Who Can Use Elf Artifacts

[wallydubbs]

So I came across the topic of the Elven Cloak of Passage on Facebook and it never occurred to me to look at the cloak the way other people do. Apparently a lot of people think the Cloak of Passage's 3-time use is to go through 3 walls. I always took it as Pass Through Rock 3-fold. That the Elf can use the cloak to pass through rock 3 different turns.

Am I the odd man out, do other people interprete the Cloak's powers differently?

On a separate question related to the Cloak, do you guys think it should take an action to use? Or could the Elf use to run through a wall and come to the rescue, attacking on the same turn?

[Kurgan]

I took the Elven Cloak as being usable to pass through rock (and I don't distinguish between blocked squares, trigger fallen rock traps, closed doors and white 'walls' on the board) on three different turns. Only question is whether it takes up an action. Though I had also considered if it overrides the usual "if you end your movement inside solid rock you're trapped forever" or if it could be used to move out on your next turn... probably not intended, but maybe Zargon has the perfect excuse to give them another chance in this case).

Ultimately I think MB probably intended for all the Elven artifacts (that either say "allows the Elf..." or "may only be used by the elf" in the card text) to only be used by the Elf hero. This is the interpretation that Avalon Hill is taking in the Companion App, again not that the App is the end-all be all.

I reiterate that I think at the very least the cards that lack the "may only be used by the Elf" gives Zargon the right to decide if any hero may use them. If the Elf is not in the party at all, I think its even more a good idea to let other hero(es) use them, not necessarily only the Rogue (if he's in the party). A stricter Zargon might say no of course, and that's his right.

To me though MOTM is difficult enough as written (even with AH's adjustments in the remake edition), so I'd lean more heavily towards easing the restrictions and giving the hero players the reading more inclined towards their benefit (I similarly about the FH). Some players will reject it "No, I'm not the Elf, only the Elf should be able to use it."

It's all well and good to give it to the Elf hero. Ultimately it matters because the Elf might get killed, and another character who claims his or her gear... now wants to know if they can use some or all of those items. But if you think about it, the Wizard has special gear only he can use, and that's been true since the beginning of the classic game, so this is just another restriction. MOTM intended certain items only for the Elf, clearly, same with the Barbarian pack (see the Alchemist Shop of both their expansions).

Having played through now both Frozen Horror and Mage of the Mirror in their entirety, I don't think it ruins anything to make these items usable by other heroes. I had this idea that when the Elf uses them they are more effective than when another hero uses them. Naturally the players felt like the Elf should use them. In terms of making the Elf feel special within MOTM (and maybe carry those over into ROTDM, though I played those with a fresh party of heroes) I guess I can see that too. The issue only comes up if the Elf is removed from the group, and because you need all the help you can get unless you've toned down the difficulty quite a bit on your own.