Which of these cases is correct: case 3a or case 3b?

1. Grisban the thirsty is knocked out and thus fills his character sheet full of fatigue tokens

2. High mage Quellen activates within 3 spaces of Grisban's hero token (which represents the knocked out hero)

3a. High mage Quellen recovers two fatigue because he is within 3 spaces of Grisban

3b. High mage Quellen does not recover two fatigue because Grisban is currently a hero token and Grisban's hero token does not count as a hero for the purposes of high mage Quellen's hero ability.

High mage Quellen's hero power: "At the start of your turn, you may choose another hero within 3 spaces of you. If the chosen hero has at least 1 fatigue token on his Hero sheet, you recover 1 Fatigue. If he has fatigue tokens equal to his Stamina, you recover 2 Fatigue."

Also, I assume this applies to knocked out heroes like Avric, so Avric's hero ability would not work while Avric was knocked out, correct (his is an aura that allows someone to spend a surge to recover one damage)

3b is correct, for the reasoning you guessed. Hero tokens aren't heroes UNLESS you're considering them heroes for the purpose of an ability which would heal them. For example, the disciple's "Prayer of Healing" could target a hero token. When a hero is knocked out, he's not on the map (his hero token is). Therefore, any abilities which depend on range from his figure don't apply (again, with the exception of abilities which would heal the hero token).

On 10/10/2020 at 11:17 PM, Zaltyre said:

3b is correct, for the reasoning you guessed. Hero tokens aren't heroes UNLESS you're considering them heroes for the purpose of an ability which would heal them. For example, the disciple's "Prayer of Healing" could target a hero token. When a hero is knocked out, he's not on the map (his hero token is). Therefore, any abilities which depend on range from his figure don't apply (again, with the exception of abilities which would heal the hero token).

So my friend is saying that hero tokens count as heroes in the rulebook. Is he correct or is there a difference?

No, he is wrong. See the box titled, "Knocked out heroes" on the top right of rulebook page 15. It says,

Quote

While monster attacks cannot target or affect a knocked out
hero, hero players may only target a knocked out hero with an
ability that would allow the knocked out hero to recover any
amount of damage. For this exception, the knocked out hero’s
hero token is treated as a hero even if another figure occupies
the space containing the hero token.

Note the following key points:

"...hero players may ONLY target a KO hero with an ability that would allow the KO hero to recover damage..."

"... For this exception , the knocked out hero’s hero token is treated as a hero..."

Unless you're healing damage on that KO hero, it's just a token, not a hero .

For a clearer exemple, since Tomble feat allow him to "be removed from the map and be replaced by a hero token", what would be the point to do such if the hero token is still treated as a hero ?

That idea of this feat is to remove his figure and be "unvulnerable", for all purposes : monsters and heroes