Making a static trap as a Power

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

By my reading, that would require the victim to touch the trap itself - meaning they'd have to step directly on it, rather than just passing through the same hex. Basically, the "target" of the Delayed attack is the point at which it's placed, so without an area it only affects that one point. But stretching it to affect a single target in the same hex probably isn't a big deal.

You can set the Trigger to be basically anything, including something passing within a yard.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

You can set the Trigger to be basically anything, including something passing within a yard.

Sure, the Trigger aspect is no problem. The difficulty is that, without modification, the attack will only hit the spot that it's placed on, not the entire hex. For example, if the Delayed attack causes Burning damage (such as a Rune of Flame), when it's triggered it heats up, inflicting damage to anything touching it. That's fine if the rune is placed on a doorknob and triggered when someone touches it. But if it's a trap placed on the floor, the potential victim is likely to step over it; even if it's triggered, it won't do any damage if they don't touch the rune itself. Thus, adding on a tiny Area Effect is necessary.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Sure, the Trigger aspect is no problem. The difficulty is that, without modification, the attack will only hit the spot that it's placed on, not the entire hex. For example, if the Delayed attack causes Burning damage (such as a Rune of Flame), when it's triggered it heats up, inflicting damage to anything touching it. That's fine if the rune is placed on a doorknob and triggered when someone touches it. But if it's a trap placed on the floor, the potential victim is likely to step over it; even if it's triggered, it won't do any damage if they don't touch the rune itself. Thus, adding on a tiny Area Effect is necessary.

There's no range closer than C. It should be able to "hit" anything in the hex. Imagine if it was a landmine, how would you determine if someone stepped on a mine other than by hex? The only reason that I can see to make it a 1-hex Area would be to hit more than one target in the same hex with the same trap.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

There's no range closer that C. It should be able to "hit" anything in the hex. Imagine if it was a landmine, how would you determine if someone stepped on a mine other than by hex? The only reason that I can see to make it a 1-hex Area would be to hit more than one target in the same hex with the same trap.

Range C is not the same as "hit anything in the same hex". If it were a landmine, I certainly would want rules to check whether a potential victim stepped on it or not. Since landmines tend to be far smaller than 1 yard across, passing through the trapped hex should not mean it's automatically triggered.

But this is getting away from what a Delayed Attack is. It doesn't have to be an Area or Explosive attack (such as a bomb or Explosive Rune). It can also be something much simpler, like a single caltrop, which inflicts piercing damage if stepped on. Unfortunately, 4e doesn't seem to have rules for determining the chance of stepping on a land mine, or on a solitary caltrop.

Basically, with a Delayed Attack you fire it / place it at a target. This could be a person, in which case that person takes damage when the power activates (the classic Dim Mak move). The target could be on the ground, meaning the ground takes damage (if applicable) when the power activates. If anyone else is touching that point, they take the damage - this is not strictly RAW, but makes possible things like caltrops. It's only if it has an area (however slight) that a trap can hurt things it's not touching. Without a modifier, it can't leap to a new target, even if it's in the same hex.

But this is quibbling over just a few percent, anyways. I'm ready to drop it.

[Grunker]

Oh? :shakes head:

Yeah, sorry guys. That will suffice.

[Grunker]

Just out of curiosity: Can I make a Burn attack cause knockback?

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Grunker

Just out of curiosity: Can I make a Burn attack cause knockback?

Crushing Attack (No Wounding)
and
Burning Attack (Follow-Up: Crushing Attack)

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Grunker

Just out of curiosity: Can I make a Burn attack cause knockback?

You can make a Crushing attack Incendiary, and remove any features you don't want (no Blunt Trauma, etc...). That amounts to the same thing.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by aesir23

You can make a Crushing attack Incendiary, and remove any features you don't want (no Blunt Trauma, etc...). That amounts to the same thing.

It is? Incendiary starts fires, but does it count as Burn damage?

[Grunker]

The follow-up thing is fine.

Well, it seems I'm just about done. Right now I'm looking for two things; a way to have the fact that the witcher is immune to (and does not trigger) his own traps built into the power, and a clean way of making it Melee Attack (Close) or something similar to only allow him to place it on the ground in C-range without having to make rolls (other than perhaps the Requires (attribute) Roll (Will) I already have in place).