Caltrops: use them to aid a player's combat check at another location?

[Cheez]

Hi guys,

Similar question to my earlier guidance q.

So one player is doing combat against Siren monster. Another player at the table wants to aid that combat for his teammate by playing his Caltrops. However, these players are not at the same location.

Can be still play the Caltrops for that other player's combat check?

Ben

[Jaunt]

Caltrops aren't played to modify a check, they're flat out "defeat X or evade Y", which probably has an implied subject of "you".

See this thread for very similar question about thieves tools.
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http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2q51g?Question-about-Thieves-Tools

[Cheez]

Yep - someone mentioned the imply you rule. Thanks for the reply.

[St@rm@n]

I have been playing with no implied you.

Many cards have multiple powers with first restricted by a "you" or "on your"

and other powers without this restriction but a greater penalty to use e.g. the restricted power may just say reveal or discard , the unrestricted power may say discard or banish.

I saw this explaining the wider use.

Also most items are restricted so is it Caltrops and Thieves tools need corrective errata.

I have posted @Vic on the thieves tools thread.

My concern is in a game that uses you or your to restrict usage, if those without this restriction may have an implied you or your how do we play this game without constant dilemmas.

Is it just personal taste or understanding of the boon concerned or do we need a Vic ruling on each case.

What is obvious to some will not be to others as they may have little or no knowledge of the genre or game setting. I am a very literal person as per rules and I know others on here have stated the same. It helps when playing the game not to have to question the mechanics as it breaks part of the game immersion. After all we dont just play a puzzle game otherwise theme and setting would not matter , we escape into the game in the same way as reading a book , listening to music or watching theatre or a film.

[h4ppy]

OK - in answer to the OP.

Caltrops can ONLY be used by the player facing the bane themselves.

Their wording is "Banish this card to evade/defeat a monster..."

This "to evade" or "to defeat" has been officially clarified to be shorthand for "to allow YOU to evade/defeat".

@St@rm@an - I'm going to keep the rest of this conversation in one place, and the Thieves Tools thread seems as good a place as any.

If anybody wants a wider discussion about this 'implied you' thing then please go there!

[Fromper]

Rule of thumb: when one character is encountering a bane or boon, other characters can only aid the check. A check is a die roll. Playing cards that prevent dice from being rolled don't count as aiding the check, so they can't be played by other characters at that time, unless they specifically say so on the card (which some spells do).

[Cheez]

Thanks, Fromper and h4ppy. Very helpful notes.