Powers that determine the check not playable ruins characters?


Rules Questions and Gameplay Discussion


So, I am starting to read through the new rules book (ok, skim may be the better phrase), while I was also setting up for playing the first scenario of Dragon's Demand. I haven't played with Rivani, and I REALLY want to, so I am adding the Occult Adventures stuff as well as the Core for DD.

However, I noticed the following line in the Core Set Rulebook

"Powers that also determine the type of check may not be played freely"

That would seem to kill one of Rivani's powers

"For your Perception or Ranged check, you may recharge a card to use your Knowledge skill instead"

I know this could affect other things as well - for example, would that kill the Emerald of Dexterity? Or am I being overly harsh?


OK I haven't the full rules yet so handle with cautious but:
"may not be played freely" doesn't mean "may not be played", just that you have to respect other rules. And I don't see one that would prohibit playing that power...


I think this is just the new way of saying you can't play two cards that both say "For your combat check, use..." for those powers.


May not be played freely simply means you cannot ever apply the 'freely' keyword to them, I would imagine. "Freely" simply means "this does not count towards your one card per type per check limitation".

Using a character power (such as Rivani's) and using a weapon power (such as on a longbow) doesn't tread on each other's toes - whether they had freely or not, you're not trying to use 2 weapons or anything, so there shouldn't be an issue.

However, if there was a bow that said "for your combat check, use your ranged skill + 1d10" and a dagger that said "for your ranged check, use your knowledge skill +1d10", then that would be in conflict in the rules. Not sure why such a card would exist, but it's not impossible - there's melee weapons that let you use them against Disable checks, for example, and there's at least one pre-Core card that lets you use Disable in combat (albeit it's Acid Flask, not a weapon).


ferris.valyn wrote:


I know this could affect other things as well - for example, would that kill the Emerald of Dexterity?

IIRC, Emerald et al only change the *DIE* you're throwing, not the skill you're using, so you can rest easy in that regard.


Longshot11 wrote:
ferris.valyn wrote:


I know this could affect other things as well - for example, would that kill the Emerald of Dexterity?
IIRC, Emerald et al only change the *DIE* you're throwing, not the skill you're using, so you can rest easy in that regard.

That raises a question that my group and I have argued constantly. I know it's been answered somewhere.

Let's say you have a character with the following traits - Dex is D10 +3, and Wisdom is D6+1. You are doing a Wisdom check, and you use the Emerald of Dexterity, which of the following options is correct ?

1). You roll a D10, and add 3
2). You roll a D10, and add 2
3). Something else which I did not include?


#3 but only because I assume #2 was a typo. :)

You roll 1d10+1. The various stat gems only replace the die that your roll, any modifiers are still based on the original skill. Also, it is still a Wisdom roll, not a Dexterity roll, so blessings that double bless Dex would be helpful.


You roll D10 (your Dex die) + 1 (your Wis skill modifier)

(I assume you made a typo and that's your option 2). Otherwise, I don't know where your d10+2 option comes from)

EDIT: Damn ninjas!


MorkXII wrote:
Also, it is still a Wisdom roll, not a Dexterity roll, so blessings that double bless Dex would be helpful.

Likely I think you meant to say "not" be helpful. Dex blessings wouldn't be helpful on a wisdom check, despite using dex to determine the size of the die rolled.


Yep, my mistake - I obviously typed that wrong. Thanks for the correction.

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