[D&D] Confounding Attack Missed Easy Target

[stevekenson]

So ... when we finished designing our characters for the D&D 4e game Lyle is going to run starting this weekend, he brought his copy of Martial Power along. So naturally, I flipped through it to see if there were any good alternative 1st level rogue goodies for my character.

The Confounding Attack daily ability caught my eye. Basically, it lets you trick a foe into hitting one of his own allies. Suits the kind of trickster-rogue I want to play. I very nearly dropped Easy Target for it. Then I glanced to the end of the description.

No “Miss” listing.

You see, many, if not most, Daily abilities in D&D 4e do something even if you brick the attack roll, not as much as when you hit, naturally, but if you use your precious one-a-day ability, it will do something. This is good design, because it alleviates the inevitable player frustration of spending that one-time ability and getting... nothing.

No such option for Confounding Attack, whereas Easy Target still does half damage and grants combat advantage for one round on a miss. Given that, it was no contest.

The lesson: the coolest ability isn’t worth that much if you only get one shot with it and there’s a reasonable chance that it won’t work at all.

Looking forward to playing this weekend!

Comments

[rob-donoghue.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's better than you think - there's a subtlety that tripped me up for a while (and confounding strike is far from the only power where it applies).

In a power description, "Effect:" is something that will always happen, whether you hit or miss, so in the case of Confounding Attack, even if you don't hit and damage the guy, he's still going to take a swing at his buddy.

[xomec.livejournal.com]

Huh, interesting. Well, I might just have to reconsider, then...

Hit or Miss

[77im.livejournal.com]

In monster stat blocks, instead of "Effect:" it is called "Hit or Miss:", which I think is a little clearer.

I like that they tried to write the 4e rules in a way that is well-specified and uses consistent language, but I think they overdid it a little with the super-formal power blocks (they look like something out of a periodic table of the elements). Edge cases, like the Reliable keyword, or the nuances of sustaining an effect which grants a saving throw, could use some extra clarifying language right in the text of the power.

[drivingblind.livejournal.com]

Yep, what he said.

[foxbat.livejournal.com]

I'm playing in a pretty awesome campaign being GM'd by Dave Eckelberry. The fighter in our party has yet to score a hit with his daily power. We're 6th level and he STILL hasn't hit with a daily. Fear his mighty dice.

Miss effects are good.

On a side note, 25th level wizard dailies are really fun.

[gamescribe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Counfounding Attack is nice, especially since it, effectively, gives you two chances to apply your sneak attack dice.