ZCaslar wrote:
My sticking point is that as the effect is 12 ticks long the target must spend the duration under it's effect attacking the challenger.
Val'Holryn and I have gone around in circles a few times about this and hence my interest in an official response. The Talent isn't worded that the target "must use it's next action within 12 ticks to attack the Challenger."
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Here's the relevant section of the benefit from the ARG p.191
"If successful, the target considers you a significant threat and attacks you for the next 12 Ticks. This does not mean that your target will always blindly charge forth disregarding their own safety (unless the target is particularly simple minded); how the target attacks you is their choice. For example, they may command others to attack you, use a missile weapon, or simply charge."
That's the RAW.
First sentence, full stop period says they must attack for the next 12 ticks from when the challenge is issued. As written, every action that the target gets during that 12 tick window must be an attack on the challenger. The following sentences provide some leeway in how so that a frail noble with bodyguards galore can demand that his bodyguards focus on the issuer of the challenge rather than him getting up and closing.
Your question though is still very ambiguous.
ZCaslar wrote:
About the talent Challenge: assuming it's applied successfully can the Challenged target take aggressive actions that do not at least partially target the challenger?
How is an aggressive action that doesn't at least partially target the challenger supposed to be an attack on the challenger? Without one or more specific examples for Matt or Pedro to rule on, I don't see them providing a response. Otherwise it's still going to come back to GM adjudication which appears to be where you're having the problem in the first place.
Too little information to go on, at least from where I'm sitting.
With a sweep of his hat,
Paul