Ok, so how does this work? We'll take the ACTI Weapon Trident as an example. Now it says that you can spend a Surge to Gain two MP with this weapon. The question is when and how can you use those Movement points? Must you declare a Move action or can you just use them? If you declared a move action before the attack and used all MP and then surge, can you still move?

Just like MP gained from fatigue, there is NO NEED to declare a move action to use movement points.They can be spent any time during your turn when you are not performing an action. Before doing an action, after finishing an action, or you can interrupt a move action to spend them. If your turn ends, those MP are gone forever.

For an alternate example, the OL card Blinding Speed can be used on a beastman with "Ravage." He can spend his 2 or 6 gained MP to get adjacent to a target and then attack twice- spending MP doesn't require an action. Move actions are just actions which give you MP equal to your speed to spend.

I don´t want to sound like a know-it-all, especially not to someone as well versed with the rules as you zaltyre, but:

Just like MP gained from fatigue, there is NO NEED to declare a move action to use movement points.They can be spent any time during your turn when you are not performing an action. Before doing an action, after finishing an action, or you can interrupt a move action to spend them . If your turn ends, those MP are gone forever.

Isn´t that (bolded statement) false? After all, you can only interrupt a move action to perform another action. While you can technically gain additonal movement points during a move action via fatigue, this does not interrupt the movement action itself, correct?

So, if you started a move action, and interrupted it at some point, wouldn´t it still be considered to be this move action as long as you didn´t explicitly spend the last movement point in your movement pool, which you gained from that movement action. In this case all other movement points which you´d spend before this particular last movement point would be considered to be part of the move action, which means you can trade with adjacent heroes and tripwire can be used by the OL?

I recently tried to wrap my head around the whole movement system in Descent, and after reading everything I could find regarding the matter (and losing a lot of sanity in the process) this was my conclusion. But I suppose I may be wrong with my assumptions, so if you have further insights I would appreciate your opinion on the matter.

Sorry for derailing this threat somewhat from the original toppic

No problem, and it's actually a wonderful, nebulous point you've brought up. There's this goldmine from the FAQ. I've bolded some things:

This is very interesting.

We always played it the same. A move action, or anything else that gives MP's just adds to your pool. As long as you had MP's in your pool you could trade.

But reading the movement and trading item rules, You could not actually trade anything gaining movement points with surges, or any other way besides a move action.

You have to actually use a Move action to trade items.

That is definitely true- if you have not peformed an actual move action, no trading is possible.

The problem is that there's actually two things that are called "move actions"

One is an action that gives you movement points, the other is the action of moving your figure across the board.

Only one of those uses one of your character's actions. It's also really hard to interrupt an action that only gives you MP, but apparently, that's how it works.

I've found it far simpler to simply houserule move actions for consistency and simplicity.

The houserule we play with: Move actions are simply an action which grants you movement points equal to your speed. Nothing else to it. Effects which end move actions (like a tripwire) instead reduce the victims movement points to zero.

Trading requires that the player have used a move action at some point during that turn.

All references to interrupting move actions in the rules are removed.

I've found it far simpler to simply houserule move actions for consistency and simplicity.

The houserule we play with: Move actions are simply an action which grants you movement points equal to your speed. Nothing else to it. Effects which end move actions (like a tripwire) instead reduce the victims movement points to zero.

Trading requires that the player have used a move action at some point during that turn.

All references to interrupting move actions in the rules are removed.

That is an interesting houserule. I don't dislike it, but:

1) Tripwire already reduces a MP pool to zero- that's what "ending a move action" does.

2) When can the OL play "Tripwire"? At any point during a hero turn where the hero has used a move action?

Actually, Tripwire is played when a hero moves into an empty space.

Actually, Tripwire is played when a hero moves into an empty space.

...during a move action.

We removed the "during a move action part" of it. It's just when a hero is moving. Keeps it functionally the same while also simplifying things.

Also allows it to be used sometimes when someone gains a number of movement points but isn't taking a move action.

Right and as you stated, a move action is just adding movement points.

I think Whitewing's houserule works better.

Thanks for your input on the matter! So I was wrong after all... And just after I thought I finally had a grip on the system. I sincerely hope, that 3rd edition at some point in the (far) future simplifies this complicated system (as well all the immobilized condition and it´s exceptions).

I´m not sure yet, if I would want to adapt some kind of house rule, but you guys have some interesting ideas. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

And once again sorry for the derailing.

Nah. As much as I love Descent, I think it has so many rules, that sometimes it trips over itself.

I do like the idea of treating a move action as "gain movement points equal to speed". It does simplify it.

The thing that bugs me most as OL is when you have a tripwire in hand and ready and the heroes decide to fatigue over to where they want to go. Essentially makes tripwire useless in these cases. It's a bit counter intuitive.

I do like the idea of treating a move action as "gain movement points equal to speed". It does simplify it.

The thing that bugs me most as OL is when you have a tripwire in hand and ready and the heroes decide to fatigue over to where they want to go. Essentially makes tripwire useless in these cases. It's a bit counter intuitive.

Tripwire has always been a throwaway card, anyway. Those two are the first to go when I buy new cards.

Trap cards are a pretty iffy way to go. Even Web Trap, which by in large is a very situation based card, that just sometimes doesn't work anyway. I tend to favor Magus cards more.

On 7/15/2015 at 3:04 PM, Zaltyre said:

Just like MP gained from fatigue, there is NO NEED to declare a move action to use movement points.They can be spent any time during your turn when you are not performing an action. Before doing an action, after finishing an action, or you can interrupt a move action to spend them. If your turn ends, those MP are gone forever.

What if Knight with Trident is defeating monster and would like to use "Advance" ability?
Is it possible to:
1) perform attack
2) spend two movement points (from Trident)
3) use "Advance" ability

And another doubt: what if hero performs two attacks - both with surges. I suppose that he can cumulate movements points (2+2) and use them after both attacks. Right?

1) Advance is considered to be an interrupt. As such it is not possible to perform actions or non-actions between the attack that defeated the monster and Advance. Furthermore, as the movement from Advance is not a move action, it cannot be voluntarily interrupted.

2) Yes, all movement points accumulate in the movement point pool and may be spent during the Knight's turn when ever you like. However, actions other than move actions cannot be interrupted to spend movement points.

Ok lets do one more.

Assume Trident is used to gain movement points out of turn, using an ability like Guard (When enemy figure enters an empty space adjacent to this hero, exhaust this card to immediately perform an attack against that figure. After resolving this attack, enemy figure resumes its turn as normal).

So, Knight performs the attack and uses the surge to gain 2 movement points. Can the movement points be spent out of turn?

There was an uFAQ on that some time ago. The answer was that movement points received during another player's turn must be used immediately as an interrupt or be lost.

Then again, in the Shards of Everdark topic there was a question about Trident + One Fist heroic and there it was ruled by FFG that the movement points couldn't be used..

Thanks Sadgit,

So then that would suggest that a Knight using Guard and Advance could attack an enemy figure moving adjacent to them, kill the monster, gain 2 movement points, but could NOT spend them before using Advance to move up to their speed, attack a second monster figure, gaining 2 more movement points (total 4 unspent), and could then immediately move 4 spaces before allowing the OL to resume their turn?

Edit: AtomAge

I think there is some merit to that, since RAW its not your turn, so you cant spend movement points.

@Atom: Good point. My interpretation of this uFAQ focusses on the statement that the movement points need to be spent before the active player resumes his turn. Thus, the attack with the Trident would be resolved, then (and only then) the movement points can be spend as a (second) interrupt. With One Fist's Heroic feat this is not possible as he is knocked out as part of his feat and the feat cannot be interrupted to spend movement points. Thus, no window of opportunity exists to spend those movement points.

@Silidus: Yes, that is exactly my take on this.