord when you take into account something like "Combat Leader" which is clearly an aura.

 

[Mengu]

Warlords Feature "Combat leader" - "You and each ally within 10 squares who can see and hear you gain a +2 power bonus to initiative."

Half Elf's "Group Diplomacy" - "You grant allies within 10 squares of you a +1 racial bonus to Diplomacy checks."

Elf's "group awareness" -"You grant non-elf allies within 5 squares of you a +1 bonus to Perception checks."

Are these pulses as well? They aren't marked or listed as zones. The wording is nearly identical to the the "Lead the Attack" power.

You make a good case for why they should have included "while within" or "currently within" wording.

I could argue that the +2 bonus to initiative from Combat Leader is a pulse and not an aura. The pulse happens when you and each ally within 10 squares roll initiative. If it were an aura, the moment someone moves farther than 10 squares from you, their initiative order might change, which I don't believe is the intent. So it's not "while within," it's "currently within."

For Group Diplomacy and Group Awareness, "while within" and "currently within" mean the same thing since they are resoved instantaneously, so it's hard to argue one way or the other. It's only when there is a duration involved that it makes a difference.

I can understand why you're reading it the way you're reading it, and you may be right, but the intent is nowhere near clear.

 

[Hedgemage]

I think the order in which the parts of the effect are described is key.
Of course, careful editing for WotC is quite rare, but here's how I see it:

Until the end of the encounter, you and each ally within 5 squares of you gain a power bonus to attack rolls against the target equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier.

while (encounter)
{
if (party member within 5 squares)
then (bonus)
}

Check to see if the encounter is going, then check for valid location, then assign bonus if previous checks are true.