Here's the situation:

Player 2's turn:

Player 1 (1 life) is on the CoC

Player 2 (2 life) moves from VoF to CoC.

Player 2 attacks Player 1.

Player 1 casts Finger of Death ( Cast on any character or creature who you are about to engage in battle. If cast on a character, he loses 2 lives. If cast on a creature, it is killed. Enemies killed may be taken as trophies. )

Player 2 responds by casting Summon Phoenix ( Cast when you are about to engage in battle. The Phoenix fights in your place with a Strength of 5. If the Phoenix wins the battle, the Enemy is killed or the opposing character loses 1 life. If the Phoenix loses, your turn immediately ends. Enemies killed may be taken as trophies. )

Question: Does the Phoenix (who is now the creature about to be engaged in battle) or Player 2 (the original target of the spell) die from Finger of Death ?

Thanks in advance,

WtS

Wonko the Sane said:

Phoenix.

Thing is, there is no casting in response as such in Talisman (barring Reflection/Counterspell), no stack of spells to be resolved in some LIFO manner. Each Spell is cast and taken on its own. However, since player #2 is the attacker, I'd give him the first dibs of casting a Spell, if he casts Phoenix, okay, if he doesn't, player #1 can cast Finger of Death and kill player #2 before any Phoenix appears.

That is assuming player #2 states he is attacking in battle, not psychic combat, since FoD only works pre-battle.

I agree with You Dam about the lack of LIFO and stacking. But both of players are about to engage in battle, so both of them can cast Spells. Rules also don't precise the priority of the Spells that being cast during Step number 2:

2. Cast Spells
Both characters have the opportunity to cast Spells before
the dice can be rolled. Any effects or abilities that affect a
character’s Strength or Craft must be implemented before
the attack roll is made.

According to that, all the Spells are being cast in the same time, so FoD will affect Phoenix, not the Character, who summoned it.

Spell-casting rules, especially with regard to spells in combat, but timing of them in general as well, is one of the things I most want clarified in the next/future FAQ version(s).

i use the following turn sequence for pvp combat

1 character declares either psychic combat or battle

2 defender declares any evade abilities including evade spells resolve evade actions

3 attacker declares intent on casting combat spells and places them face down on table

4 defender declares intent on casting combat spells and place face down on table

5 defender spells are turned over and act first (any inturuption spells can be played to counter the defender spells)

6 attacker spells are turned over and act next (any inturruption spells can be played to counter the attacker spells)

7 combat happens dice rolls and done (if allowed) combat resolved

8 winner declares reward (on reward choice events happen)

9 loser activates any reward counter measures (if any)

10 reward either happens or does not happen

11 on reward events happen (if any)

12 end of combat

Dam said:

Amen, brother.

There will be always situations which don't have a clear rulewise answer (especially in Talisman with so many cards & character abilities). Whenever we face such a situation where both players have good (=logical) arguments and can't agree we solve the situation with a classic: both roll a D6 - the winners' argument takes precedence, proceed with the game...

And: it wouldn't be the first time a game is decided by a single D6 roll