If a Hero character attacks a sleeping monster, does it roll defense dice?

The Rulebook makes no mention of it. Neither does the official FAQ, nor the unofficial FAQ on BoardGameGeek. And I've searched the forum and haven't seen anything posted. I see three options.

1. Since the rules say the attacking player rolls attack dice while the defending player rolls defense dice, the answer seems to be "Yes, sleeping monsters DO roll defense dice."

2. But common sense says a sleeping monster is basically a sitting duck, and as long as an "X" isn't rolled and the range is sufficient, all damage should be dealt to the defender, so "No, sleeping monsters DO NOT roll defense dice.

3. There's also the possibility there's some logic that I've overlooked. (Happens all the time )

I have enough FFG games to realize that just because something is a rule doesn't mean it has to make sense. And just because something makes sense doesn't mean it has to be a rule.

Here's the scenario. The Forgotten Souls expansion has an encounter card called Deadly Kennel. "Each barghest in the Deadly Kennel is asleep and does not activate until it awakens." ... "A sleeping barghest [also] awakens if it suffers any amount of damage." If my character attacks a sleeping barghest with a ranged weapon from a non-adjacent space, should defense dice be rolled or should they be ignored?

How would you handle this situation?

Nothing in the rules as written says that they would not roll defense dice.

If you need a rational response its the inherent toughness that is stopping damage to the Barghast rather than a dodge from a nimble moving dog thing.

You're free to ask FFG this, but unless the rules say otherwise, my gut says the barghest rolls defense. Reasoning:

1. When in doubt, follow the RAW. Nothing says a sleeping monster doesn't roll defense, so we should assume that it does.

2. There is already a precedent for defense rolling when you'd think it wouldn't make sense- during "Dark Charm" when a hero attacks himself, and in the case of "Reflective Ward," when a hero's own attack is reflected back at him, he gets to defend against it.

I agree that the sleeping monster should roll defense dice. "Sleeping" is not a condition in the core rules of the game, it is a condition described by the special quest rules (in this case, the Deadly Kennel card.) Therefore the effects of this "sleeping" state are only those described by the special rules - anything not explicitly mentioned otherwise will function per the basic rules by default. Monsters get to roll defense dice when attacked, by default.

Note that this also means two different quests that include "sleeping" figures may have different rules for what "sleeping" entails. If another quest specifically says don't roll defense dice, then while playing that quest you will not roll defense dice, but while playing Deadly Kennel, you will. Three cheers for scenario-specific rules, huzzah!

If you want thematic explanations you can say the monster is lying prone and therefore has a smaller profile than usual. Also, maybe the monster will roll over by chance at exactly the right moment to avoid the attack. Finally, if the monster is not one to usually wear armor (ie" Barghest) then it makes sense that any natural resistance to damage is still present while it is sleeping. Being a creepy undead fae creature doesn't stop just because it's asleep.

That's exactly the type of response I was hoping for.

Ask a silly question, get a silly answer. Ask a detailed question, get a detailed answer. (I would like to think mine was of the latter)

I agree with your replies 100%. That was my option #1 - nothing special is mentioned for sleeping monsters, so just roll all the dice as usual. The advantage here is that my characters get first strike.

My countless corporate "Thinking outside the box" sessions cause me to... look at things differently sometimes. When that happens in a social setting, my wife usually counters with "Oh no, not again." And my other favorite saying - It never hurts to ask.

Thanks guys!