Ok, I think this is a tricky one: During AE phase, I was dosed off to the Dreamlands, where I should have an encouter and return to Arkham. The OWE made a Dimensional Shambler appear, to which I lost.

- Do I get LiTaS?

- Or do I return to Arkham?

And what if I was driven insane during the Horror Check? Would I then get LiTaS or should I go to the Asylum?

And what if I had drawn a Nightgaunt and lost the Combat Check? Would I return to Arkham, to a location with a Dreamlands gate and get LiTaS if there was none? Or would I simply return to Arkham, as the AE card suggested?

Advosan said:

Imo when you loose a combat check against a Dimensional Shambler you're always Lost in Time and Space, unless you'r eplaying with an investigator that can't get Lost in Time and Space.

Same when you are driven insane by the horror check.

When loosing a combat check against a nightgaunt in an Other World you return to Arkham.

Advosan said:

Dimensional Shamblers always toss you to LiTaS if you lose the combat check unless you have defense against that (in which case, follow the rules for avoiding it...for instance, Sister Mary goes to South Church, I believe?).

If you are in an Other World and are knocked unconscious or driven insane, you are LiTaS (see the rulebook, pg. 16). Again, if you can avoid LiTaS, obey whatever gave you that ability (Sister Mary I believe ends up at the hospital/asylum as appropriate for this?). If you are not in an OW and fail a Horror check and go insane vs. a Dimensional Shambler, you just go to the asylum as normal.

For the Nightgaunt, I'm not sure for this special case. Normally in OWs they would actually be helpful and take you to the nearest gate, which is the gate back to Arkham. If there is a gate to the Dreamlands I'd say it still takes you there and you return to Arkham through it...which I guess would follow normal rules, giving you an explored token? Not sure on that...need input from one of the longer-running forumites. Also not sure what would happen if there's not a gate.

Advosan said:

Follow the normal rules, regardless of what the encounter card says. It's basically saying "return here, if you have the capability to." And yeah, if there's an open Dreamlands gate, I'm fairly certain that if you encounter Nightgaunts in this encounter they'd drop you off at the gate, instead of you returning to the library (or wherever). If there is no open gate, you go nowhere and combat ends, and you return to the library as instructed.

I always play it that in any encounter that instructs you to go someplace else do something then return if the resulting encounter relocates you further (ie to another location or LiTaS) then you are stuck where you would go, unless that encounter also says to return.

Nightgaunts don't do anything if there is not a gate handy.

Veet said:

I say, "not even if the 2nd encounter says to return."

Encounter at Historical Society: Go to Dreamlands, have an encounter, and return here.
Final Destination: Historical Society

Encounter at Dreamlands: go to Black Cave, have an encounter, return
Final Destination: replaced by Dreamlands

Encounter at Black Cave: you fall in a pit, lose the last of your stamina, and are carted off to the hospital.
Final Destination: replaced by St. Mary's Hospital

So in the end, you wind up at the Hospital. I do not play that there are recursive destinations.

Tibs said:

but it's nesting! next time you go from the hospital and eventually reach the black cave, you will return to dreamlands where you ought to be. only to find out that you're actually dreaming the whole thing, at the historical society!

but if you never go to the black cave.. you will never wake up! the horror!

Funny, I've been dealing with this differently. As the whole thing is a dream, I always did it so that you return no matter where you are at the end of your turn. So even if you have to go to LiTAS or hospital or asylum, after you resolve losing items or taking a madness/injury, you reappear where you dozed off. I guess nothing else made sense, as it would mean you dream and are then bodily transported. Given that this is based on Lovecraft, I suppose that isn't all that far-fetched.

So I guess I do use recursive encounters.

Taurmindo said:

Hmm, a Dream within a Dream, I guess it is possible if Christofer Nolan is the Ancient One with DiCaprio as a Herald.

Regarding Nightgaunts, if they pull you from an OW back to Arkham, do you get the "Explored" token?

Advosan said:

Yes.

Avi_dreader said:

So when you draw a Nightgaunt in the first area of an Other World you holster your weapons and invite the beast to take it's best shot...

Krawhitham said:

Unless you're a masochist ;'D

Avi_dreader said:

Can I choose NOT to roll at all for the Combat check against the Nightgaunt and so consider myself beaten?

No, but you'd have to be [un]lucky to kill a 2 toughness monster with a -2 modifier without any weapons.

(Or you could try to evade it - most investigators don't have enough Sneak to make a -2 check - and then you don't need to make the horror check either)

cim said:

It would be very much like those old Bond films where the girl 'fights off' 007. We could even call the Nightgaunt maneuver "Oh James..." in honour of this.

Krawhitham said:

I think you're going to lose more than one sanity if you try that with a nightgaunt.

Avi_dreader said:

Ha ha ha ha... oh man, too true.

Was I the only one who became kinda weirded out by the overly lengthy tickling scenes in Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath? Oh Lovecraft you messed-up genius you.