Knights & Knaves Alehouse

In our game last week a player's PC found a cloak of displacement. One of the effects of this cloak is that the first attack misses. As DM I had to figure out if this meant 1. wait till an attacker roles a "hit" and then have that blow miss or 2. just dismiss the first attack (even if it would have missed, it would have been close enough for the attacker to have discovered the effect of the cloak). I would normally go with 2. but the player objected asking "what if the attacker missed by a mile". Curious to know how you rule on this.

I've always played it as #1: the first successful attack misses, then the attacker knows something is up, and can attack normally.

If an attacker verbally warns other attackers about the effect of the cloak, I would probably allow that to cancel the first displaced hit-->miss as well. Have to ponder that one a bit more, perhaps....

grodog wrote:I've always played it as #1: the first successful attack misses, then the attacker knows something is up, and can attack normally.

If an attacker verbally warns other attackers about the effect of the cloak, I would probably allow that to cancel the first displaced hit-->miss as well. Have to ponder that one a bit more, perhaps....

That's how we've always played it.

I always thought the wording was clear enough, "Any attack by missile or melee strike which is aimed at the wearer will automatically miss the first time". I take that as doesn't matter whether it would have hit or not, 1st attack is 1st attack, which makes sense with the minute long round.

Clear enough?

You haven't been on the Internet very long, have you?

I found ScottyG’s contribution helpful. His statement of opinion was understandable and well-supported.

I've always done it the same way as ScottyG.

ScottyG wrote:I always thought the wording was clear enough, "Any attack by missile or melee strike which is aimed at the wearer will automatically miss the first time". I take that as doesn't matter whether it would have hit or not, 1st attack is 1st attack, which makes sense with the minute long round.

This.

I think Francisca even got to adjudicate something similar to this against Melf if I'm not mistaken.

Something about a giant throwing a big spear or something...

grodog wrote:I've always played it as #1: the first successful attack misses, then the attacker knows something is up, and can attack normally.

This is how we played it for a very long time, too. But, a recent re-read of the DMG entry made us change to first attack rather than first successful hit (as others have mentioned). I'm considering returning to our original method, though, because I think that way plays out to be a little more fun.

grodog wrote: I've always played it as #1: the first successful attack misses, then the attacker knows something is up, and can attack normally.

That is how I usually do it too.

gizmomathboy wrote:I think Francisca even got to adjudicate something similar to this against Melf if I'm not mistaken.

Something about a giant throwing a big spear or something...

Yeah. Down in the basement in G1, party is listening at the door of the Armory room, when one of the Fire Giants within open the door and hurls a spear at the Paladin who was listening. Fire Giant wiffs. I ask who is in the second rank, and it's Melf.

Me: What's your AC?
Luke: Uh...Cloak of Displacement, first attack on me misses.
Me: He wasn't targetting you. <I roll, hitting Melf.>
Luke: I...uh...wouldn't rule it that way.
Me: <DM GLARE>
Luke: Just sayin'......
Me: <mockingly> Yeah, just sayin'...'cause...you know, my Dad invented D&D....
All: <shock> <then laughter>
Me: that's 18 points of damage, by the way....

That's paraphrased, but you get the gist.

I thought Melf was Ernie. I'm bad with my D&D Lore...
But wow, what a great story!
--Ron--

francisca wrote:... one of the Fire Giants within open the door and hurls a spear at the Paladin who was listening. Fire Giant wiffs. I ask who is in the second rank, and it's Melf.

Me: What's your AC?
Luke: Uh...Cloak of Displacement, first attack on me misses.
Me: He wasn't targetting you. <I roll, hitting Melf.>

Exactly! The cloak affects the perception of those looking at the wearer, making them think he is in a slightly different location than he really is, and thus they aim at the false location.

It does NOT affect his actual position, therefore the flight path and impact point of a missile not aimed at him will not be affected by the cloak.

Terrex wrote:

grodog wrote:I've always played it as #1: the first successful attack misses, then the attacker knows something is up, and can attack normally.

This is how we played it for a very long time, too. But, a recent re-read of the DMG entry made us change to first attack rather than first successful hit (as others have mentioned). I'm considering returning to our original method, though, because I think that way plays out to be a little more fun.

I'm going to do something in between. On a really bad role (say rolling a 1-3 on a D20 to hit, and assuming its not a high HD monster) I'll randomly role to see if it was a complete CF (ie. dropped the arrow before firing, swings and hits a vine etc., anything that could be construed as missing by a mile so the person being targetted wouldn't even have to duck). Think of base ball or golf for instance.