Mummy's Mask #6 - I don't understand Glass Boat

[MuffinB]

I know Glass Boat from Mummy's Mask adventure 6 has been errataed, but whether before or after the errata, I'm not sure I understand:

1) when is it that you get to draw a random item; and

2) if you get to draw an item if you don't succeed at all at your check to defeat.

(This has nothing to do with the case of multiple checks, which is covered by the errata and I totally understand.)

Here's the text before and after the errata:

Glass Boat - pre-errata wrote:

When you encounter a bane, if you do not defeat it by at least 3, draw a random item that has the Alchemical or Liquid trait from the box.

Glass Boat - errataed wrote:

If the result of each check to defeat a bane you encounter does not exceed the difficulty by at least 3, after the encounter, draw a random item that has the Alchemical or Liquid trait from the box.

My understanding is that if a bane has a check to defeat of 15, and I roll 15, 16, 17 or 18, then I would get to draw a random Alchemical/Liquid item from the box. Is that correct?

Then, assuming it is correct, what if I totally fail with a roll of 6, do I also get to draw a random Alchemical/Liquid item from the box? Usually, these sorts of sentencing are when something detrimental happens when you fail to defeat the bane by a certain amount. Now with the Glass Boat being beneficial, I find it odd (and doubt that it is intentionnal) that you could willingly fail a check and then be rewarded with an item...

(Hence, perhaps this is because English is not my first language, but my initial readings of Glass Boat pre-errata was that the "do not defeat it" part was mandatory in order to get the item)

[Malcolm_Reynolds]

As written an 18 in your example would exceed the difficulty (15) by at least 3, so you would not get an item.

If you flub a check with a 6 and have not exceeded the difficulty by at least three, then you get an item. (If success were a requirement then it would read something like "If the result of each check to defeat a bane you encounter succeeds and does not exceed the difficulty by at least 3, after the encounter, draw a random item that has the Alchemical or Liquid trait from the box."

Hope that helps!

[skizzerz]

“Does not exceed the difficulty by at least 3” means that the result of your roll (lets call that R) is less than the difficulty (lets call that DC) plus 3. In other words, you get an item when R < DC + 3. If the bane has multiple checks, that condition must hold for each check.

With the errataed version as quoted in the OP, you do not need to defeat the bane in order for this to trigger.

Timing-wise, you draw the item after the encounter is complete.

[elcoderdude]

+1 to Malcolm. 18 is too much (in the example in which the check as a difficulty of 15).
I'm staring at the errata and finding the use of "at least" to be very odd. Is it grammatically correct? I think "does not exceed the difficulty by 3 or more" would have been easier to understand.
EDIT: ninja'd

[MuffinB]

elcoderdude wrote:

I'm staring at the errata and finding the use of "at least" to be very odd. Is it grammatically correct? I think "does not exceed the difficulty by 3 or more" would have been easier to understand.

EDIT: ninja'd

You're right, "at least" is very weird and I think this is what got me confused. When I read it with "by 3 or more" it makes a lot more sense to me.

Anyways, thanks everyone for the quick answer.