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Ambushes are extremely effective in TOR. If the company is being ambushed, it affects combat advantages, opening volleys, and initiative. Potentially, a company that is ambushed by a larger group of adversaries could not only be caught so unaware that they gain no combat advantages, but they also do not get opening volleys, do not get initiative, AND the Loremaster pairs them in engagements because they are outnumbered (in other words, they don't get to choose their own targets). That's serious stuff!

On the other hand, the benefit of the company ambushing is to be the aggressors/attackers but still hold initiative and deny opponents opening volleys. If anyone fails their skill test, however, the ambush fails.

Ok, now about 0 Endurance and engagements. The way I understand things is this: at the end of the attacking character's round/turn, if they dropped their opponent to 0 Endurance, it falls unconscious. If that opponent did not get a chance to attack since its last turn, that's too bad. If another player-hero was engaged with that target and is now unengaged, the Loremaster continues to follow the rules for engagements and immediately pairs him with a new opponent (if the number of enemies outnumbers the company), otherwise the player must decide a new engagement (this must happen because he is in a Close combat stance). The only exception to this, that I can think of, is when the target falls unconscious at the END of a combat sequence. At the top of the next combat sequence, the player-heroes all declare combat stances. The now unengaged hero could possibly choose rearward (depending on the numbers) and avoid an engagement.

Matchstick wrote:If you ambush someone, and you get a round to act but they don't, due to surprise, then them dropping at the end of the round isn't going to have any effect on the ambush. I don't remember how ambushes work officially, but I usually just rule that the ambushers get at least a free round if the ambush goes as planned.

That's a fine house rule, but it's not what the actual rules say. They say it wins you initiative and thus lets you attack first. Well, and, as jamesrbrown mentions, it keeps the adversaries from making opening volleys as well.

Nothing about that keeps a zero Endurance enemy from attacking if you go with the 'zero Endurance enemies still get their attack'. Which would be why I think that's not a great route to go barring house rules.

Francesco!!! which is it? Can someone confirm if the adversary dies outright, or if they have an attack at the end of the round.

Adversaries reduced to zero Endurance drop down immediately (unless Great Size, etc.). The reference to rounds at page 231 is confusing. The difference between an adversary going down at 0 End and upon receiving a Wound is that the first instance knocks it out, the second kills it outright. End 0 adversaries die eventually anyway (they are considered to be dying, not simply unconscious).

Sorry for the late reply!

Francesco

Thanks for the clarification!

Yes, thanks Francesco. And, it feels good to know that my memory serves me well

jamesrbrown wrote:Yes, thanks Francesco. And, it feels good to know that my memory serves me well

Tell your wife...

Just wanted to add my thanks to Francesco!

Francesco wrote:Adversaries reduced to zero Endurance drop down immediately (unless Great Size, etc.). The reference to rounds at page 231 is confusing. The difference between an adversary going down at 0 End and upon receiving a Wound is that the first instance knocks it out, the second kills it outright. End 0 adversaries die eventually anyway (they are considered to be dying, not simply unconscious).

Sorry for the late reply!

Francesco

This is super late also, but just to say: thanks Francesco! It cheers me up that such a great game has this level of support, from the community, and also from the creators!

Here's hoping TOR continues . . . Rohan can't come soon enough!