Frenzy - First Map

By Evilmasteryoda, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Scenario: How does Frenzy Work

We think we have been playing wrong, we thought we read in the rules that a monster may make one attack and if it gained a attack it can not attack the same hero twice.

The overlords step begins

Activates his Ettin

Plays Frenzy to gain a extra attack action

Attacks hero 1 with normal attack

Attacks hero 1 with the frenzy attack

is this allowed?

If a overlord can not attack the same hero twice were is that in the rules I cant find it.

There is no such rule. The Overlord is allowed to attack the same hero as many times as he wants per turn.

You may have gotten this confused with the rule that a monster may not perform an Attack action more than once per activation, barring special effects like Frenzy or Ravage.

Frenzy card overrides basic rules by giving additional attack action. This means that this attack can be made in addition to the basic one.

Note that there is no restriction on the target, so both attack can be made against one hero.

In general, monsters are limited to 1 attack action per activation. Every monster gets 2 actions when it activates- it can choose from:

move action

attack action

open/close door action

monster action (for example, the Elemental's "Fire" or the Barghest's "Howl"

special (quest specific) action (for example, Merrick can try performing a ritual in "The Ritual of Shadows")

The rules state that only 1 of those 2 actions may be an attack. They also state that other actions containing attacks (like the Elemental's "Fire") while they are not technically attack actions, still consist of attacks, so they count toward that 1 attack per activation limit. That is, an Elemental cannot use "Fire" and also attack in the same activation. There is no rule about who or what a monster targets if it makes multiple attacks.

"Frenzy" is a card that grants a monster a third action during its activation- specifically, it's an attack action- whether or not the monster already performed an attack. The attack action granted by "Frenzy" ignores that limit, so an Elemental could move, attack, and then use "Frenzy" to attack again. It could also move, "Fire", and then attack with "Frenzy". It cannot move, "Fire", "Fire" with "Frenzy," since "Fire" is not a standard attack action, "Frenzy" doesn't grant it.

Also, remember that there is a rule that you can't play the same OL card on the same target in response to the same trigger. Since the trigger of "Frenzy" is "when activating" and the target is a monster, you can't play 2 "Frenzy" cards on the same monster during the same turn- so you can't have an Ettin get 3 attacks, 2 of which are from "Frenzy" cards. You could have both Ettins get 1 extra attack each by playing "Frenzy" on them separately, since they're different monsters, it's a different target.

For the record, "Dash" works the same way, it just grants an extra "move" action (but again, not an "Overpower" action for Alric, even though the description of that says "perform a move action...")

Edited by Zaltyre

In general, monsters are limited to 1 attack action per activation. Every monster gets 2 actions when it activates- it can choose from:

move action

attack action

open/close door action

monster action (for example, the Elemental's "Fire" or the Barghest's "Howl"

special (quest specific) action (for example, Merrick can try performing a ritual in "The Ritual of Shadows")

The rules state that only 1 of those 2 actions may be an attack. They also state that other actions containing attacks (like the Elemental's "Fire") while they are not technically attack actions, still consist of attacks, so they count toward that 1 attack per activation limit. That is, an Elemental cannot use "Fire" and also attack in the same activation. There is no rule about who or what a monster targets if it makes multiple attacks.

"Frenzy" is a card that grants a monster a third action during its activation- specifically, it's an attack action- whether or not the monster already performed an attack. The attack action granted by "Frenzy" ignores that limit, so an Elemental could move, attack, and then use "Frenzy" to attack again. It could also move, "Fire", and then attack with "Frenzy". It cannot move, "Fire", "Fire" with "Frenzy," since "Fire" is not a standard attack action, "Frenzy" doesn't grant it.

Also, remember that there is a rule that you can't play the same OL card on the same target in response to the same trigger. Since the trigger of "Frenzy" is "when activating" and the target is a monster, you can't play 2 "Frenzy" cards on the same monster during the same turn- so you can't have an Ettin get 3 attacks, 2 of which are from "Frenzy" cards. You could have both Ettins get 1 extra attack each by playing "Frenzy" on them separately, since they're different monsters, it's a different target.

For the record, "Dash" works the same way, it just grants an extra "move" action (but again, not an "Overpower" action for Alric, even though the description of that says "perform a move action...")

K so clarification I can activate my monster play frenzy I can move then attack hero 1 then attack hero 1 again with frenzy.

K so clarification I can activate my monster play frenzy I can move then attack hero 1 then attack hero 1 again with frenzy.

Exactly.

K so clarification I can activate my monster play frenzy I can move then attack hero 1 then attack hero 1 again with frenzy.

Exactly.

Yes. You can play frenzy at any point during a monster's activation- so, you could move and attack, then decide (perhaps that attack misses) to play Frenzy and attack a second time.

For extra fun, play Frenzy on the Master Volucrix Reaver for Skirmish to move 3 spaces (spaces, not movement of 3), then attack, then attack because of Ravage, then attack because of Frenzy.

Also, remember that there is a rule that you can't play the same OL card on the same target in response to the same trigger.

For the record, "Dash" works the same way, it just grants an extra "move" action (but again, not an "Overpower" action for Alric, even though the description of that says "perform a move action...")

This raises a question that came up during our last quest--I wanted to use an ettin to hunt down a hero who had gone rogue and was trying to ****** up search tokens. On the ettin activation, can I move him, play a dash card, play another dash card, then attack said vile hero?

No. You can only play one card of the same name on the same creature in a single turn. So no double Dashes or double Frenzies I'm afraid.

Edited by Charmy

As Zaltyre and Charmy pointed out, you cannot use the same OL card on the same trigger. You can use different OL cards, like one Dash, one Frenzy to give your monster 2 moves and 2 attacks. But you can't play duplicate cards. Otherwise you could have the OL playing Dark Fortune twice on the same missed roll.