Shatter Defense


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Since Shatter Defense states:

Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.

And NOTHING in it states ANYTHING about hitting someone at all (just your attacks)...
why do people insist that you have to actually hit someone FIRST for this to work?

It seems like the qualifying condition is that they are shaken, frightened, or panicked. Not hit.

Am I reading this wrong? I don't think I am, but every "interpretation" I've read reads in some nonsense about needing to impart a hit AFTER someone is shaken, frightened, or panicked. Nothing in the ability mentions getting hit.

Examples:

An ally uses Intimidate to scare a foe. They're shaken. Shatter defense gives the benefit versus the shaken foe.

You hit someone with curmodgeon smash, enforcer, or bullying blow and get a free intimidate; your foe is now shaken or worse. Each additional attack is versus a shaken, frightened, or panicked foe, so gets the Shatter Defense benefits.

I don't see how so many people read the "plain English" and added in "but you gotta hit them first" because of the name of the ability, and poor wording?

Am I wrong, RAW? Is there a FAQ stating the wording was meant to include "after you hit them"? Is that just the interpretation of "hit by you" in the Feat (as opposed to "after you hit them" which would be a better wording)?

Which one fixes it:

"Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn, after they are hit by you once this turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round."

"Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent attacked by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round."


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maouse33 wrote:

Since Shatter Defense states:

Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.

And NOTHING in it states ANYTHING about hitting someone at all (just your attacks)...
why do people insist that you have to actually hit someone FIRST for this to work?

Not sure what your question has to do with organized play but I added emphasis to your quote that answers the question in your second paragraph.

The Exchange

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Robert Hetherington wrote:

Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.

And NOTHING in it states ANYTHING about hitting someone at all (just your attacks)...
why do people insist that you have to actually hit someone FIRST for this to work?

Because that's literally what it says. When you hit someone, you make them flat-footed to your attacks until the end of the next round.

I'm not arguing that the text could not be made more explicit. "is made flat-footed" or "becomes flat-footed" would be even more clear.

Here's the text of mythic Shatter Defenses, which reinforces that you have to hit someone first

Mythic Shatter Defenses wrote:
Benefit: An opponent you affect with Shatter Defenses is flat-footed to all attacks, not just yours

You have to "affect" someone with Shatter Defenses first (by hitting them).


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If an enemy is flat-footed in the woods, but nobody is around to hit them, do they still take a penalty to AC?


Any shaken, frightened, or panicked opponent hit by you this round is flat-footed to your attacks until the end of your next turn. This includes any additional attacks you make this round.

Would suggest that they have to be hit before the flat footed condition applies.

My brain is too busy going ow to figure out if that makes sense in context, but that's what that one part seems to say. To all your attacks this round does seem to say the opposite.

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