Traitors among us (SoN) - some questions about rules

By Letanir, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Hi everyone.

So we're gonna play this quest soon and I decide to ask some questions before game.

The main question is about relics: in this quest there are 2(3?) different lieutenants, that aren't present at the same time. So if I had 2 or more different relics I could choose them when new lieutenant spawns? Personally I have only one relic (Valyndra's gift), so can I hand off it between them? Rules says that even when Trystain is defeated I can still use my relic but how this would work with Valyndra's gift?

2nd question about my relic itself? Is it really just gives one gray defence dice for one attack?

3rd question about crossbow and other things that force monsters to move. Can it force figures to move through elevation lines? What about big monsters?

4th question about melee attacks trough elevation lines with reach. Does it still provides additional black dice for defender?

5th question about heroes defeated in pits. If those heroes would stand up in that area would they still stay in pit?

6th question is about Trystain unique ability for this quest - summon Ynfernael Hulk with cost of his HP. He also has the ability to transfer some damage from him to nearby monster, if that damage wasn't received due to attack. So can he spawn hulks and immediately transfer damage to them? Would they even count as adjasent if there's elevation line beetween them?

7th question about Rhylan ability that lets adjastent figure to perform additional action. If used on moster, can it give him additional attack (move action for zombie)?

1. Unless there are special rules negating this in the quest (I don't have my quest guide in front of me) the rule is that relics get equipped to a lieutenant at the beginning of a quest- that is, you pick 1 lieutenant to be wielding at most 1 relic, and that relic cannot move between lieutenants for the duration of the quest.

2. When someone declares an attack, before rolling dice, you can exhaust this card to add a gray to either the pool of the lieutenant who has the card, or a monster adjacent to them. The die is not permanent, it only lasts for the one attack.

3. No, you cannot move over elevation lines, so you cannot be moved over elevation lines. If the text of the ability read "remove the target from the map and place it within X spaces" that could go over elevation (like knockback,) since you can count spaces over elevation lines.

4. No extra dice. The black die is only added when there is a melee attack over an elevation line without reach .

5.There are no special rules for where a player knocked out in a pit stands up (like there is with lava,) so they would stand up in their current space. This does not count as "entering a pit space," but they still need to climb out.

6. Since he has to suffer the wound to summon the hulk, there is no hulk to pass the damage off to when he summons it. If there were another monster there, he could transfer the damage.

7. Rylan's activation is separate from the other monster's activation, so it could perform another attack.

Thx a lot for answers! That helps a lot.

3. No, you cannot move over elevation lines, so you cannot be moved over elevation lines. If the text of the ability read "remove the target from the map and place it within X spaces" that could go over elevation (like knockback,) since you can count spaces over elevation lines.

Large monsters that interupt their move action close to an elevation line, can "expand" to overlap the elevation line and restart their move on the other side.

Something about large figures ignoring elevation for expansion.

Our OL weaseled that out during our SoN campaign.

:angry:

Yes, large monsters are tricky, and they can totally do this, because it isn't actually moving over the line. They move to it, expand, and then later choose a space on the other side to define where they're moving.

Yes, large monsters are tricky, and they can totally do this, because it isn't actually moving over the line. They move to it, expand, and then later choose a space on the other side to define where they're moving.

This is accurate. However this is the one thing concerning the movement of big monsters I find very questionable. It's not such a big deal when you actually can get to the other side of an "elevation line", but if it's impossible it just brakes the map imo. For instance in the "Prey" quest where the Barghast can actually take a way where no-one else can follow him (and very few heroes even consider this a possible way leading to very anti-climatic easy wins of this quest) or the "elevation line" on the prison tile that represents a closed portcullis you can fight through. It makes no sense that Barghests, Bloodapes, Wendigos and Hellhounds can just move through this door.

I think the prison tile is not supposed to be a closed door, but I thought of it like the cell was down in the floor.

EDIT: No, I just looked at the tile, and it's clearly just a closed door. This is either a loophole in the elevation line rules, or a poor use of an elevation line on artwork. You pick.

Edited by Zaltyre

Question on reach and elevation: when a melee attack is performed with reach it removes the extra defense die for elevation. But, when the character using reach is both at a different elevation and two spaces away, is that legal? Just curious. It kind of almost seems like double using reach.

does reach change how it is used in this set up?

Question on reach and elevation: when a melee attack is performed with reach it removes the extra defense die for elevation. But, when the character using reach is both at a different elevation and two spaces away, is that legal? Just curious. It kind of almost seems like double using reach.

does reach change how it is used in this set up?

The extra dice is only added across elevation if the attack is:

1) melee

2) from an adjacent space

and

3) there is no "Reach" keyword

While thematically you may think that's because you're reaching "up" instead of "over", in the rules it makes no difference. A reach weapon can attack within 2 spaces (in LOS,) elevation or not, at no penalty. The extra space away in no way "cancels" the effect of "Reach."

If you're looking for a thematic justification, attacking melee across elevation can't be like attacking from 2 spaces away, otherwise you couldn't do it at all unless you had "Reach."

Edited by Zaltyre

Can Trystain use the special ability to kill hinself? Justo to open the next dor.

Can Trystain use the special ability to kill hinself? Justo to open the next dor.