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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Amaroq" data-source="post: 5105121" data-attributes="member: 15470">Exactly. I think this is the sort of issue that didn't need Errata, so much as it needed a "Allow the DM to use his or her judgement in those cases."I mean, as a DM, I want the flexibility to run the following encounter:Fighter, Warlord, and Bard vs: Dominating Controller, Soldier w/ Aura that benefits allies, 2 SkirmishersInit 25: The Dominator dominates the Fighter.  - The fighter loses the Warlord's bonus to Initiative while dominatedInit 21: The Warlord tries to use Commander's Strike on the Fighter  - It doesn't work because the fighter isn't operating under his own power. Init 19: The Soldier advances on and attacks the Warlord.Init 18: The Dominator makes the Fighter charge the Warlord   - Fighter gains a + to hit from the Soldier's Aura of Command   - He fails the saving throw against ongoing DominateInit 16: The Bard casts a Daily area burst effect which affects "all enemies in burst"   - The Soldier, Fighter, Warlord and Dominator are in the burst   - The power affects the Soldier and the Dominator.   - The power does not affect the Warlord   - The Bard chooses whether the power targets the Fighter.   - This time, the Bard chooses not to have it affect the Fighter.Init 15: The Skirmishers circle around the back end of the group to harass the Bard.Round 2:Init 25: The Dominator tosses out a close blast which affects "all enemies in blast"   - The Soldier, Fighter, and Warlord are in the burst   - The power doesn't affect the Soldier, does affect the Warlord ..   - The Dominator chooses whether it targets the Fighter or not.   - This time, he chooses that it does affect the Fighter.Init 21: The Warlord uses Inspiring Word to grant the Fighter a Healing Surge and a Save    - The Fighter gets the Healing Surge    - The fighter gets to use the granted saving throw    - The fighter makes the save.    - The fighter gets +2 to his initiative from the WarlordInit 20: The Fighter gets to go, whirls around, and attacks the Soldier.  . . . For that combat to work as described, the DM needs to decide on the fly whether the Fighter is an ally, an enemy, or potentially both, for any power.Regarding the PC's, he chose that the Fighter was an "Ally" for purposes of Inspiring Word and Granted Saving Throws .. an "Enemy" for purposes of the Warlord's Initiative Bonus .. and "either" for a burst power.Regarding the bad guys, he chose that the Fighter was an "Ally" for purposes of the Soldier's Aura .. an "Enemy" not at all .. and "either" for a blast power. ..."Why make the area power targeting a choice? Wouldn't your friends always choose not to affect you, and the bad guys always choose to hit you?"No, not necessarily.The players might choose not to target you with a high-damage, low-status effect ... but might actually want to target the Dominated creature with a low-damage, high-status effect that might result in him being Restrained, Immobilized, or Weakened: the classic "I don't want to hurt you!" spell or other effect.An NPC necromancer might choose to hit you every time, because really, if he kills you, he can brings you back on his side more permanently. An NPC dragon might hit you because he's fought many adventuring parties before and is wise enough to know that he has to exploit his advantage. On the other hand, an NPC seductress who is trying to pry the handsome Fighter away from the party might not want him hurt if she can help it .. and of course, that might turn around and bite her if he can break free of her spell.</blockquote>

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