Question about monster spawns.

Grimshaw

Newbie
Friday night during the un-dead assault, an un-dead was doing his three count spawn. "I come from the ground, one. I come from the ground two...." I turned and began attacking the rising mound of un-dead before he hit the end of his three count. The NPC told me I could not do that. I did not contest the point at the time and went with it as I am so rarely that close to a spawning creatures.

I couldn't find any thing about this directly in the rule book except in Gaseous Form where it states,

"To come out of gaseous form, the NPC should state “I solidify one, I solidify two, I solidify three.” The monster is vulnerable to attack while solidifying."

I would assume this would also apply to something coming out the ground, doorways, forest, etc.

Am I correct in my thinking?

Thanks
James "Grimshaw" Ferguson
 
a good question, I wondered the same thing too, as on Saturday I was hit while forming, I died while I spawned, but would be interested in knowing the answer as well. :)
 
Unless it's some special circumstance (which should be explained by the mod marshal before the mod), enemies can be attacked while they're spawning and have to take any damage they take during that time.
 
I've been wondering that too! As a player, saying something like "I come from the ground..." I always think Terra can see the mound rising and can therefore tell people where things are coming from, but then I always question if we can attack or not.

~Emily G (Terra)

Sent from my SM-G920T using Tapatalk
 
thanks Kyle, thats what I've been doing, but nice to know the answer.
 
Yes, you are correct James. If a monster is spawning from any location and they do their "3 count" to enter combat, they can be hit by any type of effect or attack. It's not often you'll be immediately next to a spawning creature, but if you can get to them before their count is up, then you can get a few good unguarded attacks in. I can recall many instances where I've been beat down before my count is up when spawning in between a group of players.

- Ryan
Head of Plot
Rules Marshal
 
Thanks for clearing that up Ryan! I was seeing several mixed instances of this over the weekend, of monsters both saying that you could and could not do that. I had kind of assumed that it was a case-by-case basis.
 
While we're talking about the murder of monsters, i have a question.

Is it possible to killing blow a monster while (s)he is fighting? like sneaking up behind, counting killing blow 1...killing blow 2...etc instead of hitting them.
Provided nobody hits you or knocks your weapon away, and you keep your weapon touching the monster, it should work, right?
 
No Killing blow requires the target to be completely immobilized/asleep. Any movement by the target voids the killing blow, which is good to remember when possuming.
 
Then why do PCs play the killing blow game? and to add onto that, if moving voids a killing blow, why do PCs never count to killing blow 3?
 
Killing blow prevents a downed monster from healing, same as being dead makes a pc not fixable, you can also killing blow someone immobilized by a web, confine or prison (if it's yours and you can drop it)
 
So, killing blow doesn't do anything unless the monster is webbed, confined, prison, willing to accept it, or unconscious. Got it.
 
As long as we're looking for clarifies... On a Waylay attempt, one should be stating before a suspected Waylay whether or not one acknowledges a persons presence ("I see you") and not after, am I correct?

I had an instance this weekend where I walked up to an NPC in active combat with several townsfolk, while in a dual wielding mode (sword and mug, my default), and tho the target saw me coming up, did not acknowledge the possibility of surprise. So after a few seconds, I went for the Waylay, only to be told a few seconds later by them "I saw you coming."

A clarify would be cool for next time - I was under the impression that "Seeing someone coming" was an active kinda thing that needed to be called in advance, and had to be maintained. One didn't just get to take a quick look and then call retroactively to defend it.

Thanks!
 
If he/she is aware of you as an active combatant, then the Waylay wouldn't be successful. It's very hard to perform Waylay after combat has started (with good reason). During combat, Waylay usually only works if the character is unaware of you as an attacker towards them. The verbal acknowledgement stipulation is meant for more non-combat scenarios when you are trying to stay completely out of sight before striking. Requiring players to actively keep stating their awareness of all potential combatants in the midst of combat is unrealistic and tiresome.
 
I can understand that from an ease of rules standpoint, I guess. Just kinda sucks that the default becomes said defender, by virtue of being in combat with multiple people, is now also simultaneously immune to waylay from all of those people by virtue of "awareness".

If I approach, both weapons at the ready, and said defender does acknowledge me visually, but then chooses to turn their back on me, that SHOULD break said awareness. Cuz, at that point, they're leaving the opening, and unless it's someone who's adventured with me before, they have no knowledge that I can Waylay (meta).

But I can also see the safety issues on that. Mildly frustrating cuz I've gotten that move to work for me more than a handful of times here before this event, and done so safely.

Meh, them's the rules. C'est la vie.

Thanks for the clarify, Derek !!! Looking forward to seeing everyone out at the next event!
 
Derek is right on his interpretation which he learned no doubt largely by trial and error himself. Thanks for the great explanation. Waylay absolutely does work in a combat scenario but is harder to pull off. Link is one of the few PCs I have seen pull it off more than not. He is very patient and still is at best successful a third of the time. Just keep on keep in on. Eventually it works out pretty well!
 
I've had a couple legit mid-combat Waylays done on me. Just being in combat isn't really enough to be aware enough for a Waylay not to go off, but if the target is aware of you as a combatant on the field, it's probably not going to go off. This last event, Taios (IIRC) got one on Ser Kurzon - I had no idea he was back there, and it would have been legit, but I had just cast a magic armor shortly before that. The other one was Link waylaying Cha'ka at a point when I honestly didn't even know he was on the field.
 
The other one was Link waylaying Cha'ka at a point when I honestly didn't even know he was on the field.
The key to sneaking up on any bad guy is turning your back to them, and walking backwards towards them. I pretty much just walked backwards and to the side until none of the guys who were around you were paying attention to me. Once you're behind enemy lines, most people don't realize you're there. I think it's more a function of psychology then actually being sneaky.


I also go for a lot of Waylays that I'm unsure about (if they see me, if they'll take it, not safety). You never make the shots you don't take. As long as you can do it safely, you'll end up getting more people then you think.
 
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The key to sneaking up on any bad guy is turning your back to them, and walking backwards towards them. I pretty much just walked backwards and to the side until none of the guys who were around you were paying attention to me. Once you're behind enemy lines, most people don't realize you're there. I think it's more a function of psychology then actually being sneaky.


I also go for a lot of Waylays that I'm unsure about (if they see me, if they'll take it, not safety). You never make the shots you don't take. As long as you can do it safely, you'll end up getting more people then you think.

I was about to say the exact same thing. It's only really effective in the dark, I've found, but I wouldn't be surprised if Chris could pull it off in the middle of the day.
 
Gnot would rather stick a sword through the rising mound of undead/plant whatever than continue to hit it. It is never directly effective as my three count has to start after their three count, unless they materialize after 3 count say, 10 count spawn time. Instead tactically, a sword through their chest tends to focus their attention on me, adventurers are trained to act on "killing blow 1, etc..." and gets their attention, to ideally start hitting the target while its grumpy about a sword through its chest. 50-50 they stand and watch me get hit though :)
 
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