Ye Olde Inn

I was asked this question last time we played, regarding the pass through rock spell: "What if I end up in a furniture or on a monster after I walk through a wall?"

I didn't really know the answer, so we went with that the player gets bonus steps to the nearest unoccupied square. Now, for furniture this can seem ok, they are hard-material objects after all...but passing through monsters just did not feel right. And also, if you get bonus steps for monsters and furniture, why not for stone filled rooms?

Has anyone else stumbled upon this question? How do you play it?

If they end up on the same square as a monster, furniture or inside rock they die. It is the mages responsibility to have some idea where they are going to end up. Pass through rock can be used as an escape or to come to another heroes aid, if it's used as a short cut then the mage gambles with their life.

I'm with you there, Ethica.

Ethica wrote:If they end up on the same square as a monster, furniture or inside rock they die. It is the mages responsibility to have some idea where they are going to end up. Pass through rock can be used as an escape or to come to another heroes aid, if it's used as a short cut then the mage gambles with their life.

Fair enough

But if the player has squares left to move, he should at least be able to move through furniture, right? And if they take a chance and move into a room without opening a door (because it's locked or something) and there is a monster on the square on the other side...is the player simply not allowed to move to that square then?

I would say that they can move through whatever medium they like with the movement they have as long as they don't finish on an occupied square. Maybe I'm too pedantic, but, watch out for those players who think they can roll the red dice then cast the spell only if they like what they rolled. Or introduce fixed movement, this is another situation where it would be an advantage.

If a hero has't used up all his movement and the EWP doesn't activate the room the hero canalways ask something like "Can I end my move here without dying?" - Answer is either "Yeah, sure", because the hero sees of course where he is, or "Well, no, try another space". There's a little gambling, hero ends his movement whenever he wants to(may even walk back; die roll is maximum of course) and I tell him if he's alive...
Simple as that. That risk comes with gambling with spells.

It's kind of a killjoy for someone to find they've materialized in solid rock, GAME OVER.
I agree that if they have movement left Zarquon should say immediately if the room is solid or not.
As for landing on a monster or furniture, I'd simply bump the player sideways movement left or not.
The point of the game is more fun, less KILL THEM!

Am I missing something here? The spell is called "Pass Through Rock", it repeats the words "move through walls" twice. No mention of furniture or monsters or any other medium. Surely one must count ones' steps, or spaces, before moving ones' piece. Easy enough then, not to finish up standing on anything.

I agree that the player can't move through monsters or furniture. But what happens if he unknowingly moves through a wall and steps on a monster/furniture? He shouldn't be able to make that move in the first place.
It's like... he is fumbling blindly through rock, feeling his way forward. Suddenly he feels something solid (Monster/furniture). Obviously he can't step into solid matter, so he decides to move through more rock and around the solid object until he can feel unoccupied air.
A way to reflect this in the game would be that the instant a player moves into an undiscovered occupied square, Morcar politely tells him that square is occupied and negates the move. Make a new move punk.

Alternatively you can work something out based on the rules from Melar's Maze. If I remember correctly you can teleport frag monsters in that quest.

Goblin-King wrote:I agree that the player can't move through monsters or furniture. But what happens if he unknowingly moves through a wall and steps on a monster/furniture? He shouldn't be able to make that move in the first place.
It's like... he is fumbling blindly through rock, feeling his way forward. Suddenly he feels something solid (Monster/furniture). Obviously he can't step into solid matter, so he decides to move through more rock and around the solid object until he can feel unoccupied air.
A way to reflect this in the game would be that the instant a player moves into an undiscovered occupied square, Morcar politely tells him that square is occupied and negates the move. Make a new move punk.

Exactly. Otherwise, you might as well say that "Veil of Mist" allows heroes to, you have guessed it!, "Pass Through Rock"