Ok, so I played my 3rd game of the modern era, all against my wife...
I am now, to quote an Americanism, Oh and Three! so she is 100% for all time an quite likes this game..
I was Gladiator, my wife was Ghoul. An interesting mix, one heavily strength based, the other heavily craft
I found it easy to pick up extra Strength, especially as I got a couple of early followers. Then we have the dispute....
She holds 4 objects: Magic Belt, Talisman, Sword, Helmet
She draws Rod of Ruin which says you can use at any time to make another character lose 2 points of Strength/Craft
The wording on the card seemed to imply you did not need to be an encounter with the other character which I felt was wrong
but it was not listed in the fabled FAQ so I allowed the rule that it could be used straight away (I had about 6 extra strength tokens)
However, I insisted that she drop an object in order to take it and pointed out not allowed to re-acquire this object on that turn (Helmet as it happens)
Later in the game I make a bolt for the middle with 12 (17 in battle) Strength and 4 craft and no Fate and no Talisman
However, the Hermit is on the Crypt.
I had earlier picked up the object that I forget the name of now but is an elixir that can gain Fate.
Upon moving to the Crypt, I started to take the Talisman and said that I was drinking the Elixir to make room for it
"No No No - you can't do that - I wasn't allowed to! " was the cry
My argument was that I was using up an object that I already carried, which I could do so at any time and so that was within the rules
and entirely different to wanting to use up an object that you did not yet hold.
This argument fell on deaf ears and so in the end I gave up and dropped an object - the Amulet
That turned out to be crucial.
I got through the Crypt ok and she also make a bolt for the Crown with Strength 4 ,Craft 10, a spell and 4 fate
I took the elixir to get a fate and diced with death.
I rolled a 5 and a 1 !! Re-rolled the 1 and got..... a 1 !!! Lost that one
She makes it through the Mines
I lost again dicing with death with no fate to help me
She had to lose 2 lives/followers in the Vampire's Tower but had the Hag. Were not sure if the Hag counted but she agreed to not count it as I
had been so noble on the last descision.
I had got past death and beat the werewolf no problem, she got held up a turn on the pit fiends by having a stand-off
This left me on werewolf's den having defeated him, she on pit fiends with 3 remaining, both on 2 lives, my turn
I step forward into the Valley of Fire...." wait! .. I wanted to cast a spell on you before you move..."
"I already mov...oh ok....But I have the Amule....oh......ok then...."
Immobility
"Oh **** "
She beats the remaining pit fiends.
I did have a spell, Random, she lost her gold - all one piece of it that she did not need.
Now I go into the Valley of Fire, she follows and attacks me with Psychic Combat, I need a 6 vs 1 to draw. Nope.
She wins, takes a life and adds it to her own. 3 lives vs 1. I am dead man walking.
Got to the crown, cast the Command Spell (which missed!)
She joins me on the crown - R.I.P.
Ok, I should have kept the amulet, it was a rash move to quell an argument and it cost me (I did not need the Orb of Knowledge any more - schoolboy error).
Fate really came into it, I always get stuck on Dice with Death - a purely random square that is no respector of strength.
Fate is your only edge on that square and I had so little to play with.
So, was I correct in that I could have used the elixir then picked up the Talisman from the Hermit ?
Also, does the Hag count as a follower to lose in Vampire's Tower (or Temple or Chasm for that matter)
I thought you could not lose her in that way
