I just got the PACG last Thursday and I play my first two scenioes on Sunday with two other frends. I love the game. We had a ball playing it.
So now I have a question about Seoni's Combat Checks.
For your combat check, you may discard a card to roll your Arcane die + 1d6 ...
When I was playing Seoni and I had a combat check, I did one of two things:
A) I rolled a Strenght: Melee: 1d4
or
B) I recharge a spell to have a combat check: 1d12 + 1d6, because of Seoni second ability.
So here are my questions:
1) Did I play this correctly?
2) One of the other player were playing Valeros. A couple time I added 1d4 because Valeros and Seoni were at the same location. Did I play that correctly, too?
3) I found Force Missle at a location. It seem weaker than Seoni's first power. So I recharge it to use Seoni's first power. So is there an advantage for Seoni to use Force Missle?
1. No. For her power, you can discard any card. It doesn't have to be a spell. But no matter what it is, you can't recharge it. You can only attempt a recharge check for a card you play, and she isn't playing that card.
Playing a card means activating that card’s power by revealing, displaying, discarding, recharging, burying, or banishing that card. Doing something with a card that does not activate that card’s power does not count as playing that card.
Recharge: This explains circumstances under which you may recharge the card—put it on the bottom of your deck—after playing it...You cannot recharge a card you are forced to discard, or one that you choose to discard as part of taking damage or resetting your hand at the end of your turn.
So Seoni's power doesn't count as playing that card when she discards it for her power. Instead, she is activating her power, which forces her to discard a card. Therefore, she can't attempt to recharge it. Therefore she can't automatically succeed at the check to recharge it (her second power).
You did get the Strength part right. If you don't play a "For your combat check..." card or power than you have to use Strength or Melee.
By the way, the same thing applies to Lini. She can discard any card to roll a d10 for her Strength or Dexterity. But if that card she discards is an Ally with Animal trait, she doesn't get to recharge it. Her power about recharging Allies with the Animal trait only happens when she plays the Ally. When she discards to roll a d10, she isn't playing the card she discards.
2. Yes. If Valeros is at the same location as any other character and that other character is making a combat check, they get an extra 1d4.
3. Yes. After seeing #1, you'll see that she has to discard for her power, but can recharge Force Missile.
There is a guide here that you might find helpful.
Welcome to PACG! Good luck on your adventure.
To expand on Seoni a bit. Because she can use any card for her power, her 3 spell cards in her deck don't HAVE to be attack spells. As long as she's got a card in her hand, she can make a very good combat check. So you have to balance her spell cards in her deck between not wanting to discard too much for her power (aka choosing attack spells) and wanting to have non-attack spells for other situations (aka choosing non-attack spells).
Since discarding a card for her power is the same cost as taking 1 damage, she can get her deck drained fairly easy. Especially if she's doing lots of exploring. So be careful and consider finding ways to get her healed up.
Just expanding this question. When Seoni uses her ability to roll arcane die for the combat check, is the check (i) just 1d12 + 1d6, or (ii) 1d12 + 1d6 + 2 due to arcane trait? I have been including +2 in my check. Would it be correct?
You do get the plus 2 since you are rolling her Arcane die, which is her Charisma +2.
Yep, that was my reasoning. Thanks guys!
Hawkmoon,
Thank you for responding.
I read the New Player Guide and I thought it was great. I found out I was doing a couple other things wrong.
We played only one card of each type could be played in an encounter.
Well, I'm a noob at this game and I was trying to get my girlfriend into it, hoping to give her a little interest in this game. So, I have Seoni and she has Harsk. She plays first, then it's my turn, and I encounter the main vilain in my first turn ! I discarded a card, and rolled d12 + d6 + 2. I had 11 and needed only 10 to beat the vilain... It seems very powerful...
We looked each other and said "that's it? Already ? What now ?".
So now what ? We just keep exploring and we clear the locations and beat the lesser vilains and other monsters ? (We play the base set only for now, the Brigandoom scenario)...
No. The villain escapes to one of the open locations.
Encountering a Villain
Attempt to temporarily close open locations.
Encounter the villain.
If you defeat the villain, close the villain’s location.
Check to see whether the villain escapes.
See page 17 for details. Basically, if Harsk was at another location, your girlfriend would attempt to TEMPORARILY close that location. You defeated the villain, so you'd automatically close that location. Then you'd hide the villain in one of the other 2 locations (or 3 if your girlfriends failed to close Harsk's location). Then you start searching again.
Oh ok, good. I'll have to read again the rulebook, I guess I was too eager to start :) Thanks !
You are welcome. You might find this guide helpful.
Welcome to PACG and good luck on your adventure.