Spending Surges

By LEGA, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

Hi all.

E.g you rolled 3 surges during attack. And you have a weapon with 1 surge: Stun or Move target 1 space.

Questions:

1. You stun (or move 1 space) target and then calculate and deal damage? What if you do not deal any damage? The target is still stunned (moved)? We played like you can't spend surges if you deal no damage, but I don't see such rule in rules.

2. Can you spend more than 1 surge to recover fatigue? It seems in rules specified "up to 1 fatigue", am I right?

Thank you.

LEGA said:

Hi all.

E.g you rolled 3 surges during attack. And you have a weapon with 1 surge: Stun or Move target 1 space.

Questions:

1. You stun (or move 1 space) target and then calculate and deal damage? What if you do not deal any damage? The target is still stunned (moved)? We played like you can't spend surges if you deal no damage, but I don't see such rule in rules.

2. Can you spend more than 1 surge to recover fatigue? It seems in rules specified "up to 1 fatigue", am I right?

Thank you.

1. Quite a lot of the abilities specifically state 'if you deal at least one damage, do X'. If it doesn't, then I'd say the surge can be spent. Of course, I would never decide how I was gonna spend a surge until I'd calculate how much damage I'd inflicted.

2. Nope, a surge ability can only ever be used once per attack. This means once you spend a surge to regain a point of fatigue, you can't activate that ability again until your next attack.

LEGA said:

Hi all.

E.g you rolled 3 surges during attack. And you have a weapon with 1 surge: Stun or Move target 1 space.

Questions:

1. You stun (or move 1 space) target and then calculate and deal damage? What if you do not deal any damage? The target is still stunned (moved)? We played like you can't spend surges if you deal no damage, but I don't see such rule in rules.

2. Can you spend more than 1 surge to recover fatigue? It seems in rules specified "up to 1 fatigue", am I right?

Thank you.

1. Pg 15 of the rules under conditions states you must deal at least 1 damage to spend a surge on a condition. Stun is a condition.

You would see how much damage from the initial attack you got, subtract appropriate shields from defense die. Then spend any surges that are applicable. If you have at least one damage spend one on the stun. Not really sure about the moving though, if that is a condition or not, or whether it applies when no damage is dealt.

2. Just 1, use your second to recover a fatigue.

The third would be unspent……….unless you were in three spaces of Avric, I think his ability lets you recover a damage.

Thanks for answers.

Second is clear.

First - as I understand - you may spend surges on any abilities (e.g. Move target, Mend, Fire breath, Draw OL card etc.) even if there is no damage would be dealt by attack, except conditions (there are only 4: Stun, Poison, Disease and Immobilized). Condition-surges require at least 1 damage to be dealt by attack.

LEGA said:

First - as I understand - you may spend surges on any abilities (e.g. Move target, Mend, Fire breath, Draw OL card etc.) even if there is no damage would be dealt by attack, except conditions (there are only 4: Stun, Poison, Disease and Immobilized). Condition-surges require at least 1 damage to be dealt by attack.

That would be my interpretation, yes.

Sausageman said:

LEGA said:

First - as I understand - you may spend surges on any abilities (e.g. Move target, Mend, Fire breath, Draw OL card etc.) even if there is no damage would be dealt by attack, except conditions (there are only 4: Stun, Poison, Disease and Immobilized). Condition-surges require at least 1 damage to be dealt by attack.

That would be my interpretation, yes.

This is the way I have been playing it as well. The conditions (stun, Poison, Disease, Immobilize) all require a wound to come into effect, all other abilities are activated once the surge is spent on the ability.

I would interpret it in another way.

Surge: stun

Means that the attack for one surge get the "flag" stun ie,. that if it deals at least one damage it will stun the enemy.

So the hero

1. attacks

2. spends a surge to add the condition stun to the attack

3. deals damage

4. if at least 1 damage is dealt the opponent is stunned in addition to the damage dealt

Thats how you would treat an attack that has only the "flag" stun without a surge cost, isnt it (but ofc skipping step 2)?

Wrapped said:

I would interpret it in another way.

I'm not sure that I understand how your interpretation differs from everyone else's, above. The official attack sequence in the rulebook is as follows:

1) declare weapon and target (also includes determining whether or not you have LoS to the target)

2) roll dice (Note that BOTH attacker and defender roll dice at this point.)

3) check range

4) spend surges

5) deal damage

So surges are spent after all dice (on both sides) have been rolled, if that's what you were getting at.

Steve-O said:

I'm not sure that I understand how your interpretation differs from everyone else's, above. The official attack sequence in the rulebook is as follows:

So surges are spent after all dice (on both sides) have been rolled, if that's what you were getting at.

I was getting at the point that the surge can be spent whether you deal 1 damage or not since the surge doesn't stun, it only gives the weapon the ability to stun. So after spending the surge you now have a weapon with the text "stun" on it (ie. a weapon that will stun if you do at least one damage).

I might be totally wrong here though.

I don't have the rules /cards in front of me at the moment, so I'm quoting from memory, but…

IIRC, to apply status effects, attacks (usually) have to deal at least 1 heart of damage…

Carnagecjb said:

I don't have the rules /cards in front of me at the moment, so I'm quoting from memory, but…

IIRC, to apply status effects, attacks (usually) have to deal at least 1 heart of damage…

That part has allready been established =)

Wrapped said:

Carnagecjb said:

I don't have the rules /cards in front of me at the moment, so I'm quoting from memory, but…

IIRC, to apply status effects, attacks (usually) have to deal at least 1 heart of damage…

That part has allready been established =)

1. Please read the whole topic and not only the question - there are an argument with reference to rule book about spending surges on n ot conditions . I hope you'll understand.

2. If not, please provide references to rule book/FAQ/official developer's answer, but not only your thoughts.

Note to self:

Caffeine first, post second.

:P