I am the OL in a campaign. Last session, a question came up with regards to the "Protect Thyself" feat card from the wizardry deck.

The relevant text is as follows: "Your hero, and all heroes within 3 spaces of you, gains +2 armor until the start of your next turn."

I understand that when this card is played, the hero, and all other heroes within 3 spaces, immediately gain +2 armor, which lasts until the start of the player's next turn.

Last session, when the card was played, one of the heroes was outside the "3 space" range. He argued that since the effect is still in place, he should benefit from the +2 armor by simply moving within range (i.e. move the hero figure to be within 3 spaces of the first hero). I ruled that the card goes into effect when played, as stated, but that there is no "lingering effect" to walk into and benefit from. I would likewise rule that an initially affected hero can walk outside the "3 space" range without losing the benefit.

In other words, which interpretation is correct:
a) The effect (+2 armor) is applied on the hero and anyone within 3 spaces at the time when the card is played, and lasts for the stated duration.
b) The feat creates a lingering effect surrounding the hero who played the card. For the stated duration, anyone within 3 spaces gains the benefit, even if he/she was not within 3 spaces when the card was played. Likewise, moving out of range would cause a hero to lose the effect.

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With regards to "Flaming Fury" -- if this card is played after making an area attack, does all monsters affected by the attack gain 3 burn tokens, or does the player have to choose one monster as the target of this card's effect?

Flaming Fury:

"Play after making a successful magic attack on a monster (a magic attack that doesn't miss).

Place 3 Burn tokens on that monster."

Unfortunately, it reads to me as though it only applies to 1 monster that you hit in the blast (or breath or what have you)

Protect Thyself:

"Play this card after the overlord has declared a monster's attack against any hero, but before he has rolled the dice for that attack.

Your hero and all heroes within 3 spaces of you, gains +2 armor until the start of your next turn.

Leave this card face up in front of you until the start of your next turn."

Since it needs to be in response to an attack, that question is very limited in being an issue. Either it's Tahlia doing it, or a hero with Guard/Knockback, or you manage to get it off on a special attack the overlord pulls off on your turn, perhaps because of Ambush, or Mimic, or opening a nasty sarcophagus/bone heap. However, when such a case does come up, it leaves me a little torn on how to interpret it. The effect begins at one point, but the effect is "Your hero and all heroes within 3 spaces of you, gains +2 armor until the start of your next turn." which you leave face up until your next turn. I could definitely understand that meaning that your hero has that effect until your next turn, so for any attack against a hero within 3 of him, they get 2 extra armor. I think I would lean that direction. that would include, on the flip side, meaning that a hero that started in that area of effect and left, would lose the 2 bonus armor. My opinion on that anyway.

Hammerdal said:

Umm, no. Since you can play feat cards during the OL's turn, it can (and will) easily come up. In effect, whenever a hero is attacked (provided you have not already played a feat card during that player's turn), the trigger has been met.

GalaGalaxia said:

Yes, I know, it almost has to be played during the overlord's turn, when the overlord does 99% of his attacking. My question is, assuming this feat is played on the overlord's turn, how is a hero going to move into the radius in time to get the effect for another attack? Hero's don't normally move on the OL's turn,

In our case, I had "Dire Warnings" in play, allowing me to move and attack with up to 2 monsters when a new area is revealed.

Under most circumstances, the actual ruling probably won't make a difference. But, this time it did.

In the end, opinions aside, in case this comes up again, I am just curious as to what the actual ruling might be.

I don't see any way to rule Protect Thyself based purely on the text; it's ambiguous.

I would be in favor of treating it as a radius centered on the hero (similar to Command or Black Curse) purely on the grounds that it would be easier to keep track of--you don't have to remember which heroes were originally affected if they start moving around.

Antistone said:

Yea, I think that's a pretty good way to think about it, and a little less complicated to deal with. Working like Command or Black Curse seems more in keeping with how the rules typically go in this game.

I agree that treating "Protect Thyself" as an aura effect makes the most sense.

GalaGalaxia said:

...so that's a change from your position in the original post, right?

Antistone said:

Not at all. In my original post I was simply referring to what happened last session, at which point I had no position on the matter, and rather made a quick ruling to keep the game going.

When I started this topic, I still did not have a position of my own on the matter.

I was, however, curious as to what an actual rule on the matter might be. In the absense of an actual rule (or errata) I subsequently developed a position which is agreement with the majority in this thread -- keep it simple, handle it like similar effects.

Does it really matter?

I was attempting to check whether there was a communication problem--for example, if you had somehow misunderstood my position as being the opposite of what I intended. Since that doesn't seem to be the case, no, it doesn't matter.