Hi all,

how is Sledgehammer supposed to work? I have many doubts about it:

1) The +1 to Fight checks is active even if you are not equipping it, just as the Lantern, right? So, even if you are not using it in combat because you equip other weapons you get +1 die?

2) If you are actually using it in combat, it adds +3 "combat" dice +1 "fight" die = +4 dice?

3) Are you supposed to equip it in combat in order to reduce monster thoughness?

I would like to answer:

1) No

2) +3

3) No

otherwise it seems overpowered and antithematic (specially in (1) and (3): how do you wield the hammer while firing a Tommy Gun?) but wording suggest me the opposite.

Thanks in advance.

1) Considering that you don't really equip weapons outside of combat I would think that you get the +1 to fight just for having the hammer, I mean you can put down your tommy gun and pick up a sledge hammer to bust open a door.

2) I initially thought +3 not even considering the possibility of the bonuses being stackable. I personally would rule +3 but could be wrong here.

3) Do you have to have a shotgun equipped to get double successes on 6? I would think it's the same thing.

Written in the same style as Makeup Kit and Telescope, I would consider it:

+1 to Fight checks (but not Combat checks)
+3 to Combat checks (2-handed)

That would be a pretty big typo, Tibs. I personally think it's +1 to Fight Checks, +4 to Combat Checks. The idea being it's an effective weapon, but it's still a little help when closing a Lurkified Gate (on which the Lurker expansion seems to be focused).

jgt7771 said:

Oh BLEH. I just floated a pic of the card past one of my cultists (Pizza), as well as two "normal" people who don't know the first thing about Arkham Horror (just had to explain "Fight", "Combat", and "Check"), and NONE of them agreed with me. Thus, I can only deduce that I am WRONG.

So I take it back, Tibs, and I'll be playing it as you suggest.

Well don't take your non-Arkham friends too seriously in the matter. Even after explaining the relationship between Combat and Fight, they still might not quite "get" it like we do.

They might be seeing "+1 apple, +3 oranges" when in fact it could very well be, "+1 fruit, +3 oranges."

Although further analyzing the card:

Bonus: +3 to Combat checks and +1 to Fight checks.

Reduce the toughness of monsters you fight by 1 to a minimum of 1 (this does not affect their value as trophies).

Hands: 2

Price: $6

Just the fact that Combat is listed before Fight implies (to me at least) that the Fight bonus isn't applied during combat. And, the fact that it reduces a monster's toughness on top of all of that? For only $6 I'd say that the Fight bonus shouldn't count.

After re-reading Telescope and Shotgun wordings, this is how Sledgehammer should be written in my opinion:

Physical Weapon

+ 3 to Combat checks

+ 1 to Fight checks (but not to Combat checks)

Any phase: When using Sledgehammer in combat, reduce the toughness of monsters you fight by 1 to a minimum of 1.

Oh hey...are we to assume that we can use the toughness-reducing clause against Physically Immune monsters? And Lloigor? Just like the Shotgun? 'Cuz this trend is getting sillier every time it comes up. At least the Sledgehammer is less effective (than the Shotgun) against the noncorporeal.

Probably it is time to reformulate Physical/Magical/Weapon Immunity as "Weapons/Spells of matching type cannot be equipped when figthing immune monsters/AO", though this will prevent us from using Bind Monster against Colour...

How about "weapons/spells granting combat check bonuses can't be used against monsters with immunity X". Any items that would get left out? At least Bind Monster would be in, since it doesn't grant anything to combat checks.

A "+1 to Fight" isn't the same as a "+1 to Fight checks." An investigator's Fight *score* is applied to Fight checks and to Combat checks. But how could a Fight *check* be applied to a Combat check? It doesn't make any sense. Ergo, the Combat bonus is +3.

sorry to necro this thread, but I was wondering with how it was worded, does the sledgehammer reduction of toughness apply even if you aren't using it?

also, how does sledgehammer apply when fighting the ancient one?

In final battle, no toughness reduction since an AO doesn't have any toughness. But you can get the +1 Fight or the +3 Combat, as you wish.

As for the toughness reduction... even if technically you should be allowed to have that always active (e.g: the Bullwhip grants you to reroll one die even if you're not using it), most of us houseruled that you have to wield it to have the toughness of a monster being actually reduced (otherwise it's thematically odd: "hey, you! Look at the hammer in my backpac! You're more fragile now, right?")

Julia,

+3 Combat, right? And I love the idea of it being activated in the backpack...best backpack ever!

Cheers,

Joe

Good catch, Joe, thanks

Julia,

Always, my friend.

Ciao,

Joe

(otherwise it's thematically odd: "hey, you! Look at the hammer in my backpac! You're more fragile now, right?")

I'm not sure if appeal to theme is justified here. I see it more like a compromise between the gameplay and theme. Just like for example the skill sliders. Only speed/sneak makes sense, fight/will and lore/luck look like being pulled out of someone's behind for the sake of gameplay, otherwise they're totally illogical.

Hmmm.... according to the FAQ the +3 Combat modifier is for Combat checks. Obviously!

But the +1 Fight modifier is for all Fight chacks that are not Combat checks.

As far as I'm concerned if you want the +3 available in a combat situation you need to have that weapon equiped. But I'm not so sure about the +1 Fight check modifier outside of combat.

Lee, the point about the FAQ is that you don't get a total of +4 when using the Sledgehammer in combat. The +1 Fight could come in handy for other reasons (smashing gates more effectively, for instance, or passing Fight checks due to encounters)

Klaymen: good point about the theme and gameplay compromises. Still, I'd not allow any of my players to have a toughness reduction due to a non-equipped Sledgehammer. It's too a strong bonus that could unbalance strongly the game (a -1 toughness is equal, statistically, to 3 dice bonus)

Klaymen,

I agree wholeheartedly with Julia...if you don't have the Sledgehammer in your hands, you can't possibly influence the toughness of an encountered monster.

Ciao,

Joe

But does the Sledgehammer need to be equiped to gain the +1 Fight (outside of combat situations)?

Yes.

The point is the "additional ability" of an item. Tecnically, it should work even when unequipped; practically, in case of the sledgehammer, we houseruled you have to equip it to get the extra toughness reduction.

It just seems a bit odd.

For instance say I draw a typical OW encounter that says, "Pass a Fight check to lever open the lid of a stone chest." Are you saying that just because I didn't use the Sledgehammer in a previous and completely unrelated Combat encounter I can't use it now to help me lever open a chest, even though I'm still assumed to be carrying it?!

Maybe it's too much trouble to get it out of my backpack.

Lee 418,

Oh, no, that's not what Julia's saying at all...in the case of the OW card, you will ABSOULTELY gain the +1 Fight benefit to make the attempt in opening the lid.

Cheers,

Joe

Lee 418,

Oh, no, that's not what Julia's saying at all...in the case of the OW card, you will ABSOULTELY gain the +1 Fight benefit to make the attempt in opening the lid.

Cheers,

Joe

Hmmm.....

In post 21 I said: " But does the Sledgehammer need to be equiped to gain the +1 Fight (outside of combat situations)? "

In post 22 Julia replied: " Yes "

I think there's been a misunderstanding somewhere.

I agree that you need to have the Sledgehammer equiped in Combat to gain combat bonuses and the toughness reduction special ability. But outside of Combat I think you gain the +1 Fight bonus just by virtue of possessing the Sledgehammer.

So if I draw an OW encounter that reads: " A crazed, half-dead explorer attacks you. Pass a Fight check to overcome him ." I automatically receive +1 Fight from the Sledgehammer, regardless of whether or not I equiped it in a previous Combat situation.