If you run across a card that has before & after encounter effects do you sum up all the damage and then subtract any protections at the end of the encounter or do you have to apply them as you go?
For example, if you run across a monster card that does one damage before and and one damage after an encounter I assume you would still take two damage even if you defeat it.
However, if you play an armor card that reduces damage taken to zero, does that include the before & after effects or only if the bane isn't defeated? I'm assuming that it should, but the instructions are ambiguous on this.
On a similar note, is it permissible to hold back protection cards (from either the current player's hand or other players assisting) until needed? For example, if another player has a spell that reduces damage, can that be played at the end of the encounter, after it's known that damage will be taken or does it have to be played at the start of the encounter?
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Each time it deals damage is separate. If you want to reduce damage that is dealt before the encounter, and you bury an armor, it doesn't prevent combat damage or after combat damage, only the before. You'll need multiple damage prevention cards to prevent before, combat, and after damage unless you have cards that reveal for prevention. Each time the card deals damage is a separate instance, and they do not add together. You play the preventions when you are taking the damage.
That's why the ring of protection is such an awesome card, because it can be revealed to prevent 1 of any damage, and why I'm desperate to get one for my Merisiel, who seems to have an Enchantress-specific "Kick Me" sign taped to the back of her jerkin.
Thanks, that helps a lot.
I know this probably seems obvious, but when you're assisting other players or taking damage from an encounter not during your turn (say from a skeleton horde barrier), do all players reset their hands at the end of current player's turn?
In other words, if I play a blessing to help another player, do I reset my hand also at the end of that player's turn or do I start my turn down a card?
Nope, you start down a card. Which is why people need to be careful asking for assistance from characters like Lem, lest he start every turn with an empty hand.
I was actually wondering about that... since you can't use more than one of the same type of card on a check, whether you could use multiple armors or the same one more than once on more than one of those instances of damage. While I know that they are taken separately are they actually considered separate "checks" as well for the purposes of using armor more than once?
You start your turn down a card.
I was actually wondering about that... since you can't use more than one of the same type of card on a check, whether you could use multiple armors or the same one more than once on more than one of those instances of damage. While I know that they are taken separately are they actually considered separate "checks" as well for the purposes of using armor more than once?
You can play 1 card of each type during each step of the encounter process.
http://paizo.com/paizo/faq/v5748nruor1gk#v5748eaic9ral
• On the same page, replace the "Encountering a Card" section with the following text:
...Players may only play cards or activate powers that relate to each step. Each player may play no more than 1 card of each type during each step; for example, no one player may play more than 1 blessing while attempting a check, though multiple players could each play 1 blessing during that check. Each player may activate any power no more than once during each step. Players may not play any cards or activate any powers between these steps.
...After you flip over the top card of the location deck, put it on top of the deck and read it, then go through the following steps in order.
- Evade the card (optional). If you have a power or card that lets you evade the card you’re encountering, you may immediately shuffle it back into the deck; it is neither defeated nor undefeated.
- Apply any effects that happen before the encounter, if needed.
- Attempt the check. If the card is a boon, you may try to acquire it for your deck; if it’s a bane, you must try to defeat it (see Attempting a Check, below). If a bane’s “Check to Defeat” section says “None,” look at the bane’s powers, and immediately do whatever it says there.
- Attempt the next check, if needed. If another check is required, such as if you played a boon with a check to recharge, or if your bane requires a second check to defeat, resolve it now. Repeat this step until you have resolved all such checks.
- Apply any effects that happen after the encounter, if needed. Do this whether or not you succeeded at your checks.
- Resolve the encounter. If you succeed at all of the checks required to defeat a bane, banish it; if you don’t succeed, it is undefeated— shuffle the card back into its location deck. If you succeed at a check to acquire a boon, put it in your hand; otherwise, banish it."
So the reason you can play a card type on separate checks is because that "Attempt the check" step is repeated as necessary, so each check is a separate step.
So, in answer to your question, if you play an armor to reduce the "Before the encounter damage", you could play the same armor (if it is still in your hand) or a different armor to reduce the damage from failing the check to defeat. And the same armor (if it is still in your hand) or a different armor can be played again to reduce the after the encounter damage some encounters have since "Apply any effect that happen after the encounter" is also a separate step in the sequence that "resets" the card types played for all players.
Nope, you start down a card. Which is why people need to be careful asking for assistance from characters like Lem, lest he start every turn with an empty hand.
Ezren has a slight advantage in this regard. If he plays a spell to help on another player's turn, he can use his power to examine the top card of his deck and if it is a spell add it to his hand. Its not a guarantee, but it is sure helpful. Of course if his next card isn't a spell, then he's starting his next turn a card short in his hand just like anyone else.
And Sajan's Drunken Master role has a power the forces him to draw a card at the start of his turn, which might encourage him to share all those blessings he has. His Zen Archer role has a power to draw a card at the start of his turn if he has no cards in his hands. I don't know that anyone wants to have a turn with 1 card, but maybe in later scenarios this will be extremely useful.
FYI - The info I copied from the FAQ above is also on page 10 of the updated rulebook. You can download the updated rulebook on the PACG page of the Paizo website.
Thanks for the response.. I just wasn't clear on whether before the encounter damage was actually a different "check" since nothing is necessarily rolled for that. Glad to get what seemed correct to me confirmed by the experts :)