This was brought up in last nights game. I am the tank guy and I have taunt...seems to work well for Range and Magic but how does it work for Melee? The question posed is this: If a enemy figure walks past me to attack another figure who is 3 steps from me can I tell him to stop and attack me?

No. Taunt works when a monster declares an attack. If it's a melee attack, and the monster isn't adjacent to you when the attack is declared (and doesn't have Reach), then it can't legally target you, and is therefore not compelled to do so.

Similarly, a ranged or magic attacker can move to a location where they don't have line-of-sight to you (example: behind another monster) and then attack another hero without being taunted. The heroes need to position themselves rather carefully to take full advantage of Taunt.

I don't see what part of this question is specific to RtL, though...

I understand but why would the OL move a piece pass you if he wasn't going to attack someone, really must it be declared? I don't know how other people run there games but our OL is always attacking and then running back. The only reason for an OL to move a melee character pass you is if he is attacking a fellow warrior so the declaration seems to be a mute point.

Sorry about the RTL that was an accident

Idontunderstand said:

Why would his motivation for moving past you have any effect? Descent's a competitive game, the overlord is your opponent, he's not expected to declare his plans in advance and he is expected to manipulate the mechanics to his advantage.

One could conceivably create a house rule for Taunt that makes it work any way you want, but what the card actually says is that it works when an attack is declared. It's presumably not intended to cause every monster to attack you every time; it has limited power so that the overlord can employ counter-strategies.

But we as heroes are expected to let the OL know our plans in advance? Heroes are forever stating that we are doing, a ready action, a run or an advance before we move. Interesting? So if the OL decalres his attack before moving by accident I could stop him because it was declared correct?

Idontunderstand said:

If the OL declares an attack before moving, then the attack occurs before movement. The attack occurs when it is declared, not later in the turn.

Also, the OL doesn't have to declare an action for his monsters because they don't have any options. Monsters basically always get an advance action.

Idontunderstand said:

You seem to be mixing up a bunch of different terms.

Monsters are a ctivated . During their activation , they may move according to their speed and make one attack . Their attack may be at any point of their turn, before they move, mid move, or after they move. At the point which they choose, the OL declares the monster is attacking , makes his attack , and then continues on with any leftover movement.

Heroes are activated , do step 1 and 2 (refresh, re-equip etc), then declare an action (battle/run/advance/ready). The hero can then do any movement and/or attacks in any order.

Taunt triggers when a monster attack is declared . That is the only time it works.

So, if monster A with speed 4 activates, moves 2 spaces, attacks Hero B, then moves 2 more spaces, the actual sequence goes;
1. OL - "I activate monster A"
2. OL - "Monster A moves here and here"
3. OL - "Monster A attacks hero B" (declaration of attack, triggers Taunt)
4. Hero C (with Taunt) - "I Taunt Monster A"
5. players determine whether monster A is eligible right now to attack hero C (in LOS and within 5 spaces if ranged/magic, adjacent if melee, within 2 spaces if Monster A has Reach). If yes, monster A attacks hero C. If no, monster A attacks hero B.
6. The attack is completed
7. OL - "Monster A moves here and here".
(8/1.) OL - "I activate monster D"

I understand how you guys are ruling taunt. I just want to confirm this example.

Beatman can move 4 spaces. He moves 2 spaces adjacent to heroA

HeroB has taunt and LOS to beastman but is 1 space away so the beatman cannot attack him. However after overlord declares the attack can a taunt force the beastman to use his moment to reach the hero taunting?

I am assuming no because when an overlord declares an attack he can no longer move and must attack something before he can move again.

Dred said:

You are correct (assuming you mean two spaces away, or one space between), the beastman cannot attack hero B at the moment of attack declaration , so does not have to.

And it is not 'us ruling it'/ It is how the card is written. See also the FAQ ruling on Taunt interaction with Morph, where even if the monster has the ability to make a ranged or magic attack if it declares a melee attack it does not have to attack the Taunting hero who is not in melee range..

This sounds like MMO-holdover. There is no aggro in Descent. There are no threat meters. The monsters will pick on the weakest link in the chain every single time if given the option.

In Descent, the "tank's" job is to be the toughest nut to crack, and to put himself into positions when he is the ONLY viable target (thus, mitigating as much incoming damage as possible). The taunt skill allows you to do this against the things that have range or magic, without it, your only method of preventing party damage is LoS.

If you want to prevent melee damage to the party, get a skill like grapple, so monsters CANT move past you. Or make sure that you are far enough ahead of the party that they just cant reach the rest of them.