Ambush card - mechanics a bit odd


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


Hey all

Something that came up in my my game last night. The ambush card is a barrier. If you fail to defeat it (which one player did) you get to examine the location deck until you discover a monster to encounter.

We were playing Local Heroes where some of the decks have a low monster count. The player ended up examining most of the cards in the deck until they got to a monster bane. In the end, the ambush card turned out to be a boon as we got to see most of the deck and what cards were in it.

I really don't understand this, because the barrier fail didn't feel much like a punishment. (Unless we were playing it wrong, but can't see that the card description has much room for error.)

Would it not have been better to draw a random monster from the box (or even two, as it is an ambush)? I don't understand from an narrative/RPG perspective how an ambush can let you see other cards in a deck? Admittedly we were lucky so got to see quite a few cards - I guess normally you'd just drill down a few cards before finding the monster, but even so.

Wondered what others think with this card.


We had something like this a couple weeks ago. Drew the ambush but there were no monsters left in the deck. We decided that if that was the case then the Ambush got discarded otherwise you could never complete that location.


This card has been changed. Check the FAQ.


Yes, the change is: "Banish this card and shuffle".

No other change, right? Still don't understand the rest of the card power (unless I missed something). It is, is some ways, more beneficial to fail the card and get the equivalent of an extra spyglass/augury type of effect to see/examine cards than to win it and just banish it.

I think my house rule will be to make it a random monster from the box.


would you mind typing out what the card says with the new wording. Id read it myself though im in bed with a stomach bug.........god damn pilkies poison traps :)


I believe the current wording is: {bolded type is FAQ update}

Powers:
The difficulty to defeat this barrier is increased by the adventure deck number of the current scenario.

If defeated, you may immediately explore again.

If undefeated, examine the location deck until you find a monster; encounter it, subtracting 1 from each die rolled on the check. Banish this card and shuffle the remaining cards into the location deck


Yea so if you don't come across another monster you get lucky simple as. Withoutthe new wording the barrier would forever stay in the deck. I know this as I experienced it. I failed to defeat a henchmen so coildnt close the location (i was playing solo) and everytime I encountered this card I had to make the perfect roll which I never did......in the end it was the only card left in a location preventing me from closing it (had to roll a perfect numbrt)


Yes, Ambush isn't necessarily a bad card which is odd. It helped me win a few scenarios by letting me get to the henchmen or one time the villain when I was getting low on time. I'd view it as them getting very impatient and deciding to get the hero when he/she might be off-balance.


"Yes, Ambush isn't necessarily a bad card which is odd."

Yeah, that's my point. It feels a bit strange. Failing a barrier shouldn't really be an advantage , in my opinion anyway. In the scenario I mentioned earlier the ambush card actually helped us complete the quest. So hence my questioning of whether this is right or should be addressed. No big deal but first instance my group has come across where we all went "What, really?!"


IT's not like this is the only one, people. The chest barriers are beneficial if you can beat them, so I don't know what's so unpalatable about a beneficial barrier.

As I see it, this is different only in that:
1) with the name "Ambush" you'd think it should be bad
2) On the chests, to get the good effect, you have to beat them, not lose them

This brings up a point: Can you intentionally fail a check?


You defo play it right. Also remember your playing in the earliest of scenarios. I've got a feeling they could be similar card......deadly ambush, etc etc hat won't be so forgiving lol


Bidmaron wrote:
This brings up a point: Can you intentionally fail a check?

You have to make a roll, but nothing forces you to pick the easiest check to pass nor optimise your dice.

I have no problem with Ambush sometimes being beneficial and/or having positive side effects. If there is a monster in your deck then it's going to be harder to defeat it, that's a great negative. If the monster is deep down or there are no monsters then the false alarm caused your party to frantically scout ahead. Also fine.

To me, there should be more cards like this which are both good and bad!

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Klandestine wrote:

"Yes, Ambush isn't necessarily a bad card which is odd."

Yeah, that's my point. It feels a bit strange. Failing a barrier shouldn't really be an advantage , in my opinion anyway. In the scenario I mentioned earlier the ambush card actually helped us complete the quest. So hence my questioning of whether this is right or should be addressed. No big deal but first instance my group has come across where we all went "What, really?!"

It's not at all uncommon in the RPG for your party to be ambushed by an opponent that you then trounce before taking their stuff...


Vic Wertz wrote:
It's not at all uncommon in the RPG for your party to be ambushed by an opponent that you then trounce before taking their stuff...

...especially if the monsters are using their treasures as hero bait.

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