Hi everybody.

I´m from germany and have a rule question for Nyarlathotep.

Is an investigator directly devoured if he lost his last clue token or is he devoured when Nyarlathotep attacks and he haven´t a clue token.

I´m sorry for my bad english, i hope you have understand anything.

Regards

plutoineknaller said:

In Final Battle, an investigator is immediately devoured once he/she loses his last clue token. The wording on the sheet is a little bit ambiguous, but remember his Start of Battle ability eliminates those who have no clue tokens so the same goes with the attack: No clue token = devoured.

This same rule applies for all other AOs as well such as Shubby or Yog-Sothoth.

But Nyar only devours you during an attack. If you spend your last clue while attacking him, you're not immediately devoured. But you will be when he next attacks (even if you pass the defense check). Which is why you shouldn't use your last clue to attack with unless it'll be your only chance to kill him or something (Fisticuffs skill).

But remember, if you have no clue tokens during the AO attacks phase, you are immediately devoured. You don't even get another chance to pass the check.

Musha Shukou said:

The AO's attack occurs in this sequence:

1. Make the defense check
2. See if you have 0 left. If so, you're devoured.

So you would in fact make the defense check, but it doesn't matter if you pass because you'll be devoured afterwards. The difference is negligible but it could spell the difference with the right effect.

Allow me to cite the Q/A regarding this:

Q. For the ancient ones, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, and Shub-Niggurath, when does the devouring take place- as soon as you have 0 tokens/trophies, or when you fail a check with no more tokens/trophies to lose? ie: Against Yog, you have only 1 gate trophy, and you fail the will check. Do you lose that trophy and then get immediately devoured? Or do you lose the gate trophy, keep fighting, and if you ever fail the check again, get devoured?

A. As soon as an investigator loses his last Clue token/monster trophy/gate trophy, he is immediately devoured.

Your citation is helpful, but it fails to mention that this devouring specifically takes place during the AO's attack. Although it does answer the long-debated nature of the attack and zero-trophy situation.

Tibs,

I realize that you're a scientist, but I'm having difficulty de-coupling the "devouring specifically takes place during the AO's attack" part from the "long-debated nature of the attack and zero-trophy situation." It seems to me that they're two sides of the same coin. I, however, have interpreted the Yog, Nyar, Shub Start of Battle - devoured if you don't have any of the requisite items differently from the rest of the attack. Thus, if you lose the only "fill in the blank item" you're still able to fight, but should you fail the check...bye-bye.

Musha's post looked as though the quote supported the stance that you get devoured anytime during combat against Nyar when you run out of clues. I'm saying that it occurs only during Nyar's attack. Otherwise his rules quote has demonstrated that the correct interpretation of the AO attack is that you can't survive Nyar's attack with zero clues and live to fight on.

"Eureka!" Got it ~ as if during combat with Nyar you expend your last Clue token to score a final strike on the GOO would not result in an immediate devouring.

Exactly. Though the situation is rare, it is possible.

Maybe you just can't pass that next Lore check and you only have one clue left. Why give it up to Nyar?

Maybe he's got one hit left and you have two clue tokens and Fisticuffs. Why take any risks when you can just end it now?

Note that William Yorick can spend monster trophies, and Serpent People can be spent for a combat check. These are relevant for Shub's final combat in the same way.