Rules Clarifications: June 2015 Edition

llywelyn

Artisan
Clarification 2015.6.1: Killing Blow Interrupts

The question has come up a few times about "how to interrupt a killing blow." The correct way is on ARB 1.2 pg 95 under "Killing Blows", which reads:

If anyone strikes you during the count (even if the strike does not affect you), or knocks your weapon away, then the Killing Blow is interrupted and fails to kill the intended victim. Most spell attacks will also prevent the killing blow from succeeding. (Damage causing spells definitely will, but a Disease will not, for instance.)​

Striking their weapon is not required (and, in fact, does not actually count as striking them). Striking them and saying "interrupted" without calling an actual weapon blow will not work. The calling of "interrupted" is a courtesy similar to appending the number to the end of an incant: it's simply indicating to all around what the effect is.

"Engulf" follows the same rules (ARB 1.2 pg 75), but it should be noted that most three count skills do not follow these rules: mostly you just continue taking damage/effects while the three count is going on unless something specifically removes your ability to do it (e.g., coming into game, rifting, picking someone up, etc). In short: The interrupt is the result of the effect, not something you are specifically doing independent of your other actions.

Clarification 2015.6.2: Healing and Carriers

The question came up that can be phrased as "can something that swings for 'Ice' and is healed by 'Ice' heal itself by hitting itself."

The short answer is no: You cannot be healed by weapon swings. This comes from ARB 1.2 pg 97:

Characters can never benefit from carri- ers, including High Magic Augmentation ef- fects. For example, a creature healed by flame cannot be healed by a creature swinging “12 Flame.”​

That said: A lot of monsters that fall into the above category, however, have elemental packet attacks which they can use to touch cast, ARB 1.2 pg 100:

Touch-casting can only be used for an incanted spell, a magic item, or for skills with the verbals of “magic,” “elemental,” or “arcane.”​

So a water elemental that swings for 5 ice, is healed by ice, and has a 1x30 elemental ice written on their sheet can heal themselves by touch casting "30 elemental ice"—expending the elemental ability—but they can't heal themselves by hitting their own arm with their sword or by getting another ice elemental to attack them.

Clarification 2015.6.3: Breaking LoS

See 2015.3.2: Line of Sight.

Clarification 2015.6.4: Wards

There were two things this event that were asked with respect to wards:

ARB 1.2 pg 125.

First, on the presence of the "W":

The “W” must be placed on the portal prior to casting this spell, and this must be performed in-game. Any observers will thus be aware that you are attempting to place a Ward or a Wizard Lock on the building.​

Second, on the matter of automatic investiture:

All persons within the Ward when it is cast are invested into the Ward. They may then enter and leave the Warded building at any time while the Ward is in effect.​

It is always the marshal's call on the nature of the building (as well as whether it can be effectively warded) as far as this goes.

Clarification 2015.6.5: Repel and Concentration

The Repel spell is bizarre in a few ways, but it essentially follows the Concentration rules with a few changes. You must keep your hand up and pointed toward the person being repelled. ARB 1.2 pg 122:

The victim and the target should then stay at least ten feet apart while the spell is in effect, and the caster must keep the hand held out toward the target.
You can also use your other hand to cast, beyond that it follows the Concentration rules rather than the LoS rules.
 
David, I apologize if I'm being obtuse here, but this item about interrupting a KB seems contradictory to me (emphasis added):

[ARB:] "If anyone strikes you during the count (even if the strike does not affect you), or knocks your weapon away, then the Killing Blow is interrupted and fails to kill the intended victim..."

[David:] Striking their weapon is not required (and, in fact, does not actually count as striking them).

Your quote from the ARB sure sounds to me like knocking the weapon away is effective. What am I missing here?

Thank you,
Trace Moriarty
 
I would suspect that if you hit the weapon but your strike does not knock the weapon away from the body they're trying to killing blow, it doesn't interrupt. If you hit it with enough force to knock the weapon away from the body, that would count as an interrupt.

Just my instinct there; I will let David give official head of rules response since I could be guessing wrong. :)
 
I would suspect that if you hit the weapon but your strike does not knock the weapon away from the body they're trying to killing blow, it doesn't interrupt. If you hit it with enough force to knock the weapon away from the body, that would count as an interrupt.

Just my instinct there; I will let David give official head of rules response since I could be guessing wrong. :)

This is correct.

If you swing your weapon and strike my weapon and say "interrupt!"… but my weapon doesn't move, I am still in active killing blow. If you start to drag the person but my weapon is still on them, it is still an active killing blow… but if they are pulled completely clear of my weapon such that it is no longer in contact with them or if my weapon is knocked off of them, then that's an interrupt and it is no longer an active killing blow.
 
I think he is just clarifying that you don't need to strike the weapon in order to cause an interrupt. The quote says "If anyone strikes you during the count (even if the strike does not affect you)". I take that as if say monster is only affected by Silver and you call for Normal, you can still interrupt a KB by hitting the monster. Thus you do not need to hit the monsters weapon in order to make it a legitimate interrupt.
Though the second part of his clarification (and, in fact, does not actually count as striking them) is only true if the person wielding the weapon is skilled in its use. I think it was brought up in another clarification thread that anyone can killing blow and don't need to be skilled (I could be wrong on that and thus would nullify this comment). However I think the intent here is that we don't want people lining up a baseball swing to hit someones two handed weapon away from a KB. Since holding a 2handed will inherently make it harder to knock away safely, simply hitting the monster will suffice.

David, I apologize if I'm being obtuse here, but this item about interrupting a KB seems contradictory to me (emphasis added):



Your quote from the ARB sure sounds to me like knocking the weapon away is effective. What am I missing here?

Thank you,
Trace Moriarty
 
Technically, you don't even need a weapon to administer a killing blow, let alone to be skilled in it. You can killing blow by placing your hand on someone's shoulder.
 
I think he is just clarifying that you don't need to strike the weapon in order to cause an interrupt. The quote says "If anyone strikes you during the count (even if the strike does not affect you)". I take that as if say monster is only affected by Silver and you call for Normal, you can still interrupt a KB by hitting the monster. Thus you do not need to hit the monsters weapon in order to make it a legitimate interrupt.
Though the second part of his clarification (and, in fact, does not actually count as striking them) is only true if the person wielding the weapon is skilled in its use. I think it was brought up in another clarification thread that anyone can killing blow and don't need to be skilled (I could be wrong on that and thus would nullify this comment). However I think the intent here is that we don't want people lining up a baseball swing to hit someones two handed weapon away from a KB. Since holding a 2handed will inherently make it harder to knock away safely, simply hitting the monster will suffice.

Part of what I believe it's in reply to is we had PCs last event strolling by NPCs and saying "interrupt" but not actually doing anything. Per the ruling, that's about as effective as asking politely for them to stop.
 
Holy Crikey did they change Repel!!! You used to have to plant your feet and not move, and you were NEVER able to use in game skills with your other hand. It required (GASP!) "concentration". Doesn't seem like much concentration if all I have to do is raise my hand carrying my packets to you your face, while I continue throwing spells with my throwing hand. ANd then I saw a ruling that monster strength could allow you to break from a repel since it's Mystic Force? In the recent words of Justice Scalia, "Gobbledygook!" I say to that!!
 
This came up today when reading about Wall of Force, and I'm not sure we've been doing it right, so I'm alerting everyone because we'll be enforcing this from now on.

ARB p. 125:
"The floor of the Wall of Force must be marked in some way (such as by a rope, chalk mark, or ribbon) to indicate to all observers that a Wall of Force is in place."
 
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