New player, simple question to make sure I'm reading this correctly.

Combat. The horror/sanity check is, for most cases, just to see if I'm not too spooked to run the encounter, and in most cases, not used to apply any damage.

When the strength test happens, I roll, applying any modifiers, compare the number of passes to the number beside the heart. if the number of passes is less, I take damage equal to the difference (if it's 3 to pass, and I roll 2 passes, I take 1). If it's equal or above, I subtract the total number of passes, not the difference, and subtract it from the toughness number in the top right?

This would mean that if a monster had 3 hearts, I will at minimum take it down by 3 each round if I pass, is that correct? It's impossible to do less that the heart damage to it per round, barring a special item?

Second clarification, no abilities/cards that affect monsters have any effect on epic monters, right, only those that would impact combat rolls?

Thirdly, can't recall the spell, I'm tired and kinda dumb right now, allows me to investigate a clue without actually being on the space with the clue on it? With that, combined with the teleport spell, is it possible in theory to never actually use a move action?

Only played 3 games so far so still waiting on things to click, first was a disaster, second was pretty rough, but the 3rd we came close, halfway through the final mystery, ran out of mythos cards again. Took out all the difficult cards to make it easier, definitely worked.

Final question - is it considered bad form to know too much about the mysteries and expected mythos cards? It seems with Azathoth, everything that happens, does so around Tunguska and Sydney, so if I'm playing him out, it would seem that the best strategy might be to camp out there waiting for mysteries and rumors, while using the one persons ability to close gates and teleport, or another to remotely resolve investigations as they come up and are needed

Nope.

1) The Will check could cause damage: the number listed after the (Will) icon indicates the minimum number of successes you have to roll to pass the test. If you fail the test, you lose sanity equal to the difference between the Horror damage of the monster and the number of successes you rolled. This could lead your investigator to become insane. So, indeed, passing / failing the test is not something allowing / hindering you from going on with combat, but it's definitely something that can damage you (it damages your San instead of your Health, but it's always a damage)

2) When you check Strength, you have to parameter to consider:

a) the damage needed by the monster to be killed

b) the potential damage the monster can deal to you

These two parameters are not always linked, nor identical. You roll the dice, check whether the monster damages you or not (you need successes greater than its damage as listed on the chit); then, regardless of its combat damage, you score one wound / success you rolled (no modifiers). If you look at the example given in the rulebook, pag 15, a combat against a Deep One is simulated: Lily rolls one success during her combat check, and this one success counts as a) one wound done to the deep one and b) one success against a combat damage of one means she doesn't lose any health.

So, to sum this up:

1. Will test: roll the dice, need successes equals to the horror damage to pass, or lose 1 San / success you are short

2. Strength test: roll the dice, need success equals to the health damage of the monster to avoid being wounded (otherwise as above) AND the successes you roll become damage for the monster (no reduction)

Hope this helps

Nope.

1) The Will check could cause damage:

I was referring to health damage to the monster, not sanity loss to the player, should have made that clearer

For the second part - the example of it only having one success for a monster with only one to beat made me question things. If the monster has 3, and I roll 4 successes, it would take 4, and not the difference, and I wouldn't take any because I made the minimum 3. So what you're saying, is that a failed test, if I get were to get 2 successes of the 3, I would still do 2 damage to the monster, and keep 1 for the attacker? I was under the impression that the minimum had to pass in order to do any damage. Thanks.

So what you're saying, is that a failed test, if I get were to get 2 successes of the 3, I would still do 2 damage to the monster, and keep 1 for the attacker? I was under the impression that the minimum had to pass in order to do any damage. Thanks.

Yes, you would do give two wounds to the monster. Then, because two successes is less than the printed 3 damage on the monster, your investigator would take one wound.

The printed damage value for a monster represents the maximum wounds it can inflect on the monster, so in that sense you can view it as the number to meet or exceed in order to take no damage. As noted, any successes you roll will result in wounds for the monster.

Yup, Ricedwlit nailed it.

If you need the reason, consider this: if it were ruled differently, then killing Epic Monsters would be near to impossible