Monsters and Conditions

By thiagolbahia, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Hi All,

So monsters don't have skills (they can't test for might knowledge and others).

Say a player weapon has poison on it if he gets a "lightning". (Apothecary initial weapon)

What happens? the monster is poisoned instantly? So it will die in a few turns, nothing the overlord can do about it? (because poison does damage until you pass a might test).

This sounds to me a bit unfair.

Thanks all

Conditions are only applied when the target suffers at least damage from the attack. Exceptions to this rule are explicit written on the cards.

If the requirement to remove a certain condition, for example poison, is to pass a test, than yes the monster can not perform this test and it will die in a few turns. There are however a few overlord card which allow the overlord to remove conditions from a monster. But yes poison on monsters is a nice way to reduce their hit points without further fighting.

Edited by Funkfried

Also, keep in mind that the OL usually gets to summon reinforcements, adn the Heroes do not.

The fact that monsters (as opposed to lieutenants) cannot remove conditions offsets this a bit.

The above answers are correct- I would just advise a word of caution on your terminology- "skills" refers to the class cards that heroes have, while "attributes" refers to the values that you use to test. This will significantly affect your reading of certain cards, like the "cursed" condition.

Some conditions require you to do 1 damage, but not all. Case in point(unless I'm wrong) the Light Hammer allows you to spend a Surge to Stun. Even if the target isn't damaged there is a stun.

Some conditions require you to do 1 damage, but not all. Case in point(unless I'm wrong) the Light Hammer allows you to spend a Surge to Stun. Even if the target isn't damaged there is a stun.

That is incorrect. Hero weapons are not excluded from that rule just because there isn't enough room on the card for them to write all of that extra text that's on monster cards. "Surge: Condition" always requires a damage be dealt unless:

1) it says (even if this attack didn't deal any wound)

or

2) If there is a separate trigger for the condition, such as an attribute test (rather than spending a surge.) For example, the geomancer's "Quaking Word" causes monsters within 2 spaces of a summoned stone to test awareness, and become stunned if they fail- no damage is required because the attribute test is the trigger, not the surge spent.

Edited by Zaltyre

Dang. Well I've been doing it wrong then.

Dang. Well I've been doing it wrong then.

Again- these little rules that I'm sure make all the difference in some people's experience of this game's balance. OL getting stomped? Perhaps it's because you're playing that the heroes can inflict conditions whether or not the attack is successfully defended, but monsters can't.

Edited by Zaltyre

Some conditions require you to do 1 damage, but not all. Case in point(unless I'm wrong) the Light Hammer allows you to spend a Surge to Stun. Even if the target isn't damaged there is a stun.

The only exception I'm aware of, as mentioned in the FAQ, is that shield that inflicts Stun on a different enemy other than the target. They've said that one doesn't need to deal damage since you're not even hitting the figure that's getting Stunned. In general, however, conditions always require 1 damage be dealt, unless stated otherwise.

Edited by Steve-O

Yep, yep. Kinda like that Flash Powder Item, where it requires a test by the hero.

It's my fault though for not knowing the rules better.

There's no shame in missing a rule- I do it all the time.

There are a few other exceptions, but those clearly indicate such on the cards. For instance, there is a Stalker skill that lets you weaken the target on Surge, even if you don't deal damage. There is also a weapon that lets you Poison the target even without dealing damage. But in both cases, the card specifically says "even if you don't deal damage" :)

There's no shame in missing a rule- I do it all the time.

I for one call shenanigans. I find it hard to believe you have missed a rule, let alone that it happens "all the time".