Two Familiar-related Questions

By Charmy, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Hey everyone,

Two quick familiar questions for any of the rules gurus who have time.
I did some basic research, but I want to confirm these before a session next week.

1) Are figures that are treated as heroes (e.g. familiars, allies) affected by hero *skills*? This means the hero class cards (e.g. Prayer of Healing, Stoneskin, Song of Mending). Also does a treasure hunter retain his Delver damage bonus while adjacent to a Wolf or Reanimate, but not any other heroes?

I already know it was officially ruled that familiars are affected by hero *abilities*. This means that the wolf may spend a surge to recover 1 health when near Avric Albright and heals when missed while near Augur Grisom, for example.

What about Heroic Feats? Can they affect familiars?

3) If Sahla uses his heroic feat to copy the Necromancer's Raise Dead ability or the Beastmaster's Bound by the Hunt ability do they get a brand new familiar? If so, I imagine we will have to use a proxy reanimate/wolf for Sahla to use if the real Necromancer/Beastmaster are already using the familiar token. That is the only interpretation of this that makes sense to me.

I would also assume that because it is Sahla's own familiar, it will linger until it dies (e.g. he doesn't need to still have the skill on subsequent turns to retain control) and does *not* inherit any of the bonuses that the Necromancer/Beastmaster's class skills have for their familiar (e.g. Vampiric Blood)

This question also applies to Sahla copying the Geomancer's Terracall ability, or the Conjurer's Mirror Image. I would assume that means Sahla gains possession of his own personal Summoned Stone/Images until they die. He does not inherit any of the bonuses that come from additional Geomancer/Conjurer skill cards. However, he will get any of the abillities that the familiar has on the card itself, such as the bonus surge from the Summoned Stone while a monster is adjacent to it.

Edited by Charmy

"Hero abilities" in this context refers to skills, hero sheet ability, feat, gear.

So if the TH is adjacent to the wolf, he is adjacent to a hero as far as TH skills are concerned. Divine fury can give a yellow die to the reanimate.

Sahla does not get any of the other skill bonuses. He only copies one skill, so if he copied "raise dead" he would only get a blue/red reanimate even if the necro had vampiric blood.

"Hero abilities" in this context refers to skills, hero sheet ability, feat, gear.

Wow, it refers to *all* of these things? Even gear? That's quite interesting. I had no idea that it applied so broadly. What about search cards? Can you administer, say, a healing potion to a wolf?

I wish there was a way better definition of 'hero abilities' than what the rule book provides. For example, I know I've read a ruling that *ally* abilities, such as Serena's healing aura does not work on herself or familiars. Getting all these nuances straight is a full time job :P

Sahla does not get any of the other skill bonuses. He only copies one skill, so if he copied "raise dead" he would only get a blue/red reanimate even if the necro had vampiric blood.

So he does get a brand new reanimate then, which would mean I would need a proxy right?

I think so- I have never used Sahla in that way.

Ally abilities are not hero abilities, and therefore "hero" just means "hero".

I think you could use a health potion on a familiar, but a familiar cannot use or carry search cards, remember. Also, the reanimate cannot ever recover wound.

But yes, very definitely, hero ability means "ability of a hero" and includes at the very least abilities printed on hero and class cards. I have never explicitly asked about gear/ search cards, I'll submit that to FFG to be sure.

Rules Question:

Familiars treated as figures get to be considered heroes for "hero abilities." For clarification, which of the following does that include? a) hero sheet ability b) hero sheet feat c) class skills d) gear equipped to a hero e) search cards held by a hero Thanks!


Answer:


Yes, “hero abilities” include each item in your list. A familiar gets to be considered a hero for Hero sheet abilities, heroic feats, skill cards, equipment, and search cards held by a hero.


Thanks, as always, for playing,

Kara Centell-Dunk

Game Developer

Fantasy Flight Games

Rules Question:
Familiars treated as figures get to be considered heroes for "hero abilities." For clarification, which of the following does that include? a) hero sheet ability b) hero sheet feat c) class skills d) gear equipped to a hero e) search cards held by a hero Thanks!
Answer:
Yes, “hero abilities” include each item in your list. A familiar gets to be considered a hero for Hero sheet abilities, heroic feats, skill cards, equipment, and search cards held by a hero.
Thanks, as always, for playing,
Kara Centell-Dunk
Game Developer
Fantasy Flight Games

Great to know!

Thanks Zaltyre! 'Hero abilities' is another definition that belongs in your glossary methinks!