Hello I am a regular reader of the forums (but it's my first time posting something).

Recently I reread the rules and I have encountered something weird: What happens to a flying monster when it's in a location but without any investigators nearby?

The rules state the following:

a) If the flying monster is in a location or street area with one or more investigators, it stays where it is.

b) If the flying monster is in a location or street area with no investigators and there are one or more investigators in a connected street area, it moves into that street area. If there is more than one connected street area containing investigators, it moves towards the investigator in those street areas with the lowest current Sneak skill (including any relevant quipment and skills; if there s a tie, the first player chooses which investigator the monster moves towards).

c)If the flying monster is in a street area with no investigators and there are no investigators in a connected street area, it moves to the Sky (see The Sky, elow).

Untill I noticed that the monster moved to the sky.

so does anyone know what the monsters should do?

Should've added the FAQ to your reading list :

"3. When a flying monster in a street area or location
moves, it will either move to an adjacent street space that
has an investigator in it, or failing that, move to the Sky."

Am I the only one who thinks that aquatic monsters are done horribly wrong? they should've made a special location "Sea" or "Ocean" (special location like in Sky, LiTaS, etc.) and when an Aquatic monsters is drawn on a non-aquatic location and moves, it moves to the sea. If it's drawn on an aquatic location and moves, it moves to the nearest investigator in an aquatic location, or, if there are non, it moves to the sea. The sea is considered to be adjacent to all auqatic locations. Would've been much cooler if you ask me.

Thank you for the quick replay, should have checked the FAQ before posting .

kroen said:

Yes, I thought of that. We have not had an aquatic movement in about 100 games. However, I expect the movement type to be more prevalent when Innsmouth is out. In the meantime, those monsters just move as Black monsters, so it's all good.

Another quick question:

When you draw monsters for a monster surge what happens?

1. You draw the monsters and then choose where each one will go.

2. You choose where will every monster will go before drawing it.

Thanks

podpeople said:

2 is what you do. If not every gate can receive a monster (because some have to go to the outskirts), you select where they appear before they're drawn.

Tibs said:

I always thought it was 1 actually, can you reinforce your statement?

Read the section on Monster Surges in the AH rulebook (Mythos phase rules). At the end it says "If there are more monsters to be placed than allowed by the monster limit (see “Monster Limits and the Outskirts,” page 18), the players should decide where monsters will be placed. The players must make this decision before monsters have been drawn from the cup."

That last sentence is the key imo. Even though it doesn't specifically refer to placing them when there aren't too many for the monster limit, it seems silly to do it two different ways. So we place them by drawing one at a time, and putting each on a gate before looking at it.

I always pick a location, draw a monter, put it there, and so on and so forth. It's the only way that's fair.

kroen said:

We do the same. In the early game when a surge puts monsters into outskirts, we cheer when the draw puts the Cultists & Maniacs in town and the Dark Young in the Outskirts (and we moan when the opposite occurs).

That is interesting, it looks like we were playing both flying monsters and monster surges wrong. So is the correct movement for flying monsters like this:

1. Comes in through open gate.

2. First movement is to street even though no investigator is there.

3. Second movement is to (1) an investigator in an adjacent street / location or (2) the sky.

Also, will a flying monster move to an investigator that is in a location connected by the same neighborhood. For example, if an investigator is at Unvisited Isle and a flying monster comes out of a gate at The Unnameable and the monster moves, will it move towards the investigator at Univisited Isle?

baysbenj said:

You've got 2 wrong. A flying monster will move to an adjacent street if there is an investigator there. If there isn't one, it goes to the sky, even if it is in a location. Also, flying monsters only move when their symbols come up, like any other monster.

Essentially, if a flying monster's symbol comes up:

• If it's in a space with an investigator, it stays there
• If it's not in a space with an investigator and there is one in an adjacent street (not location), it moves over to that street. (If there is a tie for multiple adjacent streets, it goes to the investigator with the lowest sneak)
• If there isn't an investigator in its space or an adjacent street, it moves to the sky.

If a flying monster's symbol comes up and it's in the sky, it moves to an investigator in the street. If there are multiple possible locations, it goes to the investigator with the lowest sneak.

That's all there is to it! Good luck, investigator!

Am l right in assuming you don't take any notice of the black or white Monster movement colours when a flying creatures symbol comes up in the Mythos phase.

alboy said:

That's correct.

Also, Tibs, you forgot one additional rule were flying monsters move: Gate burst. When a gate burst is drawn, all flying monsters move.

kroen said:

I didn't forget it. I just figured that if someone was asking about a fundamental movement mechanic in the base game, I didn't want to confuse things by including rules only from expansions.

I could have gone as far to say they also move if the Dark Druid from BGotW moves towards black.

But yes, that is true. Once you start dealing with Gate Bursts, flying monsters will be a little more active.