Rules Question: Can Knockback target move through other models?

By Rwakelin, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

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Here's one that came up in our group last dungeon.

An Ogre with "Knockback" smacks a hero. Knockback states the target is moved in any directions up to 3 squares. So, can the victim be moved over or behind the monster doing the knockback? Can the hero be 'thrown' over other nearby monsters?

We had two schools of thought:

a) Knockback represents a large creatures ability to easly fling about smaller creatures. So a giant or ogre can fling a hero in any direction, even over his sholder. As long as the final landing square is empty. The target creature can be knocked back over monsters and heroes alike.

b) Strictly by the language of the rule, the target model is 'moved' up to 3 squares. One of our players felt since the term 'moved' was used, that the movement rules should apply. Therfore the target could not be knocked back 'over' other monsters, since you can't move through monsters normally. Interestingly, with this interpretation you could still knock the hero back through other heroes, since heroes can move through each other.

Thoughts? How does your group play this rule?

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RussWakelin said:

Here's one that came up in our group last dungeon.

An Ogre with "Knockback" smacks a hero. Knockback states the target is moved in any directions up to 3 squares. So, can the victim be moved over or behind the monster doing the knockback? Can the hero be 'thrown' over other nearby monsters?

We had two schools of thought:

a) Knockback represents a large creatures ability to easly fling about smaller creatures. So a giant or ogre can fling a hero in any direction, even over his sholder. As long as the final landing square is empty. The target creature can be knocked back over monsters and heroes alike.

b) Strictly by the language of the rule, the target model is 'moved' up to 3 squares. One of our players felt since the term 'moved' was used, that the movement rules should apply. Therfore the target could not be knocked back 'over' other monsters, since you can't move through monsters normally. Interestingly, with this interpretation you could still knock the hero back through other heroes, since heroes can move through each other.

Thoughts? How does your group play this rule?

No need for thoughts, the rules are Choice A.

In regards to direction (from the FAQ):

Q: Can an attacker using Knockback move the target in any direction, or just straight back? Also, can the target be knocked back into a pit?

A: The attacker with Knockback can move the target in any direction, including into a pit or other trap.

In regards to moving through things (from the JitD rulebook):

The figures must be moved to spaces that do not contain other figures or obstacles that block movement. The figure does not actually move through the first two spaces-it is knocked back completely over them. As such this “knockback movement” is not blocked by any intervening figures or obstacles (though a figure cannot be moved through a closed door or wall).

Posted at

RussWakelin said:

Here's one that came up in our group last dungeon.

An Ogre with "Knockback" smacks a hero. Knockback states the target is moved in any directions up to 3 squares. So, can the victim be moved over or behind the monster doing the knockback? Can the hero be 'thrown' over other nearby monsters?

We had two schools of thought:

a) Knockback represents a large creatures ability to easly fling about smaller creatures. So a giant or ogre can fling a hero in any direction, even over his sholder. As long as the final landing square is empty. The target creature can be knocked back over monsters and heroes alike.

b) Strictly by the language of the rule, the target model is 'moved' up to 3 squares. One of our players felt since the term 'moved' was used, that the movement rules should apply. Therfore the target could not be knocked back 'over' other monsters, since you can't move through monsters normally. Interestingly, with this interpretation you could still knock the hero back through other heroes, since heroes can move through each other.

Thoughts? How does your group play this rule?

I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the FAQ but I can't recall where. Knockback does knock them "over" other figures or obstacles... the knockback figure cannot land in an occupied square. I remember a master beastman getting knockedback on the "waterslide" level into a place where he was trapped on three sides by water and a wall. I was NOT a happy OL!

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Movement due to knockback ignores figures and obstacles for every space but the "landing" space: in other words, you can't knock figures through closed doors, but it's totally ok to knock them over monster figures and rubble.

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Thundercles said:

Movement due to knockback ignores figures and obstacles for every space but the "landing" space: in other words, you can't knock figures through closed doors, but it's totally ok to knock them over monster figures and rubble.

And trees... those peksy trees!