by Jafazo wrote:Here's my take on it...
When the spell, Cloak of Shadows, uses the word Attack, it's referencing the Attack action recognized in Hero Quests rulebook, not the general idea I have about what an attack is. If the spell wanted to grant a target complete immunity from damage it would say that, but since it uses the word attack and attack is a keyword/term defined within HQ's rules, I have to translate the spells text as telling me that it's referencing the games keyword Attack action, not my own idea of what an attack is.
Once I realize this and I reread the text in the spell, Cloak of Shadows, it says to me, "No one within its area of effect may use the Attack action we explained in our rulebook, nor may anyone be attacked using the Attack action we explained in our rulebook, nor may anyone cast any spells as we explained within our rulebook." This means that the target can still be harmed with spells and other effects that aren't considered melee attacks as it explains in the rulebook, so all damage inflicting spells would work.
Magical throwing daggers would work because their damage, when thrown, are explained as simply always inflicting 1 body point of damage. We aren't told whether the damage is combat based or magical, such as if the dagger explodes with a magical burst of energy, so we can't effectively rule it out. The same goes for spell scrolls and the Elven Bow of Vindication, which allows the target a chance to avoid being killed by rolling a black shield on one combat die, but it doesn't specify that the target is defending against a combat based attack as explained in the Attack action. We could even argue that if it did, that the victim should be allowed to roll its defend dice, as explained in the Attack based action but since it isn't and is rolling only one automatic defend die, that the defend die does not represent his usual combat dice to defend.
I have to agree with Jafazo on this one, casting an offensive spell isn't necessarily the same as an attack.
However i feel a lot of people are overlooking another valid use for this spell: it is a safespace, yes, but the figure inside cannot cast spells and considering the spell is part of Wizard's of Morcar, it can be used to trap an Evil Wizard so he cannot cast spells from within. If you pin the evil spell caster between a wall and some heroes within the Cloak of Shadows you negate his spell casting ability, plus he can't attack a hero to get out, this allows other heroes to fight off remaining bad guys in the room or attempt to take him out with Ball of Flame or something.
Just the same, it would be really petty if the enemy wizard went into the Cloak of Shadows and refused to leave.
When I played Quest 6 from the Original System with my crew the first time an Orc killed the Barbarian after Grak used a sleep spell. The Wizard cast Courage on the Dwarf and when Grak was the last one in his line of sight I moved Grak out of his line of sight, causing him to lose courage. The heroes said "that was cheap." I agree, but how worse would it be if refused to leave the Cloak of Shadows?
There's helping yourself strategically in a bad guy way, and then there's intentionally being a prick to the heroes when it's supposed to be in good fun.
