Shadow Cloak vs Ranged attacks?

[Crichton]

Just ran across the Shadow Cloak from DotU. It seems quite nice in a variety of circumstances:


If you are attacked, you can use the
cloak three times per day to produce one
or the other of the following effects. You
can gain concealment for 1 round, or
you can teleport to a space you can see
clearly up to 10 feet in any direction.

As an immediate action, you can teleport 10 feet. But then I saw a discussion of it here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?483626-Shadow-Cloak-and-Immediate-actions

On the third post, he states that ranged attacks would still hit, unless you teleport around the corner. I'd love to know what the mechanics of that are.

I guess when I read the description, it seems like the teleport reaction is happening mid-attack. How does, say, a loosed arrow, change course mid-flight and still find it's target when the target has moved?

Or am I missing something in the meaning of the words "If you are attacked?"

Or, to put it in strictly mechanics terms, I always assumed the Attack Roll for ranged attacks, a bow, for example, happen at the time the arrow is loosed. Doesn't make sense that it's an 'attack' when it's just aimed at me. In that case, teleporting when the attack has been announced at the table, but the Attack Roll hasn't happened yet, still spends that attack's action, and the arrow still flies at the original target's location, regardless of whether he's still there.


Thoughts from the wise?

Thanks!

[Darrin]

On the third post, he states that ranged attacks would still hit, unless you teleport around the corner. I'd love to know what the mechanics of that are.


It depends on how you process immediate actions on the "stack". If you're using LIFO (similar to Magic: the Gathering), then follow "Last In, First Out". If you give precedence to the acting player, then the archer can force the reacting player to finish his reaction first, then presumably he just re-targets to wherever his opponent moved to, unless this new position is behind full cover.

Unfortunately, there's no ironclad rules text that dictates the order in which immediate actions happen. There's a line in Miniatures Handbook that mentions it, but it's part of the defunct skirmish game rules and not really part of the 3.x rules. So it mostly boils down to either DM Fiat or "whatever works best for your game".

[Crichton]

I understand what you're saying about the stack order, etc. I guess I'd need a citation that says the actual attack to which I'm reacting doesn't include the loosing of the arrow or other ranged missile. To me, if I say, "I use my bow to shoot that kobold," that action includes aiming, drawing, and loosing the arrow, all before I roll my attack die, and it spends my standard action for that round. That's how I've been interpreting it, so if I'm wrong, I'd love a rule citation for that. Because if I'm right, it doesn't matter the order they're resolved in. The arrow is already mid-flight and can't change course.

To put it another way, aiming at a target and drawing the bow aren't the 'attack,' only finally loosing the arrow is, so the reaction happens too late for an archer to re-aim at another (or same that's moved) target. He's already spent his standard action. Same goes for Melee attacks, right? Brandishing a sword at me isn't an attack. Swinging it at me is, and that's what the reactionary teleport avoids.

Is there a rule description somewhere that contradicts that for ranged attacks?

Thanks again!