I would not suggest/allow heroes to equip armor during an encounter.

By the rules, they are allowed to do this, so I don't think this should be barred. This is also a very useful strategy when playing with someone like Nanok of the Blade. He can equip the armor on rounds where he needs more defense, and take it off when he wants to use his heroic ability.

That's the problem. I try to play "realistic". I frequently ignore rules that don't fit in my opinions. But you should agree, that put an armor is not an easy job. Not to say that if the hero is putting the armor and then casting a spell on the same turn. It's too much for me.

I actually disagree - I regard armour bonuses as raising the maximum amount of HP a character can have, so removing the armour doesn't kill someone that is at 1HP, but just lowers their maximum.

At least that's how it usually works in similar rpgs I have played. Also seems a bit silly that someone would die by undressing

I would say you were right if Descent was like most RPG's, but Descent isn't like most RPG's. Normally your health gets removed, but in Descent you receive damage. This sounds the same but is quite different. In the case that Descent was a 'normal' RPG, Leoric equipped with leather armor would have a max hp of 9, and a remaining health of 1. And by removing the leather armor he just reduced his max hp to 8, but still having 1 health remaining.

But in Descent, where you add damage, he keeps that 8 damage on his frail wizard body at all time. And if his maximum health drops that 8 damage are coming back around and knock him out.

This is exactly what I haven't thought through, yes

I'm used to removing health, not adding damage, so this small difference threw me off. I would definitely argue in favour of the hero being KOed, even if only changing armours.

Thanks Zaltyre. This is a great ruling to add to the glossary I think, under 'Defeated'.

Zaltyre also raises a good point about skills.

I believe it is the SoN campaign quest Nightmares that allows the OL to remove skills from the players (for the duration of the quest)

What happens if you have damage equal to your health, but you have a skill that grants you a bonus... and the OL removes it through a quest specific rule.... Would the hero be knocked out? Would the OL gain threat?

My position (we'll know when FFG responds) is that the hero would indeed be KO. Everything would occur normally since that hero was defeated.

I don't disagree, but you have to admit that a hero who was knocked out in this fashion, by having a skill removed, might be a bit... peeved... at the OL. Faint hearted heroes might even rage-quit the game.

Descent doesn't seem to me like the kind of game for that kind of player. The Overlord player mechanic seals the deal for me.

I have a similar one vs all game called Last Night on Earth, triggering event cards that really mess with you opponents turn is core to the game experience. We lovingly call them "F You Buddy" games. Even the co-op version of Descent has that flavor with perils, if you can't hack it don't go questing in dungeons...

Hey Paul,

If a figure’s total Health is reduced such that there are more damage tokens on his card than his new current health a) the figure is defeated immediately.

Thanks for playing!

Kara Centell-Dunk

Game Developer

Fantasy Flight Games

Should be 'more or equal damage tokens on his card' I presume?

Hey Paul,

If a figure’s total Health is reduced such that there are more damage tokens on his card than his new current health a) the figure is defeated immediately.

Thanks for playing!

Kara Centell-Dunk

Game Developer

Fantasy Flight Games

Should be 'more or equal damage tokens on his card' I presume?

I think so, it wouldn't make sense otherwise....

1.) A hero is defeated if he get's damage tokens up to his maximum in an attack

2.) A hero get's defeated if he get's MORE damage tokens as his maximum from other sources

.... 2.) sounds too wrong to be right IMO

It's "equal." The way I asked the question implied that there might be more damage tokens on the sheet than the current health (have taken 9 damage, health reduced from 10 to 8).