Couple o' Rule Q's: Definition of "gain" // Immortal McGlenn?

By ishinken, in Arkham Horror Second Edition

We played a game with the GOO Rhan and one investigator was McGlenn, and a couple of issues occured.

Q1: How can this be a valid scenario? McGlenn is immortal against this boss. When he has 1 stamina left, he will automatically reduce the damage gained to 0.

Q2: How does the extra hits the boss accumulates work? The only way we thought made sence is that once ALL doom tokens are gone from the boss you start removing the extra hit points (since that's how you do it right? Each stamina the boss drains = one more success)

Q3: What is the real definition of GAIN in this game? McGlenn's personal story mission says: "if Michael gains 5$ or more..." Does this mean you keep track of ALL money you get at all times? If an event tells you you recieve 2$, you keep that in your mind that if you ever get 3$ more you loose the mission? Of do you have to get 5$ at any ONE time and it has to say you GAIN 5$?

Q1: I would say the damage cannot be prevented OR because the Stamina is lost from a die roll and not due to a "direct" attack then his ability does not apply.

Q2: Yup the doom token removal is an easy way to track the remaining successes. What is important is the total number of successes you need, not doom tokens themselves.

Q3: I think its total money earned. Other personal stories or abilites will say "...must be gained at the same time".

Q1: This issue came up when Rhan was previewed to the public before Innsmouth's release. Kevin has clarified that nothing can prevent the stamina loss from R-T's attack. This of course includes Food, Enchanted Jewelry, and other such effects.

Q3: I never figured this out. I assumed that tracking $5 TOTAL would be a bit difficult (and it is not mentioned on the card, like tracking Skids's clue tokens), so I assumed it was $5 or more all at once. A clarification would be nice.

I have tended to play the harsher route of gaining $5 total. This one is a bit unclear, I'm not sure myself. But in any case, should you choose to play it as I do, I don't find it too difficult to keep track. Each time McGlen gains 1 or more dollars, put an equal number of dollars/clue tokens on his PS card, just as you would for say, Amanda Sharpe's unique items, or Marie Lambeau's spells. If the card has $5 or more, Michael fails.

On a side note, I had this one game where I was playing McGlen. Things were going swell at the beginning for Michael, nearly full health, and 4 monsters down 1 to go. He had just finished off some monsters guarding a gate (which brought him up to the 4) and with a borrowed Elder Sign, things were looking good. Hadn't gained any money, and already gave most of mine to other shoppers. Naturally he had his will at the highest possible. First OW encounter: Fight (-2) to lever back the lid of a stone chest (1 dice rolled... sucess.. d'oh) Gain $8!. Grr!!

Tibs said:

Q1: This issue came up when Rhan was previewed to the public before Innsmouth's release. Kevin has clarified that nothing can prevent the stamina loss from R-T's attack. This of course includes Food, Enchanted Jewelry, and other such effects.

Would this stay true for each and every GOO attack? Like you are not able to use Research materials if the GOO's attack includes discarding Clue Tokens?

to be perfectly honest, I was never happy with this ruling. While I see the point, I think it could have been done a bit more elegantly. Of course, I understand the ruling was probably made in haste with Innsmouth shipping to the distributors, but I hope for a different solution in the upcoming FAQ.

For one, I would like to see Food/ Jewelry have it's effect to help out against R-Ts attack. He's a pretty vicious AO, and it makes people want to go up and buy food at the store, which I think is a plus. As far as Michael, I would have prefered a simple rule that applies just to him which still allows his ability to be helpful. Perhaps: In final combat against R-T, if Michael is reduced to 1 stamina, he is Devoured.

No, just with Rhan-Tegoth. Think of "blood draining by a giant crustacean" as fundamentally different than regular stamina loss. Eating food, for example, won't replenish your blood supply.

Personally, I've been rallying to make the rule official that you can never gain clue tokens in final battle (like how you can't gain money). In this way, both clue shotgunning and Roland/Nyarlathotep will be addressed.

*shrugs* I dunno, I think that a nice steak dinner could help you out against a giant blood sucking crustacean at least as much as it does against the earthquakes caused by a Cthonian, or the ravages of a rampant shoggoth.

Sorry, I should have quoted ishinken. I meant to say that the restriction only applies to Rhan-Tegoth. You could use Food or McGlen's ability against Yig's or Ithaqua's attack, for example.

However, you could not discard Research Materials instead of discarding a clue token during a relevant AO's attack, because Research Materials only says you can "spend" it instead of spending a clue. It will not save you against an attack from Nyarlathotep or any other AO that requires clues to be discarded.