Rule Question: Master Thorn - Mind Meld surge ability + Skill: Inner Fire

By vegasmentat, in Runebound

Master Thorn - Surge Ability

2(Surge Trigger Icons) MIND MELD
For the rest of this combat round, after you take damage from an attack, deal an equal amount of magic damage.

Skill - INNER FIRE
Once per combat round as a combat action, you may exert to trigger the surge ability on your hero.
This allows you to trigger that surge ability more than once per combat round.

If I activate Master Thorn's MIND MELD surge ability twice during a combat round and my opponent then does 2 damage to me does MIND MELD do 2 or 4 damage to my opponent?

You resolve the surge ability twice. This means that you suffer 2 damage; damage is both the trigger for Mind Meld 1 and Mind Meld 2. Mind Meld 1 deals 2 dmg to your foe; Mind Meld 2 deals 2 more dmg. So, you suffer 2, and your enemy takes 4

Hi guys !

I'm new on the Runebound board game, but since I've bought it, I was reading the rules lately.

That said, I must disagree with the possibility of trigger the ability twice.

The rules reference guide says: "Each surge ability cannot be triggered more than once per combat round." (p. 13, "surge abilities").

So,if you trigger the ability "mind meld" using surges, you can't trigger it again using "inner fire" skill.

The purpose of "inner fire" (I believe) is allow you trigger a hero's surge ability without spend the surges you get on your roll (faceup surge tokens), saving the surges on the tokens to trigger the surge's ability from other cards.

Also, you can use "inner fire" to trigger the hero's ability if you don't have enough surges on your roll to do it.

Example 1:

You roll your combat tokens and get no surges on results (faceup tokens). So, you use "inner fire" to trigger your hero's surge ability (mind meld).

Example 2:

You roll your combat tokens and get 1 surge on results (faceup tokens). So, you use "inner fire" to trigger your hero's surge ability (mind meld) and save the surge token. In your next action, you spend that surge token to trigger an ability from your equipment card (as Staff of Light, for example).

(sorry for my english, but I hope you understand my point :) )

Edited by JoaoNeto

Hi guys !

I'm new on the Runebound board game, but since I've bought it, I was reading the rules lately.

That said, I must disagree with the possibility of trigger the ability twice.

The rules reference guide says: "Each surge ability cannot be triggered more than once per combat round." (p. 13, "surge abilities").

So,if you trigger the ability "mind meld" using surges, you can't trigger it again using "inner fire" skill.

Sorry, don't take this the wrong way, but the OP said the wording on the card reads:

"This allows you to trigger that surge ability more than once per combat round. "

according to the golden rules, cards trump rules, so this card has the precedence over the rule you quoted

Ok, just checked the original. Inner Fire definitely allows you to trigger twice per round your hero's special surge ability. It's designed with this purpose.

Ah, ok then !

I didn't receive my Runebound edition yet. Just start reading the rules to share with my friends. So I couldn't the inner fire card skill..

On a first glance, trigger Master Thorn hero's ability twice did looks like a break-game option to me.

But if is legal, so... I will be aware to not let my friends do this combo !

Again, thanks for the clarification !

Edited by JoaoNeto

No probs ;) The game is rich in interesting combinations, and some of them are indeed powerful. Inner Fire grants some real fireworks on the table ;)

Ah, ok then !

I didn't receive my Runebound edition yet. Just start reading the rules to share with my friends. So I couldn't the inner fire card skill..

On a first glance, trigger Master Thorn hero's ability twice did looks like a break-game option to me.

But if is legal, so... I will be aware to not let my friends do this combo !

Again, thanks for the clarification !

Having now played this I can say in all confidence this ability is NOT a "break-game" ability. To use his ability even once to any effectiveness you need to win initiative. To be able to take 2 actions and still have this be effective means your opponents are not playing the monster's tactics very well.

Ok, just checked the original. Inner Fire definitely allows you to trigger twice per round your hero's special surge ability. It's designed with this purpose.

Sorry for necroposting but i didn't play Runeboud from premiere of 3rd edition. ;)

Does anyone have/can confirm description of original (not translated) Inner Fire? Maybe a photo? because this card should imo says:

"Once per combat round as a combat action, you may exert to trigger the surge ability on your hero. This NOT allows you to trigger that surge ability more than once per combat round." ... so simply as for skill allowing to use extert instead of critical effect to trigger surge skill it would be ok as for really cheap (2) ability - while currently it allows Lyssa to deliver 8-10 damage per round... only with surge abbility :/

rules reference, page 13
" If an X surge ability is triggered by another ability, X is considered to be
1 unless otherwise noted".
Does it mean that "inner fire" can activate only 1-surge ability? Becouse if not, do I really can use "Family Heirloom" 3-surge ability by only 1 exert?

Inner fire works on the heroes ability, not on their items

Does Inner fire work only on initial hero's ability? For example, can I activate the surge ability from the "divine missile" skill card?

Uh, ok, I got your doubt now. A "hero surge ability" is the surge ability printed on the hero sheet. Surge abilities coming on items or on skill cards are not triggered by inner fire