Just before the final RotRL battle, I encountered and obtained a Blizzard spell, of which I already had one in my hand.
I've seen that I can only play one card type per check, but is it possible to play two Blizzards when before encountering an enemy (outside of a check)?
Yes, you can have more then one card on Display at a time. Each effect from something on Display will trigger when it is supposed to trigger.
Also note that if you display a spell like Strength or Blizzard before an encounter starts... then that does NOT count as played during the check for things like Blessing of PHarasma or monsters that prevent you from playing spells with the attack trait.
At least that is how I understand it and how we have been playing it at our tables.
I'm actually glad you asked this question. We've been playing as if the spell you play during the "when you encounter a monster" is your one spell for the check. Looks like that's wrong! And sensibly so, but the "before the encounter" verbiage has always been our primary stumbling block with Pathfinder rules.
So that would've been useful during our Seoni game, where we would treat it as the one thing Seoni could do during a check, and therefore Lem would take all first checks against villains so Seoni could play a Cloud spell then take the second check for a real spell.
Just note in that link I gave, since it seems like this is the main part of your question: one character can only play one Cloud-type spell (or any spell, presumably: Strength, etc) in response to "when a character encounters a monster." So while you can have two Blizzards in effect, Seoni would need two monsters to make it work, but Seoni and Erezen could each play one if they had them.
This is made much clearer with the rules from Skull and Shackles.
Encountering a Card Each player may play no more than 1 card of each type during each step.
And S&S makes the steps of the encounter more explicit.
Encountering a Card
Apply any effects that happen when you encounter a card.
Apply any evasion effects.
Apply any effects that happen before you act.
Attempt the check.
Attempt the next check, if needed.
Apply any effects that happen after you act.
Resolve the encounter.
So a spell like Blizzard is played during "apply any effects that happen when you encounter a card." That means each player could play a spell like Blizzard and again b able to play another spell during each other step of the encounter, including "attempt the check".
OK, something that still confuses me: Does this...
Encountering a Card ...Each player may play no more than 1 card of each type during each step.
…not contradict this?
Take Damage, If Necessary. ...Remember that players may not play more than 1 of each card type during a check, so if you previously played a spell to affect the check, you may not play a spell to reduce damage.
(Emphasis mine.)
If Play Cards and Use Powers That Affect Your Check is a different "step" than Take Damage, If Necessary, should you not totally be able to play, say, Acid Arrow for your combat check and then Arcane Armor to prevent damage, if necessary?
Clarification would be much appreciated!
No, you are confusing the steps of an encounter with the steps of a check. You can play 1 card or each type during each step of the encounter, not each step of a check. "Determine which skill you're using", "play cards and use powers that affect the check", and "take damage, if necessary" all are parts of the check, and the check itself is one step of the encounter.
No, you are confusing the steps of an encounter with the steps of a check. You can play 1 card or each type during each step of the encounter, not each step of a check. "Determine which skill you're using", "play cards and use powers that affect the check", and "take damage, if necessary" all are parts of the check, and the check itself is one step of the encounter.
And we have clarification! Thanks!
Note Arcane Armor and Mirror Image have been errata'd so that you can play them after playing another spell on the check.
Note Arcane Armor and Mirror Image have been errata'd so that you can play them after playing another spell on the check.
Thanks for pointing that out. We haven't had an Arcane caster in our party since Lem's unfortunate demise at the hooves of Squealy Nord. But I was interested in Seoni for OP (Dragon Initiate--oh my, yes!), so I very much appreciate having that cleared up.