What monsters really know?

[Bayuer]

I was looking into PHB2, avenger class, and find power that makes me think. What monsters really know? Here is the power:

Deflecting Thunder
Encounter ✦ Divine, Thunder, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Wisdom vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Wisdom modifier thunder damage. Until the end of your next turn, the next melee or ranged attack against you instead targets an enemy adjacent to you other than the attacker.

Now I know that PHB have entry about what monsters know:

Whenever you affect a creature with a power, that creature knows exactly what you’ve done to it and what conditions you’ve imposed. For example, when a paladin uses divine challenge against an enemy, the enemy knows that it has been marked and that it will therefore take a penalty to attack rolls and some damage if it attacks anyone aside from the paladin.

Everything is clear. I know. But powers like this will be not as usefull as they actually could be. In full tactic battles such a powers are nefred by the rules. On another hand DM should play monsters by they MM basic tactic, DMG role tactic and INT score, making some mistakes, but not every DM will do such a "mistakes" in favor of PCs (many says the game is already to easy).

So my question is... What a DM should do when player use Defelecting Thunder? Monster knows that his next attack will be targetet to his ally. The most DMs probably will not attack at all or just attack another target. I know that not being attacked one turn is good anyway, but... What you think?

 

[Inyssius]

Whenever you affect a creature with a power, that creature knows exactly what you’ve done to it and what conditions you’ve imposed.

Deflecting Thunder does nothing to the target other than deal damage. It has an effect that deflects the next attack anyone makes against you, but you are not imposing that effect on the target.

Thus, the target does not know about it.

 

[hong]

I'd say that the spirit of the rule is the monster knows what will happen. As such, it'll try to attack someone else if possible, or otherwise make sure that the effect doesn't kick in.

It then becomes a tactical challenge for the avenger to use this when the monster can't avoid it.

 

[Nail]

I think Inyssius has the right of it. The target is not affected by the power, so it doesnt know about the powers effects.

 

[hong]

D'oh, misread that. Need sleep.

 

[frankthedm]

Deflecting Thunder does nothing to the target other than deal damage. It has an effect that deflects the next attack anyone makes against you, but you are not imposing that effect on the target.

It does plenty to the target other than deal damage. Deflecting Thunder causes the next attack the user suffers to be targeted at [/B]Deflecting Thunder's victim. While arguments can be made about "what conditions you’ve imposed.", there is no way around "that creature knows exactly what you’ve done to it".

 

[Nail]

Err...are you sure, frankthedm?

The quoted power says: "Until the end of your next turn, the next melee or ranged attack against you instead targets an enemy adjacent to you other than the attacker."

That is, the "next attack the user suffers NEED NOT BE targeted at Deflecting Thunder's victim." It could be any adjacent enemy.

 

[KarinsDad]

Yes.

Creatures know what affects them.

This effect affects the user, not the creature.

I agree with the majority here.


Also, this power would be worthless if the monsters knew about:

"Hey everyone! The Avenger has his force field up, do not attack him until it comes down!!!"

 

[Mad Hamish]

d'oh, misread that. Need sleep.

iykwimaityd

 

[Regicide]

Also, this power would be worthless if the monsters knew about:

"Hey everyone! The Avenger has his force field up, do not attack him until it comes down!!!"

Because players never open the monster manual so have no idea what monster's powers are either.