Melee weapon for distant check?

[Alex Garcia 777]

Hello everyone,

Just purchased the new core set, and saw the rule change: "collectively, the party may play no more than one of each type of boon."

Reading this makes me think an ally at another location could play their weapon, regardless of if it's ranges or melee, to assist the check.

Is this true?

I see that some weapons call out local or distant checks specifically, so wondering if only those weapons can be played by allies to assist each other.

I appreciate your feedback.

[Frencois]

You can play a weapon to assist another character's combat check providing....

1) The power on the weapon clearly says it can be used to do that.
Examples

Dagger or Starknive wrote:

On a local combat check, freely recharge to add 1d4.

Yes you can backstab when someone else is "localy" doing a combat check.

Longbow wrote:

If proficient, on another character's combat check, freely discard to add 1d8.

Note that for the Longbow, it doesn't say "local" combat check so you can indeed assist from another location (it's a bow).

But most weapons only can only be played on YOUR combat check so you cannot use them when someone else is attempting a combat check. Those weapons only have powers refering to your combat checks like:

Longsword or Quarterstaff and many others wrote:

For your combat check, reveal to ...

2) No one else has played a weapon (especially not the character attempting the check) UNLESS either

- all previously played weapons were played "freely"
- and/or your weapon can be played freely (see the dagger, starknive and longbow above)

Hoping it helps.

[wkover]

Good luck with the game. If it helps, here's a list of easily missed rules for new players:

https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2222317/easily-missed-rules

The bottom of that thread contains additional information (link) about which cards can be played on which checks.