I have a quick question. When using the Great Leap ability, does the PC combatant stay within attacking range of the shadow creature, requiring the archer to enter into a melee stance until the creature is dead? Or is it a one hit deal, and then the archer can go back to his rearward stance?

Thanks.

I read it as a one hit deal. The creature can attack a rearward for that one round, then combat moves on and the archer is covered by other PCs. The stances aren't physical s on the battlefield and the archer is as likely to be ducking in and out of the melee as standing back and firing arrows from a distance. As long as there's the 2:1 ratio of melee combatants covering the person in rearward, they have people to defend them.

I've always thought that Great Leap doesn't actually change stance of the PC, it just means that the attacker can attack them (rather than them being screened by the rest of the party) and without missile weapons. We've always resolved the attacks at 12+Parry difficulty and then the opponents are reset next turn, everyone chooses stances etc as normal.

The difficulty 12+Parry we saw as representing the normal "to hit" for someone in rearward in the case of the PC, and incorporating the difficulty of leaping through defenders etc for the attacker. Of course, the attacker can do it again next round if they want.

K, thanks! We'll make it a one turn thing.

ah--but what if the enemy using Great Leap successfully hits the character in rearward stance with Seize Vicitm? (E.g. Leaping spider hits using its "ensnare" attack.)

My understanding is that Seize Victim applies penalties to the the hero character as long as the seizing enemy is alive and engaged with that hero. In this example, would you "break" the spider's hold at the beginning of the next round? Would the player be able to change stance?

In this scenario I would be tempted to make an exception and say the Ensnare ability would effectively force the hero into a defensive stance beginning in the next round. It would allow the player to keep the same base TN (12)--but still trap the player in that stance, per the rules for Seize Victim. The player could then try to fend off the spider, since s/he's now engaged in close combat.

I'm curious to know what others think.

From the Loremaster's Book, p. 50:

So if Trotter is stuck in rearward stance... can he shoot arrows at the spider ensnaring him next round? It would seem the example cuts off just as things get interesting. ;-)

The way i see it, Trotter while is in rearward chance cannot use his bow.
An ensnared character having a spider on him seems difficult to use a bow.