Carification Questions

By HyeJinx1984, in Arkham Horror Second Edition

Hey guys. I'm basically just going through my cards and seeing if there's anything that would come up in a situation where I wouldn't know what the right thing to do is. Here's the first batch of questions, will add more as time goes on. Some may sound noobish, I apologize. Most of these are in relation to the base game... will work through the expansions in the coming days.

1. When you get a skill like Psychology that says add +1 to will checks, does that also include horror checks or is it specific ONLY to will checks? Same question for all other similarly related skills/checks.

2. Flesh Ward. Do you cast this after you’ve taken damage, or do you cast it before taking damage and designate “the source” (a monster) beforehand?

3. Blue Watcher of the Pyramid. Can you lose 2 stamina and discard this card to succeed in combat against any monster? Even the Dunwich Horror?

4. Can you use ‘Silver Key’ to immediately engage an elusive monster as well?

5. Bank Loan: is there any penalty for not being able to discard $1 and you have NO items in your inventory? I know SOME players (I won’t name any names) intentionally trade all their items to another player and try to get a 1 so they can get rid of the card (then get their items traded back to them) but this does seem like cheating… what’s a suitable punishment? If you have no items, you go to jail?

6. Can enchanted jewelry also be used to avoid losing 1 stamina when it’s part of a cost for something?

7. Ruby of R’lyeh: Is this used only for the purposes of actually moving, or can these points be used for tomes as well?

8. Shotgun: Against a monster with Physical Resistance, do 6’s count as 1’s?

9. Can Tomes that require movement points be used at all during the final battle?

10. Items that say “cannot be lost or stolen unless you choose to allow it” are not lost even when you go insane/0 stamina/lost in time and space? And do you count these items as non-existent when discarding half your items, or are these counted as part of the half you’re keeping?

11. The mythos card “Darke’s Carnival Arrives.” Since the Carnival is technically in the town of Arkham, should a “closed” marker be placed on the Darke’s Carnival location in Dunwich?

12. The Terrible Experiment: It says you can chose to fight as many as you want, but is it a free choice, just pick which ever you want to fight, or do you have to make evade checks against all the ones you DON’T fight?

13. Manhunt in Arkham: “All monsters in locations are returned to the cup” does this include monsters standing on open gates? I can’t really think of any other occasion when a monster would be on a location.

14: Sunny and Clear: “if the haunter in darkness is in play, return it to the cup” does this include it being in the outskirts?

15. The Chill of the Grave: “All undead monsters have their toughness increased by 1” does this include for spending purposes? Same goes for the “Things of Darkness” mythos card.

16. Can “The Black Man” monster enter play, or remain in play, if the “The Man in Black” mythos card is drawn? Seems like a weird thematic thing is the Black Man is in two places at once.

17. A Plateau of Leng gate card reads: “The loathsome villagers send out their strongest warrior to fight you in unarmed combat. Pass a Fight (-1) [2] check to defeat him” does the term unarmed imply that you should not use weapons? Or is that the reason it’s a [2] fight check, to balance the fact that you ARE using weapons?

18. If an encounter says that a gate opens (and you are drawn through it) but does not specify that a monster appears, do you place a monster on the board?

1. Horror checks are a subcategory of will checks.

2.After damage amount is determined, but before you suffer it.

3.Yes. Even the Dunwich Horror.

4.Yes.

5.There's no penalty. You can do it. Go ahead, name names :')

6.No. Costs are not losses. (I'd need to see Enchanted Jewelry's exact text before being sure though).

7.Both. Movement points are used for tomes.

8.Huh? What? Physical resistance has nothing to do with shotgun sixes. You can use your shotgun to score double sixes against Colour From Outer Space.

9.Tomes can't be used during final battle.

10. They're counted when discarding half (I'm almost positive, anyone else confirm this?)

11. I'd need to see the card, but "in Arkham" means in the Arkham Board, or any of the expansion boards (i.e. everywhere but Other Worlds).

12.You don't need to make evade checks against the ones you don't choose to initiate combat with. Once you started a fight, you'd need to make an evade check to get out of it though.

13. Yes. Gates are on locations.

14. Um, I'm pretty sure. Ask someone else though.

15. Environments increasing toughness affect trophies for spending purposes while the environments are in play.

16. Yes. Thematic weirdness has nothing to do with game mechanics (although there was one rules errata passed for deputies not being affected by Curfew Enforced, I think).

17. It says fight check, not combat check (meaning you can't use weapons which give bonuses in combat checks, AND you need two successes). You can only use weapons for boosts to combat checks, not generic fight checks.

18. I'm pretty sure those were errataed to release a monster as well.

HyeJinx1984 said:

Hey guys. I'm basically just going through my cards and seeing if there's anything that would come up in a situation where I wouldn't know what the right thing to do is. Here's the first batch of questions, will add more as time goes on. Some may sound noobish, I apologize. Most of these are in relation to the base game... will work through the expansions in the coming days.

1. When you get a skill like Psychology that says add +1 to will checks, does that also include horror checks or is it specific ONLY to will checks? Same question for all other similarly related skills/checks.

2. Flesh Ward. Do you cast this after you’ve taken damage, or do you cast it before taking damage and designate “the source” (a monster) beforehand?

3. Blue Watcher of the Pyramid. Can you lose 2 stamina and discard this card to succeed in combat against any monster? Even the Dunwich Horror?

4. Can you use ‘Silver Key’ to immediately engage an elusive monster as well?

5. Bank Loan: is there any penalty for not being able to discard $1 and you have NO items in your inventory? I know SOME players (I won’t name any names) intentionally trade all their items to another player and try to get a 1 so they can get rid of the card (then get their items traded back to them) but this does seem like cheating… what’s a suitable punishment? If you have no items, you go to jail?

6. Can enchanted jewelry also be used to avoid losing 1 stamina when it’s part of a cost for something?

7. Ruby of R’lyeh: Is this used only for the purposes of actually moving, or can these points be used for tomes as well?

8. Shotgun: Against a monster with Physical Resistance, do 6’s count as 1’s?

9. Can Tomes that require movement points be used at all during the final battle?

10. Items that say “cannot be lost or stolen unless you choose to allow it” are not lost even when you go insane/0 stamina/lost in time and space? And do you count these items as non-existent when discarding half your items, or are these counted as part of the half you’re keeping?

11. The mythos card “Darke’s Carnival Arrives.” Since the Carnival is technically in the town of Arkham, should a “closed” marker be placed on the Darke’s Carnival location in Dunwich?

12. The Terrible Experiment: It says you can chose to fight as many as you want, but is it a free choice, just pick which ever you want to fight, or do you have to make evade checks against all the ones you DON’T fight?

13. Manhunt in Arkham: “All monsters in locations are returned to the cup” does this include monsters standing on open gates? I can’t really think of any other occasion when a monster would be on a location.

14: Sunny and Clear: “if the haunter in darkness is in play, return it to the cup” does this include it being in the outskirts?

15. The Chill of the Grave: “All undead monsters have their toughness increased by 1” does this include for spending purposes? Same goes for the “Things of Darkness” mythos card.

16. Can “The Black Man” monster enter play, or remain in play, if the “The Man in Black” mythos card is drawn? Seems like a weird thematic thing is the Black Man is in two places at once.

17. A Plateau of Leng gate card reads: “The loathsome villagers send out their strongest warrior to fight you in unarmed combat. Pass a Fight (-1) [2] check to defeat him” does the term unarmed imply that you should not use weapons? Or is that the reason it’s a [2] fight check, to balance the fact that you ARE using weapons?

18. If an encounter says that a gate opens (and you are drawn through it) but does not specify that a monster appears, do you place a monster on the board?

HyeJinx1984 said:

Hey guys. I'm basically just going through my cards and seeing if there's anything that would come up in a situation where I wouldn't know what the right thing to do is. Here's the first batch of questions, will add more as time goes on. Some may sound noobish, I apologize. Most of these are in relation to the base game... will work through the expansions in the coming days.

1. When you get a skill like Psychology that says add +1 to will checks, does that also include horror checks or is it specific ONLY to will checks? Same question for all other similarly related skills/checks.

2. Flesh Ward. Do you cast this after you’ve taken damage, or do you cast it before taking damage and designate “the source” (a monster) beforehand?

3. Blue Watcher of the Pyramid. Can you lose 2 stamina and discard this card to succeed in combat against any monster? Even the Dunwich Horror?

4. Can you use ‘Silver Key’ to immediately engage an elusive monster as well?

5. Bank Loan: is there any penalty for not being able to discard $1 and you have NO items in your inventory? I know SOME players (I won’t name any names) intentionally trade all their items to another player and try to get a 1 so they can get rid of the card (then get their items traded back to them) but this does seem like cheating… what’s a suitable punishment? If you have no items, you go to jail?

6. Can enchanted jewelry also be used to avoid losing 1 stamina when it’s part of a cost for something?

7. Ruby of R’lyeh: Is this used only for the purposes of actually moving, or can these points be used for tomes as well?

8. Shotgun: Against a monster with Physical Resistance, do 6’s count as 1’s?

9. Can Tomes that require movement points be used at all during the final battle?

10. Items that say “cannot be lost or stolen unless you choose to allow it” are not lost even when you go insane/0 stamina/lost in time and space? And do you count these items as non-existent when discarding half your items, or are these counted as part of the half you’re keeping?

11. The mythos card “Darke’s Carnival Arrives.” Since the Carnival is technically in the town of Arkham, should a “closed” marker be placed on the Darke’s Carnival location in Dunwich?

12. The Terrible Experiment: It says you can chose to fight as many as you want, but is it a free choice, just pick which ever you want to fight, or do you have to make evade checks against all the ones you DON’T fight?

13. Manhunt in Arkham: “All monsters in locations are returned to the cup” does this include monsters standing on open gates? I can’t really think of any other occasion when a monster would be on a location.

14: Sunny and Clear: “if the haunter in darkness is in play, return it to the cup” does this include it being in the outskirts?

15. The Chill of the Grave: “All undead monsters have their toughness increased by 1” does this include for spending purposes? Same goes for the “Things of Darkness” mythos card.

16. Can “The Black Man” monster enter play, or remain in play, if the “The Man in Black” mythos card is drawn? Seems like a weird thematic thing is the Black Man is in two places at once.

17. A Plateau of Leng gate card reads: “The loathsome villagers send out their strongest warrior to fight you in unarmed combat. Pass a Fight (-1) [2] check to defeat him” does the term unarmed imply that you should not use weapons? Or is that the reason it’s a [2] fight check, to balance the fact that you ARE using weapons?

18. If an encounter says that a gate opens (and you are drawn through it) but does not specify that a monster appears, do you place a monster on the board?

HyeJinx1984 said:

Hey guys. I'm basically just going through my cards and seeing if there's anything that would come up in a situation where I wouldn't know what the right thing to do is. Here's the first batch of questions, will add more as time goes on. Some may sound noobish, I apologize. Most of these are in relation to the base game... will work through the expansions in the coming days.

1. When you get a skill like Psychology that says add +1 to will checks, does that also include horror checks or is it specific ONLY to will checks? Same question for all other similarly related skills/checks.

2. Flesh Ward. Do you cast this after you’ve taken damage, or do you cast it before taking damage and designate “the source” (a monster) beforehand?

3. Blue Watcher of the Pyramid. Can you lose 2 stamina and discard this card to succeed in combat against any monster? Even the Dunwich Horror?

4. Can you use ‘Silver Key’ to immediately engage an elusive monster as well?

5. Bank Loan: is there any penalty for not being able to discard $1 and you have NO items in your inventory? I know SOME players (I won’t name any names) intentionally trade all their items to another player and try to get a 1 so they can get rid of the card (then get their items traded back to them) but this does seem like cheating… what’s a suitable punishment? If you have no items, you go to jail?

6. Can enchanted jewelry also be used to avoid losing 1 stamina when it’s part of a cost for something?

7. Ruby of R’lyeh: Is this used only for the purposes of actually moving, or can these points be used for tomes as well?

8. Shotgun: Against a monster with Physical Resistance, do 6’s count as 1’s?

9. Can Tomes that require movement points be used at all during the final battle?

10. Items that say “cannot be lost or stolen unless you choose to allow it” are not lost even when you go insane/0 stamina/lost in time and space? And do you count these items as non-existent when discarding half your items, or are these counted as part of the half you’re keeping?

11. The mythos card “Darke’s Carnival Arrives.” Since the Carnival is technically in the town of Arkham, should a “closed” marker be placed on the Darke’s Carnival location in Dunwich?

12. The Terrible Experiment: It says you can chose to fight as many as you want, but is it a free choice, just pick which ever you want to fight, or do you have to make evade checks against all the ones you DON’T fight?

13. Manhunt in Arkham: “All monsters in locations are returned to the cup” does this include monsters standing on open gates? I can’t really think of any other occasion when a monster would be on a location.

14: Sunny and Clear: “if the haunter in darkness is in play, return it to the cup” does this include it being in the outskirts?

15. The Chill of the Grave: “All undead monsters have their toughness increased by 1” does this include for spending purposes? Same goes for the “Things of Darkness” mythos card.

16. Can “The Black Man” monster enter play, or remain in play, if the “The Man in Black” mythos card is drawn? Seems like a weird thematic thing is the Black Man is in two places at once.

17. A Plateau of Leng gate card reads: “The loathsome villagers send out their strongest warrior to fight you in unarmed combat. Pass a Fight (-1) [2] check to defeat him” does the term unarmed imply that you should not use weapons? Or is that the reason it’s a [2] fight check, to balance the fact that you ARE using weapons?

18. If an encounter says that a gate opens (and you are drawn through it) but does not specify that a monster appears, do you place a monster on the board?

1. Horror check is a will check so I think yes.

2. You would cast it when you take damage, pre-casting is not required.

3. It only says you can't use it on an ancient one, Dunwitch Horror isn't an ancient one so yes.

4. You have to pass an evade check to fight an elusive monster, the key says you get to automaticaly pass an evade check so I'm pretty sure the answer would be yes.

5. Yes that is an exploit with no official punishment that I know of, house rule as you will.

6. There is a difference between cost and loss, the jewelry says lose.

7. The Ruby grants movement points, tomes require movement points, I would think they are compatable.

8. Yes

9. You don't get a movement phase during final battle so you can't use things that require movement points.

10. I'm not sure on this one.

11. It does not say to close the location so don't.

12. You get to pick and choose, they aren't actually at the location.

13. Gates are on locations so yes.

14. The outskirts are in play.

15. As long as the environment is in play yes.

16. I think you're referring to "The Man in Black" Mythos card (Which I think is actualy Johny Cash come back from the dead not the Black Man lengua.gif) In all seriousness though it doesn't say he can't come into play so he can. Thematically speaking the Black Man actually can be in two places at once being an avatar of Nyarlethotep and all.

17. Actually the fact that its a fight check and not a combat check means you cannot use weapons.

18. Yes you do.

Damnit Avi You're quicker than me.

2. Flesh Ward. Do you cast this after you’ve taken damage, or do you cast it before taking damage and designate “the source” (a monster) beforehand?

Note that in combat situations, "the source" is not the monster itself. "The source" of the damage is the monster's attack, so Flesh Ward will only protect you from one attack by a monster, not from the monster for the entire combat.

5. Bank Loan: is there any penalty for not being able to discard $1 and you have NO items in your inventory? I know SOME players (I won’t name any names) intentionally trade all their items to another player and try to get a 1 so they can get rid of the card (then get their items traded back to them) but this does seem like cheating… what’s a suitable punishment? If you have no items, you go to jail?

The "suitable punishment" is that you can't ever get another Loan, and you will lose a Victory Point if you win. Most consider this laughable rather than suitable. (Wait'll you meet Finn the Bootlegger.)

8. Shotgun: Against a monster with Physical Resistance, do 6’s count as 1’s?

BLEH! Distasteful! Some of us find that being able to use the double-success clause, but not the +4, against a Ghost (or similar) to just be silly. gui%C3%B1o.gif (Wait'll you meet Lloigors. Then it becomes silly and TRAGIC.)

10. Items that say “cannot be lost or stolen unless you choose to allow it” are not lost even when you go insane/0 stamina/lost in time and space? And do you count these items as non-existent when discarding half your items, or are these counted as part of the half you’re keeping?

You do count these items toward the total items you possess when you have to lose half your items. However, then it becomes your choice what you want to lose, and if you pick, for example, the Deputy's Revolver...then you just "chose to allow it" to be lost. The only time that clause ever works is when you are cornered into losing an item, and the only legal target for that loss has that clause.

Examples: You have a Derringer and the Deputy's Revolver. You have to lose half (one item). You lose nothing, because you choose not to allow it.

You have a Derringer, the Deputy's Revolver, and a Wither Spell. You have to lose half (one item, rounded down). You can choose to allow either gun to be lost, or else you must lose the Wither.

You have a Derringer and a half-dozen other items that aren't weapons. A pickpocket encounter forces you to lose a weapon. You lose nothing, because you choose not to allow it (and crack that hooligan in the jaw, will ya?).

17. A Plateau of Leng gate card reads: “The loathsome villagers send out their strongest warrior to fight you in unarmed combat. Pass a Fight (-1) [2] check to defeat him” does the term unarmed imply that you should not use weapons? Or is that the reason it’s a [2] fight check, to balance the fact that you ARE using weapons?

Note that the [2] means that the Difficulty of the Check is 2, and thus requires 2 successes to pass (check the manual). Thematically, you are facing your opponent unarmed, so not only are you not allowed to use weapons (Fight Check, not Combat Check, as already stated), but it's even harder to beat this guy they put you up against (2 Successes instead of the usual 1) because he's so much better at it.

I also, as a total beginner need one more thing clarified if you will. Maybe, I'm missing it in the rule book, maybe those who taught me to play missed it as well.

When moving in to a location with multiple monsters, are you given the opportunity to fight both. Example, you move to an area with a ghoul and a cultist, on your first battle you roll and defeat the ghoul. Do you then wait for your next movement phase to fight the cultist?

I know it may seem a super easy question but we're only about six games in. I just want to ensure that we're playing properly, and we just added the CotDP expansion which has been seriously kicking our asses.

thexmonk said:

When moving in to a location with multiple monsters, are you given the opportunity to fight both. Example, you move to an area with a ghoul and a cultist, on your first battle you roll and defeat the ghoul. Do you then wait for your next movement phase to fight the cultist?

I know it may seem a super easy question but we're only about six games in. I just want to ensure that we're playing properly, and we just added the CotDP expansion which has been seriously kicking our asses.

When you enter a location with monsters, you have to deal with them all, which means fight / escape from every single bad dude lurking over there. So, in the situation you mentioned, you have to choose which monster to deal with first. If you manage to start with the ghoul, you have to fight / escape the ghoul. If you survive the first monster, then, immidiately (not during the next movement phase, but during this one) you have to deal with the cultist (again, you can choose to fight or escape).

(PS: cheers to everybody! I'm back, untill saturday, I think...)

Page 14, "Evading Monsters", middle column, last paragraph.

Thanks! While waiting I actually discovered it as well.

Todays game starts shortly.