Hello,

We've had some good discussion on this, and I can't find a ruling on these forums or BGG, but wanted to ask before submitting to FFG.

If an action is spent to cast Cloud of Mist and it's active (card is exhausted) while the casting hero is defeated/knocked out, does Cloud of Mist still stay active?

We've been playing that it stays active, as the card reads "While this card is exhausted..." However, there's the rule "A hero cannot use skills or abilities while knocked out, unless an effect specifically allows it.", but using a skill/ability is never really defined.

Anyone have an official ruling?

Thanks!

The card has no effect once the spiritspeaker is KO because the spiritspeaker is no longer on the map. Therefore, no spaces fit the requirement of "within 3 spaces of you."

Thanks Zaltyre. Looks like you are correct.

Here is FFG's official response:

A hero cannot use skills or abilities while knocked out, unless an effect specifically allows it.” (Rules of Play, p 15) In the case of Cloud of Mist which would have been used before knock out, it would still NOT be active, as a knocked-out hero is not considered on the map for any purpose other than healing, so it’d be impossible to have another hero within 3 spaces of the Spiritspeaker.

Sometimes I feel like they just wait for Zaltyre to respond, and then reply "what he said"

Sometimes I feel like they just wait for Zaltyre to respond, and then reply "what he said"

Descent's rule system is mostly consistent- I like that.

It's the way they covered the exact same points with similar wording....

I thought it was hilarious but I do understand that the language is similar because it's in the rulebook.

So as I understand it if you exhaust a card/skill that does not require the hero to be present on the map then it would still be active. I don't have my cards with me at the moment but I'm sure I could find an example in one of the class decks.

It also makes thematic sense for cloud of mist to dissipate since the caster is now unconscious.

So as I understand it if you exhaust a card/skill that does not require the hero to be present on the map then it would still be active. I don't have my cards with me at the moment but I'm sure I could find an example in one of the class decks.

You are correct. A good example is the Stalker ability "Easy Prey".

Exhaust this card to perform an attack. Before rolling dice, place 1 trap token in the closest empty space adjacent to the target. While this card is exhausted, each attack targeting a monster adjacent to a trap token gains Pierce 1.

The Stalker's presence on the map is not required for this effect, only the trap token. Thus, if a monster is targeted by an attack adjacent to a trap it still gets Pierce 1 until the Stalker begins their turn and refreshes "Easy Prey".

I do have one question that I'm not sure has been answered in a similar vein. On a quest in which heroes are allowed to 'move off the map', do they never get to activate afterwards? If so, then I assume this means their cards will never refresh until the end of the encounter and could allow for minor exploits of card abilities such as this never wearing off.

The alternative possibility is that heroes that are not on the map still activate, but they can't do anything. This opens up headaches such as what happens if a hero dies of poison while they are not on the map though..

Heroes that are not on the map do not activate unless what they're doing is returning to the map (stand up, tomble's or zyla's heroic feat, etc.)

At least, that is how we play. This is mainly because the side effects of allowing them to activate while off the map are way, way worse than the alternative. (Think of an unkillable prophet continuously distibuting the insight token, or a wildlander repeatedly using danger sense).

Another "effect" that does not vanish is the apothecary's elixirs.

Once they are given, they remain until used or end of scenario/quest. The apothecary doesn't need to be present for the hero to be able to use them to heal.