Rules Questions

By Musha Shukou, in Arkham Horror Second Edition

Posted at

I just played my first game with the new expansion, Lurker at the Threshold, and it was a huge hit! Ran into a few situations that caused discussion, though, so I need to ask the questions here:

1. When you are losing Stamina or Sanity to gain power, as in the Upkeep function of a Blood or Soul pact, is it a cost or a loss? As in, can Harvey Walters gain 2 power by losing 1 Sanity with a Soul Pact? The wording on the pact card does say "lose."

2. If a player discards an ally for something like the "The Stars are Right" mythos (www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/The_Stars_Are_Right) or sacrifices an ally for something like the "Joining the Winning Team" mission (http://www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/Joining_the_Winning_Team) and he has a bound ally pact on that ally, is the pact also discarded? What happens to that pact?

3. One of the reckoning cards says to lose sanity if you have power. If you have a blood pact, can you spend power as part of this loss?

4. Can investigators that can not be arrested ie: Mark Harrigan and Tommy Muldoon, still be arrested in Innsmouth? Also, if an investigator is arrested in one of the other towns, ie: Dunwich, Kingsport, does he go to the jail in Arkham?

5. Please clarify what the word 'cast' means for spells. Does 'cast' mean a successful check or an attempt? If it says cast and exhaust and you fail, can you try the check again paying the Sanity cost with each attempt, and then exhaust once you've been successful? Or, once you roll an unsuccessful check, do you exhaust? The same goes for cast and discard- Do you get one attempt for the 'cast and discard' and if you fail, that's it?

Posted at

Musha Shukou said:

1. When you are losing Stamina or Sanity to gain power, as in the Upkeep function of a Blood or Soul pact, is it a cost or a loss? As in, can Harvey Walters gain 2 power by losing 1 Sanity with a Soul Pact? The wording on the pact card does say "lose."

2. If a player discards an ally for something like the "The Stars are Right" mythos (www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/The_Stars_Are_Right) or sacrifices an ally for something like the "Joining the Winning Team" mission (http://www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/Joining_the_Winning_Team) and he has a bound ally pact on that ally, is the pact also discarded? What happens to that pact?

3. One of the reckoning cards says to lose sanity if you have power. If you have a blood pact, can you spend power as part of this loss?

4. Can investigators that can not be arrested ie: Mark Harrigan and Tommy Muldoon, still be arrested in Innsmouth? Also, if an investigator is arrested in one of the other towns, ie: Dunwich, Kingsport, does he go to the jail in Arkham?

5. Please clarify what the word 'cast' means for spells. Does 'cast' mean a successful check or an attempt? If it says cast and exhaust and you fail, can you try the check again paying the Sanity cost with each attempt, and then exhaust once you've been successful? Or, once you roll an unsuccessful check, do you exhaust? The same goes for cast and discard- Do you get one attempt for the 'cast and discard' and if you fail, that's it?

I do not have the Lurker expansion yet, so I can answer only to some of your questions, sorry! Anyway:

1. in general, the wording "lose" implies a "loss", so, I'd say it's a loss (obviously, not sure since I don't have the cards)

4. Mark and Tommy cannot be arrested in Innsmouth; so they're pretty useful once Martial law is declared

5. Cast and exhaust means that after the check, the spell is exhausted and the sanity payed regardless of the result your rolled; so you cannot cast twice in a row the same spell, even if able to spend the required sanity. The only way to cast it again is to have two copies of the same spell with you (for example, two wither). But beware, the hands used while casting an unsuccessfull spell are used until the next round of combat, this means you may not cast wither, fail wither and then cast a dreaded curse of Azathoth in the same round.

Posted at

Musha Shukou said:

I just played my first game with the new expansion, Lurker at the Threshold, and it was a huge hit! Ran into a few situations that caused discussion, though, so I need to ask the questions here:

1. When you are losing Stamina or Sanity to gain power, as in the Upkeep function of a Blood or Soul pact, is it a cost or a loss? As in, can Harvey Walters gain 2 power by losing 1 Sanity with a Soul Pact? The wording on the pact card does say "lose."

2. If a player discards an ally for something like the "The Stars are Right" mythos (www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/The_Stars_Are_Right) or sacrifices an ally for something like the "Joining the Winning Team" mission (http://www.arkhamhorrorwiki.com/Joining_the_Winning_Team) and he has a bound ally pact on that ally, is the pact also discarded? What happens to that pact?

3. One of the reckoning cards says to lose sanity if you have power. If you have a blood pact, can you spend power as part of this loss?

4. Can investigators that can not be arrested ie: Mark Harrigan and Tommy Muldoon, still be arrested in Innsmouth? Also, if an investigator is arrested in one of the other towns, ie: Dunwich, Kingsport, does he go to the jail in Arkham?

5. Please clarify what the word 'cast' means for spells. Does 'cast' mean a successful check or an attempt? If it says cast and exhaust and you fail, can you try the check again paying the Sanity cost with each attempt, and then exhaust once you've been successful? Or, once you roll an unsuccessful check, do you exhaust? The same goes for cast and discard- Do you get one attempt for the 'cast and discard' and if you fail, that's it?

You should read The initial Impressions of Lurker thread (a bunch of Lurker issues come up, and no, they don't have definite resolution, but you'll get guidelines about what design problems you should be aware of in advance when playing with the expansion, so you at least play consistently).

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_foros_discusion.asp?efid=5&efcid=1&efidt=351190&efpag=0