Question about combat check: Use item and weapon?

[delslow]

Hi,

This came up yesterday. Lem has a mace and a wand of missiles. On a combat check, can he use both, since it's not two weapons?

Additionally, when starting a new scenario at a location, do we trigger the "when moving to this location" effect? (Are we at an inn, moving to those locations to start the adventure, or do we all just simply start at those locations?)

Thanks all!

[kysmartman]

No, he can't which is why Wand of Force Missile is one of the worst cards in the game. The reason is that you can only play one card that sets the die for the check which both of those cards do. Now, if Mike and crew want to errata the Wand to where it is phrased like the dagger, you could, but until then, you might as well burn the Wand of Force Missile card. It is totally useless.

[Captain Bulldozer]

No, you can't use both for the reason kysmartman mentioned. That being said, it's not a totally worthless card. It basically functions like a spell. At first, the die roll doesn't seem that good, but you should recognize that rolling 4d4 has an expected value of 10 and a range of 4-16.
Two keys things make this card (sometimes) useful. Number one: that's a pretty high minimum roll compared to most other things in the game (not taking into account modifiers). Suppose you needed to beat a monster and had 2 options, a spell which lets you roll 1d12 + 1d6 vs the wand. The two options have the same expected value, but in some cases the wand is actually more likely to succeed. Number two: The card can be recharged, making it actually a pretty nice card for a character like Seoni, who has a pretty low limit on spell cards.

But yeah, not a really great card, certainly. I only mention its usefulness because so many other items are much less useful than this one.

For your second question, no you do not trigger the "when moving" text at a location where you start.

[h4ppy]

You can only play ONE card or play ONE power during the "Determine which die/skill you are using" phase of the check. Both the Mace and the Wand are cards which must be played in this step, so you can only use one of them.

The Wand is not entirely useless - a lot of people underestimate the range of 4d4 and the usefulness of guaranteeing to get at least 4 on your roll. But I don't carry one around if I have a choice!

For more info about what you can play when see here:

http://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/95118/turn-sequence-breakdown

[kysmartman]

Captain Bulldozer wrote:

No, you can't use both for the reason kysmartman mentioned. That being said, it's not a totally worthless card. It basically functions like a spell. At first, the die roll doesn't seem that good, but you should recognize that rolling 4d4 has an expected value of 10 and a range of 4-16.

Two keys things make this card (sometimes) useful. Number one: that's a pretty high minimum roll compared to most other things in the game (not taking into account modifiers). Suppose you needed to beat a monster and had 2 options, a spell which lets you roll 1d12 + 1d6 vs the wand. The two options have the same expected value, but in some cases the wand is actually more likely to succeed. Number two: The card can be recharged, making it actually a pretty nice card for a character like Seoni, who has a pretty low limit on spell cards.

But yeah, not a really great card, certainly. I only mention its usefulness because so many other items are much less useful than this one.

For your second question, no you do not trigger the "when moving" text at a location where you start.

And those items are all potions. I'd never use that for Seoni, and you're missing one important thing which is you can't play a blessing on it as it is a fixed dice card like Cure. Also, remember that you now can't use another item to reduce combat damage which is what almost all the best items do which is another reason it is a horrible card for Seoni which is her only damage prevention.

[h4ppy]

You can play a blessing on the Wand... it adds 1d4.

[glenn3e]

I use it with Lini. 4d4 + 1d4 from the animal raises the average a bit.

[Captain Bulldozer]

kysmartman wrote:

And those items are all potions. I'd never use that for Seoni, and you're missing one important thing which is you can't play a blessing on it as it is a fixed dice card like Cure. Also, remember that you now can't use another item to reduce combat damage which is what almost all the best items do which is another reason it is a horrible card for Seoni which is her only damage prevention.

Surely you're not suggesting that all non-potion items are more useful than a combat item... are you? Do you really like that luckstone so much? Or the blast stone? Or the tome of intelligence, codex, boots of elvenkind, bracers of protection, crowbar, etc? There are so many questionable items in this game that are situational at best (and practically useless at worst). Also, some potions are actually somewhat useful; healing, ghostly form, glibness for example.

Using items to reduce combat damage? ... I guess that can be ok. But if people dislike armor so much, I'm not sure why they'd suddenly like items (like bracers of protection or staff of shield) that fulfill the same function (usually for characters who don't have much/any armor).

Also, I agree that the wand can be quite useful on Lini, though for some reason I prefer the amulet of mighty fists over it (and from an odds presective, I'm not even sure that's wise). (Also my group has decided they don't like Sajan much, so he doesn't need it).

[kysmartman]

The only people I use items that reduce damage on are the ones without armor, but they are the Amulets of Life or Wand of Shield with people who can recharge them.

And personally, I love the items that are auto-pass a check. Saves you from having to worry about a die roll, plus they automatically recharge so you don't take a hit point away to use them. Yes, there are some lame non-potion items, and I usually black them out of my memory because I never use them so point taken on that.