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We've started playing through Runelords again and I mixed a couple of the new monk weapons in for our Wu Shen player. The sai and such seem like nice thematic picks for her AND they work with acrobatics. All cool.
But I game one she picked up Boots of Elvenkind which give her another dice on acrobatics checks with just a reveal. This means that since game 1 she's been rocking 2d12 +d4 + 3 when using a basic sai.
I'm thinking its above aboard but feels wrong. Is it just a case of monk weapons coming along long after RotR, or are the boots just non-combat?
When the boots were created for Runelords, no combat check was an Acrobatics check. I agree with you that the combination is overpowered. If I were you, when I add weapons to Runelords that use the Acrobatics skill, I'd take the Boots of Elvenkind out. Or I'd house-rule that they only work on non-combat checks.
In WotR, a rule was added that you could never automatically succeed at a combat check. That rule takes care of your problem.
See the discussion here.
Hawkmoon, you make a good point about the second power, which I had forgotten about.
But the OP asked if the first power, reveal to add a die, is overpowered. I think it is. The card Boots of Elvenkind was not designed for a set in which weapons allow you to use your Acrobatics skill for a combat check.
Oh. Yeah, I was thinking about the auto succeed part and didn't read the question closely enough.
I think that is your call about whether to leave them in or not. I'd personally leave them in. There are still some trade-offs to keeping a card in your hand for an extra die, and monks tend to have smaller hand sizes. But your case is made more difficult because you are basically combining RotR + Rogue CD + Monk CD.
I'm sure as time goes on, and more cards are released, these kinds of things will become more and more common. So, do whatever works best for your group.
Thanks for your comments, chaps!
Simplest thing might be to remove the boots. Thematically the weapons work really nicely for Wu Shen, which is why I peppered them in as a nice surprise for the player in question. It would be a shame to take that away. Maybe we'll see how we get on for a few games.
It's good, but has mitigating factors. Wu Shen has a very small hand size, so she's using up 1/2 of her starting hand just on the sai and boots. That means only 2 other slots for things such as blessings or allies to explore again or other utility cards. Second, it doesn't scale very well compared to other weapons. The best Acrobatics weapon in the Monk deck for Wu Shen would be the Furious Nunchaku +3 (Subtle Deerhorn Knife provides the same damage on average but has a slightly higher minimum damage and slightly lower maximum damage). Assuming Wu Shen maxed out her Dexterity, she'd be getting 2d12+1d6+9, average of 25.5. Compare with the best weapon and item from the Rogue class deck, Keen Rapier +3 alongside Wyvern Poison. Wu Shen would roll (again with maxed Dex) 1d12+2d8+2d4+8, average of 28.5. The Nunchaku combined with Wyvern Poison would be 1d12+2d8+1d6+9, average of 28. So the Boots are good, especially at low levels, but at higher levels you'll probably be ditching them for other options.
Ah Skizzerz I was JUST looking at the later weapons and thinking the same thing!
It's not the only early game combat monster we have either - I'm using Ramexes who acquired a great axe in game 3. NICE!
If you changed anything, I would just make the boots non-combat. But yeah, hand size and other things also sort of mitigate it.
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My first reaction to this was 'there's a way to make the Boots of Elvenkind useful?'
My first reaction to this was 'there's a way to make the Boots of Elvenkind useful?'
I KNOW RIGHT?
I'd previously ranked them with Eyes of the Eagle.
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I was wondering something similar about Besmara's Tricorn. It adds to wisdom checks, full stop. So my Maznar has it and can reveal it to add a d8 on all his divine spell checks. It felt like it only meant non-combat checks, but Wisdom combat checks definitely existed before S&S. Of course, I don't think anyone in the S&S box uses Wisdom for combat. So I'm unsure of intent.
I was wondering something similar about Besmara's Tricorn. It adds to wisdom checks, full stop. So my Maznar has it and can reveal it to add a d8 on all his divine spell checks. It felt like it only meant non-combat checks, but Wisdom combat checks definitely existed before S&S. Of course, I don't think anyone in the S&S box uses Wisdom for combat. So I'm unsure of intent.
Wisdom but also survival. Super hot against ships.
It adds to constitution/fort too though, yeah? And constitution is a pretty big stat in S&S.
I'm guessing Lini from the char add on would get the most use of it, but it's an item that we've always held on to in every party we've played through. Love that hat
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I personally love the Boots of Elvenkind for RotR Sajan. I've said this elsewhere, but I'll repeat it here:
It might depend on your party make up, but with a 6 character group, you'll see the Warrens, Mill and Courtyard (Acrobatics) and Wooden Bridge (Stealth) quite a bit. 16 out of the 33 scenarios in the game. So about half the time.
39 banes have one of the two skills as their check to defeat or as part of their encounter.
If Sajan is your Dexterity character, then you've got not one with Stealth. Being able to close the Wooden Bridge for a recharge and having a reveal to help with the Warrens, Mill and Courtyard (and those banes), I'd say that makes for a pretty good Base Set card.
I was wondering something similar about Besmara's Tricorn. It adds to wisdom checks, full stop. So my Maznar has it and can reveal it to add a d8 on all his divine spell checks. It felt like it only meant non-combat checks, but Wisdom combat checks definitely existed before S&S. Of course, I don't think anyone in the S&S box uses Wisdom for combat. So I'm unsure of intent.
The Tricorne definitely adds to a combat Wisdom check. Both Lini and Oloch in the S&S set can cast Attack spells using a Wisdom-based Divine skill.
CD Sajan in SotRu is ridiculously happy whenever he picks up a Boots of Elvenkind. Destroys all the monsters.
It makes me wonder when Vic is going to write a "best character" entry. I want to see it.