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With the upcoming D&D Miniatures Championship at Gen Con in a few short weeks, there's been quite a bit of discussion regarding how specific abilities interact in the D&D Miniatures Game. Some of these questions are regarding recent terrain features on the battlemaps made available through the Fantastic Locations product line, while others relate directly to new abilities introduced with the Night Below expansion.
With the able assistance of Michael Derry (the 2006 D&D Miniatures champion), Peter Lee (head judge for the 2007 D&D Miniatures championship), and rules gurus Guy Fullerton, Louis C Sacha, and Dwayne Stupack, we've compiled some of the more pressing questions into this article.
These updates, as well as previous clarifications for Night Below, have been incorporated into our online FAQ file as your single source for D&D Minis rules. In addition, Peter Lee is providing additional guidance on the D&D Minis message boards, answering questions already addressed by the current rules. Future updates will follow a format similar to this, with questions being addressed and incorporated into the D&D Minis FAQ Reference file.
Errata
First up are specific abilities that require additional text to make them work correctly. The following are errata for their respective miniatures:
Krenshar, Cause Fear: Errata -- this special ability replaces attacks.
Kuo-Toa Whip, Lightning Bolt: Errata -- this special ability replaces attacks.
Rules and Terrain ClarificationsThe introduction of Diagonal Walls and Market Stalls presented some rules conundrums, which these entries resolve. First, the charging rules are expanded to allow for charging along diagonal walls (the italics indicate new text). We've update the Cover rules so that cover interacts appropriately with Market Stalls, and the rules for Market Stalls are included (one of the championship maps is the Market Square, which features this terrain prominently). Finally, there are new rule entries to address specific situations.
Charging: If any line traced between the creature's starting space and ending space passes through terrain that slows or prevents movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), the charge is not allowed. If the creature's starting space or destination space contains diagonal wall terrain, you only need to trace clear lines between the non-wall portions of those spaces. The creature can ignore squares that slow movement that it actually occupies when it starts its charge, so long as it leaves those squares with its first square of movement. (In other words, a creature can charge out of difficult terrain so long as none of its move is slowed by difficult terrain.)
Cover: When determining Cover for ranged attacks, the attacker chooses a corner of a square in its space; if any line from this corner to any part of the defender's space passes through terrain that blocks line of effect, the defender has cover (merely touching edges is not sufficient to provide cover).
Market Square, Market Stall: Market Stall squares are considered difficult terrain. A Market Stall square does not provide cover to a creature occupying the square (though the creature might gain cover from other intervening squares; see the Cover entry). Line of sight and line of effect is blocked if the line touches a corner of an intervening Market Stall square or 2 edges of the same intervening Market Stall square. A creature in a Market Stall square can still trace line of sight to creatures and squares in its own space as well as to adjacent creatures and squares. Market Stalls are not considered walls. When determining distances, count through Market Stalls normally. Note that line of effect for a line or area is not blocked by terrain at its origin point (for example, those cases where the origin of such an effect is at the corner of a Market Stall square).
Speed: Add the following to the glossary entry: "The maximum distance a creature can move is determined based on its speed when that instance of movement begins. Changes to a creature's speed during movement do not affect the distance the creature may move during that instance of movement."
Doubling Damage: When doubling damage more than once for the same instance of damage, perform each doubling sequentially (for example, doubling twice is the same as quadrupling). Add the following to the end of step D1 of the Damage Math Sequence in the Supplemental Rules: "Also double the base damage for doubling effects associated with the acting creature, such as Wild Surge and Wild Magic Aura. If multiple abilities or effects would cause the damage to be doubled, perform each doubling operation in sequence."
place/placing a creature: Abilities and effects which refer to placing a creature, like Shadow Jump and the dimension door spell, cause a creature's location to change but do not count as movement for any purpose. The space that the creature will occupy in the new location must be a location where the creature could legally end its movement (even if the creature has movement remaining).
Specific Ability Clarifications
These abilities relate to the abilities of specific creatures from recent sets but particularly Night Below. These entries describe in more detail how some of these abilities should be used in the context of the D&D Miniatures Game rules.
Aspect of Loviatar, Ripping Pain: Creatures with Immune Paralysis are unaffected by this spell.
Bat Familiar: This creature is not prevented from using Deliver Touch Spell when its Required Spellcaster is stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise prevented from casting spells.
Champion of Dol Dorn, Feat of Strength: When the Champion of Dol Dorn uses Feat of Strength, it gets both effects of this ability (melee damage +10 and push Large or smaller enemy up to 1 square on hit) until the end of its current turn.
Champion of Dol Dorn, Provoke: When this special ability is used, any adjacent creature cannot make a melee attack unless that attack is directed at the Champion of Dol Dorn. This restriction applies to any creature that is adjacent at the time it attempts a melee attack, regardless of whether that creature was adjacent to the Champion of Dol Dorn when Provoke was used. Thus, it prevents such creatures from making attacks of opportunity against other creatures (such attacks are wasted, not redirected to the Champion of Dol Dorn). A creature may only be affected by one Provoke effect at a time. If a creature is affected by multiple creatures using the Provoke ability, it can choose which it is currently affected by. As stated on the card, the ability is active until the start of the Champion of Dol Dorn's next turn.
Delver Sergeant, Efficient Orders: The commander effect is optional. When a follower activates within 6 squares of this commander, choose whether or not it is the creature that does not count against your limit of activating 2 creatures per phase. Your phase ends after you have activated the second creature that counts against the limit of 2 per phase. If an effect or ability such as Squad Activation forces additional creatures to activate as part of the same activation as the affected follower, the activation counts normally against the limit of 2 activations per phase.
Hobgoblin Marshal, Commander Effect: See the entry for Speed.
Kalashtar Bodyguard, Psychic Strike: The use of Psychic Strike must be declared before the attack roll in order to gain the benefit of this ability for that attack. Once declared, the bonus to damage lasts until the end of this creature's turn. If the creature moves prior to making an attack, then this ability cannot be used. In addition, this creature forfeits any further movement on its turn once it has used this ability. This entry replaces the text on the Night Below booster insert.
Medusa Archer, Archer's Eye: This ability does not grant an immediate ranged attack against nonliving creatures or creatures that are immune to Gaze Attacks.
Prisoner, Chained: This ability is resolved before victory points are awarded for occupying a victory area.
Raistlin Majere, Debilitating Magic: The effects of the spell are resolved prior to the creature taking the damage. When this special ability results in the acting creature's elimination or rout, the spell is still resolved. This ability cannot increase the damage of a spell which does not deal damage as part of its effect.
Raistlin Majere, Devoted Companions: This ability works like the Bodyguard ability of the Kalashtar Bodyguard.
Trample: This is an activated ability and so cannot be used while routing.
Ultroloth, Dark Suggestion and Cleave: A Cleave opportunity that occurs due to the immediate attack of the Dark Suggestion is made by the player using the ability and getting the immediate attack. (This is because the creature is still being controlled by Dark Suggestion when the Cleave attempt is triggered.)
About the Authors
 Michael Derry is the 2006 DDM Champion and past Head Judge. Guy Fullerton is a past Net Rep, past Head Judge, and all-round rules guru. Peter Lee is the Head Judge for Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures at GenCon Indy 2007. Dwayne Stupack was the Head Judge at Dungeons & Dragons eXPerience 2007. Louis Sacha helps people find answers on the boards (as LCS). Stephen Schubert works in RPG R&D for Wizards of the Coast.
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