Thoughts about balance in descent

By renediffie, in Descent: Journeys in the Dark

I don't think you're playing that right. It is a "move" action per-say. The figure is moving from one space to the next. It's not like a Throw or Knockback effect where you pick up the model and place it in a new tile.

Tripwife and Pittrap both will work.

You have like six different cards to deal with that ability now.

Technically, a "move action" merely gives you movement points, and you use those movement points to move out. There are multiple ways of getting movement points, be it fatigue, items, abilities etc.

By the rules, I agree with AltWren that using the heroic feat isn't technically a "move action" and hence cards that use it as a trigger would not be applicable.

One thing I have come to love is the Cursed condition (only available in LoR). It stops heroes from using skills that need an action, for example the heroic feat. They need to test knowledge to drop the condition, and in the early game before the healer gets condition removal this is a massive headache to Warriors and other low-Knowledge heroes.

Actually, I think a move action is any action that provides movement, in the same way that an attack action is any action that causes a figure to attack. It's the same reason why a minion reaver can't attack and skirmish in the same turn.

That is not correct, per RAW anyway.

Only a Move Action is a Move Action. Anything else that lets you move is just an ability that grants you MP (which may or may not require a Special Action to perform.) FFG has clarified, for example, that Immobilize only prevents a hero from using a Move Action or burning fatigue to gain MP. It does not prevent any other ability that grants MP.

Likewise, only an Attack Action is an Attack Action . Other abilities that allow the figure to "perform an attack" are not " Attack Actions ." (A Monster Action that performs an attack will count as the monster's one attack for that turn, but this does not mean it's an Attack Action - it is still a Monster Action. ) FFG has also clarified that OL cards, like Frenzy, which grant an extra Attack Action do not allow the monster to use a Monster Action that performs an attack. It only grants a "basic attack," if you will.

If you want to house rule otherwise at your table, I can't say I blame you. I've considered similar house rules myself, though I have yet to implement any. These would be house rules, though. They are not the official rules, nor are they "what the game designer intended." FFG has been fairly clear about their intent in this area.

Edited by Steve-O

(A Monster Action that performs an attack will count as the monster's one attack for that turn, but this does not mean it's an Attack Action - it is still a Monster Action. )

Where's that from? Does that mean an elemental can't 'Fire' twice a turn? Can an Ettin attack and 'Grab'? Oops, I'm a cheater... Rules, why you do complicated and contradictory?

If the word "attack" is in the action's description, the Monster can make that action only once.

Rulebook, p. 11: " Monster Action: Some monsters have unique actions listed on their Monster card with a (arrow) . If any special action allows the monster to perform an attack, it counts as the monster’s one attack action for that activation."

Does that mean an elemental can't 'Fire' twice a turn?

Correct, 'Fire', as a Monster Action that performs an attack, can only be done once. Being an attack, it counts as the one attack action it can do on its activation; the other action can NOT be an Attack Action nor any other Monster Action that involves an attack (not that the Elemental has one, but if it did, it couldn't use it either).

Can an Ettin attack and 'Grab'?

Yes. An Ettin's 'Throw' ability, while it does use an action and does cause damage if successful is NOT an attack; so while it counts as one of the two actions it can perform, the other action MAY be some kind of attack (either an Attack Action, or, if it had one, a Monster Action that involved an attack).

Edited by griton

I believe that the FAQ even has an example about the Elemental's Fire ability being an invalid action. I have used Throw on the Castle Daerion pt. 2 to chuck the guy (can't remember his name off hand) back into the library and just block off the way in.