Defensive stance: Protect Companion

[Fridokind Wargaug]

Let's say Oin fights in open stance and Gloin protects him. When can Gloin decide to become the target of the attack before or after the opponent's role?

[Falenthal]

Before the opponent's attack roll.

[Timmity Took]

After choosing his stands.

[fencingmonkey]

The rulebook is unclear, but I've always allowed it to happen after the attack roll. My reasoning for this is that the defending character needs to spend a point of Hope, and in general you know what the effect of spending Hope will be when you spend it. If the attack was going to miss the protected character anyway, the Hope would be lost, which doesn't feel great.

[Falenthal]

The rulebook is unclear,

It might seem unfair, but I think it's not unclear:

p.180
He must announce the name of the character he
wants to protect right after choosing his stance for the
coming turn.
When the protected character is attacked, the protecting
hero may choose to spend 1 point of Hope and become
the target of the attack in his place. The attack is resolved
using the stance of the defending character to calculate its
TN.

[Glorelendil]

Hmm...I don't think it's 100% clear. It depends on your interpretation of "attacked" and "resolved".

Version 1:
"Attacked" means the the player/LM announces intention. "Resolved" means the dice are rolled.

Version 2:
"Attacked" means the dice are rolled. "Resolved" means the result is compared to the TN.

[Halbarad]

For what it’s worth, my interpretation of how Protect Companion works is as follows.

Regnald and Beorg are attacked by a pair of Orcs and have Initiative.

Regnald adopts Defensive Stance and chooses Beorg as the companion he wishes to protect.

There could be many reasons for why the Protection is offered or required, but I’m going to choose a tactical aspect where Beorg has chosen to adopt a Forward Stance to Attack.

The combat round proceeds as normal with both Regnald and Beorg getting to attack engaged opponents as per the normal turn sequence.

The Orc then strikes at Beorg whose defence is 12 because he is in Forward Stance. The Orc rolls a 15 which would be a hit on Beorg.

At this point Regnald must choose whether to spend Hope to protect Beorg. Regnald is in Defensive Stance and has a defence TN of 21. If Regnald chooses to spend the Hope, the opponents original roll of 15 is now applied against his Defence TN of 21 resulting in a miss from the opponent. If he doesn’t spend the Hope, then Beorg gets hit.

That’s it, in a nutshell, imo.

Of course, there are many things that need to be considered before spending the Hope, such as whether Tengwars were rolled for additional damage, whether the initial roll was high enough to exceed the Protectors Defensive TN and whether the attack carried the threat of a Wound.

There’s also the fact that a Regnald has an incoming attack from the other Orc to consider.

[Timmity Took]

Any time after choosing his stands. But the character you protect must be chosen right after you choose your stands I believe. I mean, you spend a hope poinyt, so it should be worth it! You are supposed to take the blow for another companion, get hurt instead. Right?
In any case, the loremaster section says the rules in the book is meant to be flexible and every group of players use, adjust or ignore the rules they like and what fits their playing style, so...

[Dunkelbrink]

I'm with Farenthal on this one. I read the rules as the protecting character must step in when the attack is declared, before the roll. If he spends a point of Hope the attack is directed at him instead, with TN of the protecting character. The rules say "When the protected character is attacked"; not when "the attack is successful". and the attack is resolved, carried out, with the new TN of the protecting character. There's an element of risk; the higher TN might protect the heroes altogether but that shouldn't be known before the choice of protection or not.

I don't think it is that unclear, but of course a LM can change and interpret the rules in the way he/she prefers.

[Glorelendil]

Hmm...I don't think it's 100% clear. It depends on your interpretation of "attacked" and "resolved".

Version 1:
"Attacked" means the the player/LM announces intention. "Resolved" means the dice are rolled.

Version 2:
"Attacked" means the dice are rolled. "Resolved" means the result is compared to the TN.

So Halbarad uses the second interpretation, whereas Falenthal and Dunkelbink use the first.

Given that I don’t believe it should be possible to “waste” Hope, I’m with Halbarad on this one.

Until somebody can cite a clarifying passage from the rules, that is.