Prepare Shot Improved... Thoughts?

[Rich H]

So, with me putting together the combat task cards I've been looking at the rules and came across something that doesn't appear to have been discussed so far. Consider the following:

Combat Task: Prepare Shot
A hero fighting in a Rearward stance may spend an entire round preparing a ranged attack, and get a clearer shot
the following round. If the player succeeds in a ranged attack during the following round, he is considered to have successfully achieved a Called shot.

Now, before the AC came out there was kust one Called Shot associated with ranged weapons (Pierce) but now we also have Rain of Arrows, which strikes two adversaries.

My opinion is that Prepared Shot should also support Rain of Arrows but the damage associated with this called shot is dependant on whether the result was a great or extraordinary success so how should the application of Prepare Shot work for this? My thoughts are to still make the roll(s) to determine the successful attack but as it is automatically a called shot then an ordinary success (ie, no tengwars) is now acceptable as well as thegreat/extraordinary successes usually associated with obtaining a called shot.

Anyone else thought of this?

[Deadmanwalking]

Yes, that works.

I'm not sure there's actually another valid rules interpretation here. Prepare Shot works to give you an automatic Rain of Arrows if you want it to. Though, in fairness, it's usually not super useful (giving up an attack to gain an extra attack is usually sorta a zero-sum game).

[Rich H]

I was thinking whether it was something others realised or if they were just (still) associating Prepare Shot with piercing attacks.

Though, in fairness, it's usually not super useful (giving up an attack to gain an extra attack is usually sorta a zero-sum game).

Although you only need an ordinary success, but why not just make two ordinary attacks? Can anyone think of situations where such usage may be advantageous?

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, if there's a one turn penalty of some sort you're under, or you can't attack this turn for some specific reason, that'd make it a good choice...

Oh! I just realized, it's also good if you're setting up a really good shot. It makes the two shots one shot for Hope and bonus dice purposes. If you have only Bow 3, but song dice and a Battle die, then it effectively lets you get those 3 bonus dice on two attacks (at the expense of one of them occurring a little later). That's potentially worth it.

[Rich H]

Oh! I just realized, it's also good if you're setting up a really good shot. It makes the two shots one shot for Hope and bonus dice purposes. If you have only Bow 3, but song dice and a Battle die, then it effectively lets you get those 3 bonus dice on two attacks (at the expense of one of them occurring a little later). That's potentially worth it.

Nice one! Yep, works for me. Was really struggling to think of applicable circumstances.

[Glorelendil]

Stinging Arrow?

[Deadmanwalking]

Stinging Arrow?

That's valid vs groups of weaker foes, yeah, since it makes the attack auto-pierce on two targets (though with only a bow never a greatbow, that's still only at TN 16 max, limiting its utility a little).

[Glorelendil]

Stinging Arrow?

That's valid vs groups of weaker foes, yeah, since it makes the attack auto-pierce on two targets (though with only a bow never a greatbow, that's still only at TN 16 max, limiting its utility a little).

Right, but it's two automatic Pierces (if one chooses to interpret the rules that way) for one Hope.

[Deadmanwalking]

Right, but it's two automatic Pierces (if one chooses to interpret the rules that way) for one Hope.

That's what I said? I think?

Maybe I'm not communicating clearly today...

[Earendil]

I definitely agree about using Prepare Shot for Rain of Arrows: it allows you to use one roll (and any bonus dice you spend) to be applied to both shots. But I don't think I'd allow Stinging Arrow to be used with it in that way.

Reading the wording of Stinging Arrow, it seems to me like it affects the actual arrow, not the die roll. It allows you to spend a Hope point after the attack to make it a Piercing Blow, so I'd treat the two attacks separately for this purpose, and say you can spend Hope on either or both (requiring 2 Hope points to affect both). Otherwise it would be a bit overpowered IMO.