Questions about the stat gems

[Alex319]

For the "stat gems" like "Ruby of Charisma" and "Onyx of Constitution"...

- Can they be played on another character's check, or only on your own check?

- Suppose that my charisma is d12, my dexterity is d8, and I play a Ruby of Charisma and a blessing on my non-combat dexterity check. Do I roll 2d12, or 1d12+1d8?

- Suppose that my charisma is d12, my dexterity is d8, and I play a Ruby of Charisma and an Aid spell (add 1d6 to any check) on my non-combat dexterity check. Do I roll 2d12, or 1d12+1d6?

- Does playing a Ruby of Charisma on a check to defeat the "Kraken" ship override the Kraken's ability to reduce dice higher than your strength die to your strength die? For instance, if my charisma is d12, strength is d6, and I play a ruby of charisma, do I roll a d12 or a d6?

[elcoderdude]

Alex319 wrote:

Can they be played on another character's check, or only on your own check?

Only on your check. The wording could be clearer.

Alex319 wrote:

Suppose that my charisma is d12, my dexterity is d8, and I play a Ruby of Charisma and a blessing on my non-combat dexterity check. Do I roll 2d12, or 1d12+1d8?

You've replaced the die you roll for the check. The blessing adds another of this die. So 2d12.

Alex319 wrote:

Suppose that my charisma is d12, my dexterity is d8, and I play a Ruby of Charisma and an Aid spell (add 1d6 to any check) on my non-combat dexterity check. Do I roll 2d12, or 1d12+1d6?

I don't understand why this is a question. 1d12 + 1d6.

Alex319 wrote:

Does playing a Ruby of Charisma on a check to defeat the "Kraken" ship override the Kraken's ability to reduce dice higher than your strength die to your strength die? For instance, if my charisma is d12, strength is d6, and I play a ruby of charisma, do I roll a d12 or a d6?

Since technically you are still making a strength check with a different die, I would argue you roll a d12. But I haven't seen the Kraken's text, so I am not sure.

[Hawkmoon269]

The reason it is only on your check is because you only roll dice on your check. You wouldn't roll any dice on my check.

Kraken wrote:

Check to Defeat Strength/Melee 10 OR Wisdom/Survival 8

On your check to defeat the Kraken, replace each die larger than your Strength die with your Strength die; the skill used for the check is unaffected.

For the Kraken, I'd say that would work only if you were attempting the Strength/Melee check. If you were attempting the Wisdom/Survival check I think the Ruby of Charisma would only work to replace your Wisdom die, not your Strength die. Though I'm not 100% sure of that and am still thinking about it.

[Frencois]

Hawkmoon269 wrote:

... Though I'm not 100% sure of that and am still thinking about it.

Kudos to Alex who managed to freeze and jam the AIKAH (Artificial Intelligence Known As Hawkmoon). You win the scenario and get a card feat.

[Ironvein]

Hawkmoon269 wrote:

The reason it is only on your check is because you only roll dice on your check. You wouldn't roll any dice on my check.

Kraken wrote:

Check to Defeat Strength/Melee 10 OR Wisdom/Survival 8

On your check to defeat the Kraken, replace each die larger than your Strength die with your Strength die; the skill used for the check is unaffected.

For the Kraken, I'd say that would work only if you were attempting the Strength/Melee check. If you were attempting the Wisdom/Survival check I think the Ruby of Charisma would only work to replace your Wisdom die, not your Strength die. Though I'm not 100% sure of that and am still thinking about it.

I'd have to concur with Hawk, the gem would only help unimpeded with the STR check; although a number of factors go into that. A character like Amiri with a d12 STR naturally is unaffected by Kraken's ability.

If we take say the Oracle (can't remember name, d4 STR) with the CHA gem (d12 CHA), you'd first choose which check you were attempting...

STR 10 Check: Use the gem, STR die is temp d12 for this check, no issues.

WIS 8 Check: Gem makes the WIS die temp d12, but due the Kraken ability, no die in that check can be greater than d4 (original STR). That includes any item/ally cards that would give d6s or better too btw; they'd have to be d4s too as you have to replace each die greater than the STR die with the STR die.

.... After looking at a Gem card, it could be argued that at least the base stat card could still be altered; it would depend where Ships fail in the 'What card overrules what' hierarchy and whether the Kraken power is consider as something you 'can't do', which trumps the hierarchy altogether.

So does an Item power override a Ship power?

Or was the Kraken power meant to be along the lines of : no die in the check may be larger than your STR die.

[elcoderdude]

Ironvein wrote:

So does an Item power override a Ship power?

From the Skull & Shackles rulebook:

Golden Rule wrote:

If cards conflict with one another, then Adventure Path cards overrule adventures, adventures overrule scenarios, scenarios overrule locations, locations overrule support cards, support cards overrule characters, and characters overrule other cards types.

Ships (which are support cards) overrule item cards.

[Ironvein]

Figured as much, just too lazy to actually dig out the book and look it up. ;p

So the gem effectiveness is best for the STR check, but could work with the WIS check if the character has a high natural STR.

[Andrew L Klein]

Yea gems could at least help someone with a high Str that are forced to use a lower skill. Boost it above your strength die with a gem, then it drops to your Strength level. A d4 could at least bump up to an 8.

[Mad Jack Deacon]

Actually, I've got the Topaz of Strength on Oloch, and regularly make d12 Intelligence and Charisma checks.

Same thing happens with one of the other players in our group. She's got the Pearl of Wisdom on Lirianne and uses it to d12 her weak stats when she can.

[Captainmycaptain]

I have something to check on this too :)

I have intelligence dice of d6, knowledge skill of +2 (under int) and am to make an intelligence or knowledge check.

I elect to make a "knowledge roll" and use my Ruby of Charisma to change to my charisma skill which is d12+2. Does this become d12+4 because I have the knowledge skill? I thought it would, there was some argument from my fellow table mates, but I talked them around.

[Hawkmoon269]

No, it would be d12+2, your transported Charimsa die and the +2 you have for Knowledge.

It only changes the die, not the skill.

S&S Rulebook p12 wrote:

Some cards may allow you to replace a specific die with a different one. For example, Emerald of Dexterity allows you to roll your Dexterity die in place of the normal die for a non-combat check—this means you’ll replace the die (not the skill) you would normally use with your Dexterity die (not your Dexterity skill).

S&S Rulebook p7 wrote:

RULES: SKILLS, DICE, AND MODIFIERS

If your character card says “Strength d10,” and the “+1” box next to that has been checked, your Strength skill is d10+1, and your Strength die is d10. (The “+1” is called a “modifier.”) If your character card also says “Melee: Strength +3,” your Melee skill is d10+4, your Melee die is d10, and the modifier is +4.

[jones314]

Captainmycaptain wrote:

I have something to check on this too :)

I have intelligence dice of d6, knowledge skill of +2 (under int) and am to make an intelligence or knowledge check.

I elect to make a "knowledge roll" and use my Ruby of Charisma to change to my charisma skill which is d12+2. Does this become d12+4 because I have the knowledge skill? I thought it would, there was some argument from my fellow table mates, but I talked them around.

You sound like a good talker but I don't think that's quite right.

Edit: ninja'ed by Hawkmoon

[Captainmycaptain]

Ok, so the bit I was arguing about was right (that I can use my +2 knowledge, that was the controversial but) but none of us had realised the bit about only using the dice from the appropriate stat, so glad I mentioned it!

[Tezrul]

Can I get confirmation that you cannot use the "stat gems" on someone else's check. I don't have the card beside me, but reading it last night it sounded like you use YOUR die on A check not on YOUR check.

It sounds very strong to me and we ended up not using it for each other's checks but I wanted to confirm for future scenarios.

[Hawkmoon269]

Confirmation is here.

I don't think that ever made it into the official FAQ.