Enemy Special Abilities: WHen and how often?

[Dedicemancometh]

Some Special Abilities [SAs} seem to be defensive (Hideous Toughness) and some seem to be offensive (Strike Fear). The rules are kind of vague on when and how often an SA can be activated in general. Contextually, the text on page 232 might hint at an "only as adjunct to a creature's attack" limitation, but defensive SAs texts hint that such a limitation is not in force. Also, the stipulation that an LM can activate an SA as long as Hate Points remain begs the question, "Can the LM trigger the SAs over and over again in one turn?" In other words, can Strike Fear force players to make several Fear tests in a row? Until all Hate is expended? This seems unlikely, but then again, what the restriction would be is never stated. Are there rules elsewhere that clarify this point?

These special abilities are mostly triggered by the Loremaster and often reduce the creature’s Hate point core, but they may also describe a negative characteristic, which could hamper the creature’s performance under certain conditions. The Loremaster is entitled to make use of a special ability even when it requires the expenditure of the last Hate point possessed by the creature. Unless otherwise noted, a creature may use a special ability in addition to attacking, so long as they have the necessary Hate to spend.

[Falenthal]

I think you'll find some threads discussing this in the forum, but I'll just mention a few points:

1) Nepitello clarified (somewhere) that each SA can be activated just once per turn. So, a creature can't use Hideous Toughness twice against two different hits in the same round.

2) Nowhere is said how much or often a creature should use his abilities. Some people use them whenever possible, no matter how many Hate points the creature has left. Other use them whenever possible until they have 1 or 2 points left, at which point the creature stops using them unless it gives them a killing blow or is needed to avoid death. Other people make a distinction between reckless/wild creatures (that use Hate points whenever possible) and intelligent creatures (that use them only when most effective or necessary, trying to avoid altogether running out of Hate points and becoming Weary). The rules don't force you to do anything special, so you can choose depending on your likings.

[Falenthal]

Regarding my first answer, here is the thread I talked about:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1163&p=11387&hilit= ... nts#p11387

Specially this part, confirmed by Francesco:

Re: Hate Points - limits per round?

Postby Francesco » Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:36 am

Angelalex242 wrote:
You can use hate as much per round as you want, but you can't drop all 5 points into the same ability. If the creature has horrible strength and hideous toughness and no quarter, you can spend, in the same round, 1 hate to block a hit, 1 hate to do more damage, and then 1 to coup de grace a hero when he drops, but you can't spend 5 points on horrible strength in a single blow.



That's right, thank you!

Francesco

Re-reading this, I'd change my answer to point 1): A creature can use Hideous Toughness against different attacks in the same round, only it can't increase its damage reduction several times against the same attack.

[Dedicemancometh]

Thanks! That clarifies it.

[Angelalex242]

It's true.

If the hideous toughness creature has a bad day and finds himself pierced by 3 great spear called shots, he's free to burn 1 hate per shot.

However, when the Beorning hits him with a Fell Splitting Greataxe, he can't supercharge his toughness to withstand the blow.