The Enchanter: Damage Before and After - (using Armors to reduce)

[Cheez]

Hi Guys,

We played a swell game during our lunch hour but this question came up.

So Ezren just encountered an Enchanter. And her card reads: "Before the encounter, The Enchanter deals 1 Force Damage to you."

Ezren was going to use his Bracers of Protection which say, "Recharge this card to reduce combat damage dealt by 1."

My Question is: can I use the Bracers here? I'm unsure if the Enchanter's damage is combat damage because of the "before the encounter" text. We played it like Ezren was allowed to use them.

Then Part 2: The Enchanter card says, "After the encounter, the Enchanter Deals 1 Fire damage to you.

Thus my question to that is: can I use Ezren's Arcane Armor which says, "Discard this card to reduce Combat Damage dealt to you by 2."

We once again assumed Ezren could use this spell but we're a little foggy on it since the Enchanter card says "After the encounter" and the Arcane spell is saying the character is reducing combat damage.

Many thanks in advance for the wisdom +2 assist here,

Ben

[Tracker1]

The enchanter is the worst.

You played two cards that reduced combat damage. The damage you received was force and fire, so the cards you played don't reduce these types of damage. Only something that says reduce damage or all damage will work. Combat damage is specific to losing a combat check or a power that includes taking combat damage.

It does not change if it is before or after the encounter.

[Fromper]

You know, I was about to respond to tell you that Force Damage and Fire Damage can't be reduced by those things, because they aren't Combat Damage. But then I checked the rulebook to back me up, and the rulebook doesn't actually define Combat Damage anywhere.

Here's what it does say:

Quote:

When you take damage, you and other players may play cards

and use powers that reduce or otherwise affect the specific type of
damage you’re taking. If you’re taking Fire damage, for example,
you may play cards that reduce Fire damage, or cards that reduce all
damage, but you may not play cards that reduce only Electricity or
Poison damage. Just as with attempting a check, each player may
play no more than one of each card type.

I'm pretty sure the phrase "Combat Damage" is meant to only apply to the difference between your roll and your target number, when you lose a fight. But since the rulebook doesn't actually say that explicitly, I can't confirm it.

[Cheez]

Hi Guys,

Appreciate your replies.

A few other chat buddies were in total agreement with Tracker1.

I didn't screw it up too bad. I just needed to discard my Bracers of Protection before the encounter and discard my Arcane Armor after the encounter. I just lost their recharges.

Oh well, play and learn as they say :)

Thanks again,

Ben

[Thazar]

Yes, you either need something that works on All Damage or maybe a potion of elemental resistance for the fire item.

Combat Damage is a specific type of damage just like Fire, Acid, Frost, Mental, etc.

Most armors work on combat damage only unless you banish/bury to reduce all damage (note not "all combat damage".)

[h4ppy]

AFAIK, combat damage is damage caused when you fail a COMBAT check, or any other damage explicitly stated as combat damage. The Enchanter's damage is Force or Fire but not Combat damage so you cannot use the Bracers nor Arcane Armor to reduce it.

Similarly, if you encounter the Spectre and try to use DIVINE to beat it, but fail, then you cannot use cards which reduce combat damage to mitigate the damage caused. But, on the plus side, you CAN use cards which add to a non-combat Divine check (or possibly a non-combat Wisdom check, if your DIVINE is based on WISDOM)

[Captain Bulldozer]

Currently, universal damage mitigating cards are few and far between. Currently, almost all the cards that reduce damage only reduce combat damage (that is, damage taken from failing a combat check, or that is otherwise specified as combat damage, such as that from collapsed ceiling, etc.). As such, the damage from the enchanter is not reduced by the bracers of protection, nor by arcane armor.

If I recall the wording correctly, mirror image will reduce that damage (depending on your roll) as will the basic ally "guard".

[Zentaur]

Enchanter does not deal combat damage. In contrast, the Scout does, as indicated on it's card. It's a combat check only when the check/power says so.