Fell Speed

[d(sqrt(-1))]

Ok, another question!

Reading through the creature abilities I came across Fell Speed. The more I think about it the less I seem to understand it. It basically allows the creatures to select who they attack even if they are outnumbered and this is done after stance selection as usual. I've seen some related discussion involving Great Leap, but there are a few things I've not seen mentioned:

- Does this mean that if they choose to attack Rearward PCs, the PCs in Forward/Open/Defensive may get no chance to attack? Usually the side with the greater numbers allocates to opponents 1 for 1 until all are allocated when they can then start to double up, but here the smaller side can do it, so some PCs may be left unallocated.

- Can the Fell Speed creatures gang up on one opponent or do they still each attack one only. I'm guessing that as Fell Speed says nothing either way the original rules stand and they must be allocated one to one until all are matched when they can start to double up.

- Does a Rearward PC attacked in this way need to change stance as they have now been forced into melee, or do they remain Rearward? Can they still attack with missile weapons? The stance change may matter for instance for Escaping from combat, normally Rearward PCs can escape without a roll, but here they have been forced into close combat.

- If a mixed group of Fell Speed/non-Fell Speed creatures are involved, then presumably the larger (total) side gets to allocate (this could be the PCs or Creatures), then the Fell Speed creatures get to decide who they want to attack and can then reallocate. This could have an interesting effect on how creatures/PCs are allocated and potentially doubled up on.

[Earendil]

Intetresting questions...

These answers are just my first response without thinking too much:

Does this mean that if they choose to attack Rearward PCs, the PCs in Forward/Open/Defensive may get no chance to attack? Usually the side with the greater numbers allocates to opponents 1 for 1 until all are allocated when they can then start to double up, but here the smaller side can do it, so some PCs may be left unallocated.

My understanding is that you must usually fight an enemy that has engaged you, but if no-one has engaged you, you can choose who to attack. So the unengaged PCs can still attack the creatures that are attacking their friends.

Can the Fell Speed creatures gang up on one opponent or do they still each attack one only. I'm guessing that as Fell Speed says nothing either way the original rules stand and they must be allocated one to one until all are matched when they can start to double up.

The normal rules are that each hero can be engaged by up to three normal-sized opponents, and the Fell Speed rules allow them to "choose which heroes to engage at the beginning of every turn", so I'd say they can certainly gang up. Other wise that choice wouldn't mean much.

Does a Rearward PC attacked in this way need to change stance as they have now been forced into melee, or do they remain Rearward? Can they still attack with missile weapons? The stance change may matter for instance for Escaping from combat, normally Rearward PCs can escape without a roll, but here they have been forced into close combat.

That's a good question, and I don't think the rules really cover it very well. I'd say that there's nothing that indicates being attacked in this manner changes the hero's stance, so they're still in rearward unless they choose to change it.

On the other hand, surely the point of that rule is that a hero in rearward can escape automatically because they're not in melee. So if they are being attacked in melee, it seems weird to allow them to escape without a roll. Maybe being attacked forces them into Defensive stance. At the very least i think they should have to roll to try to escape.

If a mixed group of Fell Speed/non-Fell Speed creatures are involved, then presumably the larger (total) side gets to allocate (this could be the PCs or Creatures), then the Fell Speed creatures get to decide who they want to attack and can then reallocate. This could have an interesting effect on how creatures/PCs are allocated and potentially doubled up on.

Yes, that seems right to me!

[Robin Smallburrow]

This is what p.174 of rulebook says:

More enemies than heroes:
The Loremaster pairs each unengaged creature with an unengaged companion in close combat. Remaining
creatures can either engage a hero who is already engaged, or stand back, possibly to attack using a
ranged weapon.

More heroes than enemies:
The players pair each unengaged hero with an unengaged adversary. Any remaining companion can
then be assigned to face a creature that is already engaged. A character is engaged when paired in close combat with at least one opponent. A combatant remains engaged until he defeats all opposition. A hero may
be simultaneously engaged by up to 3 human-sized opponents, or 2 large creatures (such as Trolls). Enemies
may be engaged by up to 3 companions, or 5 in the case of large creatures.

So how does Fell Speed affect this? In the first instance the LM can wait until other creatures are assigned, then assign it to whichever companion it wants to attack. In the second instance the LM may decide Creature X doesn't want to face companion Y, so uses Fell Speed to choose a foe more to its liking!

Robin S.

[Robin Smallburrow]

In answer to your actual questions you are correct about the 1 for 1 requirement (as per p.174), but other outcomes depend on which side has initiative - if the enemy has initiative then yes, a Rearward stance character can indeed be "forced" into Defensive stance, just like Great Leap. If the PCs have initiative then they all act first, before the other side - he who has the initiative usually wins in TOR!

Robin S